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When you ask people in startups why they love what they do, you’ll get a mix of answers. Potentially, there is a significant return on investment, supporting a positive impact, and networking with interesting people. Sometimes, they even mention the tax incentives. Occasionally, you’ll hear the response that it’s like getting a peek into the future.
I get the overwhelming sense when I’m sitting on the middle floor (of three) at the State Theatre in Sydney, watching 11 Startmate startups pitch their vision and products. I’m sure if you polled the 1,547 other attendees in the room, they’d agree.
At Startmate's Winter '24 Demo Day, we celebrated Australia's vibrant and diverse startup ecosystem, from groundbreaking hardware solutions to transformative software platforms.
These startups hail from various corners of Australia and New Zealand, including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Byron Bay, Toowoomba, and Christchurch.
It takes a village
The 11 that pitched stood out from a pool of 600 hopeful applicants. The monumental task of selecting them unfolded over four weeks with the input of over a hundred dedicated mentors.
The Breadth
The startups showcased at Demo Day are tackling some of the most pressing challenges across diverse sectors, highlighting the breadth of solutions being developed:
Healthcare and Well-being: Borne is reimagining maternal care with postpartum wellness platforms and Preve is revolutionising physiotherapy through AI-assisted patient journeys. These innovations aim to improve patient outcomes, enhance accessibility, and provide more personalised care.
People and Culture: Fairgo.ai is building AI-powered recruitment tools that reduce hiring bias to software that automates complex testing processes. Recant.ai, another AI-powered tool, is combating online harassment by intercepting abusive messages and fostering safer digital environments.
Environmental and Energy Solutions: Hurtec is building electric-powered firefighting equipment so firefighters will be safer on the job. Meanwhile, TOTEX, who delivered one of the more original pitches on the evening, is combining heating and cooling systems to cut energy costs and emissions and introducing greener methods for food oil extraction.
Check out the amazing recap video here.
The Hidden Side of Demo Day
Beyond the pitches and presentations, there was a strategic orchestration behind the scenes. Startmate hosted two exclusive events, adding a significant layer to Demo Day's impact.
First, an intimate invite-only gathering for family offices provided a focused environment for high-net-worth investors to engage with founders. Some of Startmate's earliest investors, Skip Capital and Grok Capital, shed some light on their experience investing in startups and Startmate’s Funds to over 40 representatives from different family offices.
Second, a VIP event welcomed over 100 investors who arrived in a convoy of buses, emphasising the scale and excitement surrounding the cohort.
These events were not just ceremonial—they’re when the important contacts get made and deals start.
As a result, every single Winter’24 Accelerator company had 10+ warm introductions to angels and VCs across ANZ. Since Demo Day, each company has already met with at least several top-tier VCs about investment.
Onto the next one:
Startmate is in the final hours of its Summer’25 Accelerator application process. Applications close THIS Sunday, 10 November, at midnight… Soon, a pool of mentors, investors, and founders will review 600+ applications to decide who the lucky founders are and who will pitch at the next Demo Day in May 2025. (Rumour has it, they’ll be hosting the Summer’25 Demo Day at Blackbird’s Sunrise event.)
For founders looking for funding, mentorship and extreme growth, make sure to apply to the Startmate Accelerator before the weekend ends.
More info here.
For investors interested in selecting the next Accelerator cohort, check out First Believers, you get direct access to ANZ’s top founder deal flow and learn how to make great investment decisions and put those learnings into practice.
More info here.
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