CeBIT: Investing in our start-ups for the future of business

THE CeBIT Australia StartUp Conference and PitchFest 2018 will bring a fresh wave of innovative technology ideas to the showfloor.

The Australian start-up industry is growing with overseas investments totalling over US$555 million last year. New South Wales, the host state of CeBIT Australia, produces 44 percent of the nation’s start-ups, and the recently opened Sydney Startup Hub in Sydney’s CBD has been a landmark $35 million government investment to ensure the start-up ecosystem continues to thrive. 

A collaboration of resources between CeBIT Australia, the NSW Government, the Australian Computer Society and the Business Centre, will see more than 80 start-ups set to feature ingenious, new-wave technologies on the showfloor at CeBIT Australia from May 15-17, 2018.

The NSW Government will showcase the state’s very latest tech talent leading the future of business, from engineers who merge artificial intelligence and machine learning creating biometric technologies, to industrial design for hi-tech devices in medical, agriculture, industry and consumer industries. The NSW Government-backed, Jobs for NSW, will also be showcasing 16 start-ups assisted through its support programs.

Acting Premier, John Barilaro, MP, said start-ups were accelerating innovation and generating jobs for the economy.

“Here in NSW, we’re doing everything we can to create the right environment for people to have the confidence to launch and the support they need to give their start-up the best chance of success," Mr Barilaro said.

“Start-ups are the future of our economy and with the right backing they can develop and deliver new products and services that lead to jobs for the people of NSW and Australia.

“Our state is the nation’s start-up capital and the NSW Government is proud to showcase the latest and best of our NSW start-ups at CeBIT Australia,” said Mr Barilaro.

Harvey Stockbridge, managing director of Hannover Fairs Australia commented on the new start-up exhibition zones on the showfloor.

“CeBIT Australia hosts the largest start-up showcase in Asia-Pacific," Mr Stockbridge said. "This year the CeBIT StartUp hub features a fantastic series of presentations on the FutureTech Stage. IoT, FinTech, AI and Machine Learning, and the start-up industry itself will all be covered by leading industry experts.

"The StartUp Zone will feature three StartUp Co-Working spaces, a new feature for 2018 which allows start-ups the opportunity to meet new potential clients, business partners or investors, network and share ideas, and engage with VCs and angels on the showfloor,” said Mr Stockbridge.

The renowned CeBIT StartUp Conference, on Thursday 17 May will deliver a series of inspirational sessions, where a host of experts will participate in panel discussions and presentations about the growth, challenges and opportunities for start-ups.

The StartUp Conference will begin with a presentation by Amadeus on ‘The Sweet Spot – why start-ups should target that 21st business problem,’ while the rest of the conference is made up of three panel discussions covering key questions of the start-up community:

• Demystifying VC’s – A frank chat about what actually happens at a venture capital firm;
• Building a Global Business;
• Accelerator / Incubator / Co-working hub “what you need to know” series.

Following the StartUp Conference is CeBIT Australia’s highly successful PitchFest contest showcasing 10 finalists, who will actively pitch their innovations and technologies to a panel of expert judges in front of an audience of fellow start-ups, investors and potential customers.

Previous winners of CeBIT Australia PitchFest have gone on to become multi-million-dollar, multinational companies. Previous winners include the Look Who's Charging merchant database which helps Australians easily identify the merchants that charge to our credit cards, NetHealth which provides comprehensive software solutions for the medical industry, and the revolutionary TouchOne Smartwatch Keyboard.

CeBIT Australia’s StartUp conference and PitchFest are free to attend. CeBIT PitchFest is one of Australia’s premier start-up launch pad platforms. This year’s finalists will be announced in early May.

For more information about the spotlight on start-ups at CeBIT Australia, visit:
www.cebit.com.au/startup-and-pitchfest

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