As CEO of an innovation hub, I’m often asked by people what it takes to create a successful start-up. With more than 1000 start-up founders coming through our education programs, we’ve seen first-hand what it takes to succeed in the start-up world. It involves far more than an initial great idea. Successful start-ups require a carefully executed strategy, forward planning, perseverance and a lot of hard work. Through our programs, we’ve been able to identify what sets certain companies apart and gives them a competitive edge. Our recipe for a successful start-up Teams vs solo founders  We ..read more

For this week’s feature, we are shining the spotlight on Nabula Brdar and Rebel Tidmarsh, the duo behind Supermarket Swap, an app that aims to provide consumers with healthier, additive-free, and affordable supermarket food choices. To date, the app has catalogued over 2000 products stocked across Australia’s largest supermarkets and has built a community of informed and health-conscious consumers around it. ISB: What led you to become an advocate for additive-free supermarket products? NB: It all began when I started feeding my children. Previously, I had scanned the nutritional table to look ..read more

Australian accounting software company Reckon has ranked the 50 largest Australian cities according to which is the best to start a business, with Geelong in Victoria taking the top spot. In its 2024 Reckon Startup Cities report, Geelong in Victoria outperforms every other city and has been crowned by the report as ‘Australia’s best city to start a business’. Geelong also holds the eighth-highest talent pool score and has fast internet speeds at par with the rest of the state. “Launching a start-up in Australia, or anywhere, is no simple feat, but absolutely achievable. Small businesses a ..read more

Queensland asphalt company MR-Roads has launched a new community program that will reduce the rate of carpark incidences and improve community road safety in the state. The Community Carpark Safety Program will see the Brisbane start-up donate asphalt mix and crew hire to repair damaged school, hospital, charity and small-business car parks across southeast Queensland. As much as four tonnes of unused asphalt will be redeployed each week as part of the initiative, which is the equivalent of roughly 75 potholes a month and valued at $16,000. MR-Roads co-founder and co-CEO James Rolph said the p ..read more

Chris Cotton has always had an entrepreneurial flair and has been successful in a number of business ventures, both here and overseas, including running a large brick paving and asphalting business. He was involved in the manufacture of the first polyurethane liquid-based waterproofing membrane in Australia. Six years ago, Chris embarked on a new journey to disrupt the F&B space, helping thirsty consumers and foodies mix their cocktails or prepare their favourite dishes quickly and easily by launching a range of natural citrus juices in convenient pouches. ISB: What was the inspiration beh ..read more

Before the outbreak of COVID I worked in an ASX-listed financial services firm. On paper, I had my dream job. I led the company’s Climate Action Plan, climate risk reporting and approach to sustainable growth. Once COVID struck, a company restructure followed several months later. With that came a diminished focus, and understanding of my areas of responsibility and, after several long afternoon walks, I realised I had effectively been made redundant. Wanting more control over my destiny I decided to establish a business. Start-up accelerators and VCs Once I exited the corporate business, I jo ..read more

Climate tech start-up accelerator EnergyLab is reporting that the start-ups it supports have managed to raise a record-breaking AUD $289 million during the past year, with Australian-based start-ups securing AUD $124 million of the total amount. EnergyLab disclosed the information on the occasion of the launch of its inaugural Decarb Debrief, which reviews its impact in 2023. The findings show a significant interest in climate tech investing, despite a challenging year for much of Australia’s start-up ecosystem, and the critical role played by accelerators such as EnergyLab. With access to ear ..read more

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