Danelle and Charlie talk with the inspirational and incredibly talented Dr Zara Torre, founder of The Difference.

Zara has degrees in law, dentistry, political science and public health, and wanted to create an easy way for people to give to charity while making online purchases.

“I feel very privileged to have had this life. When I was young, we used to go back to India, and I had a few seminal experiences where I witnessed police brutality, I witnessed a lot of poverty, and I thought – how is it that I have managed to be born in a place like Perth?” ~ Zara Torre.

For more: https://www.the-difference.org/

Download 'The Difference Fund' app from your app store.

Check out Zara's 'The Difference' podcast as well.

~~

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from the New Industries Fund, Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Dinner Twist.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

56. Zara Torre - The Difference

Charlie and Danelle talk with Nick Saunders, who is CEO of not one but two startups, Opaxe and Grow Impact.

As you will hear, Nick has had an incredible career, from Perth, via London, Europe and South America and back to Perth. Along the way he has run startups and accelerators in London, Bulgaria and Chile. He has been back in Perth for a few years now, and is leading two startups, and has some great insights to share. 

Listen to the very end, for a bonus story in which Nick had to do a pre-AFL grand final radio show in Serbia (... he knows little about footy!)

“There’s not a lot of support, and in other countries you get a feeling that governments want you, they recognise that small businesses and startups are the lifeblood and they support it, but here, you get the impression that actually they don’t care…” ~ Nick Saunders.

For more: https://www.opaxe.com/
and https://www.growimpact.com.au/

~~

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from the New Industries Fund, Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Dinner Twist.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

57. Nick Saunders - Opaxe / Grow Impact

Charlie talks with the co-founder and former CEO of iiNet, Michael Malone. 

A maths graduate with an early interest in the emerging internet, Michael calculated he needed to sign up 200 clients at $25 a month to allow himself access to the Net in 1993. Working out of his parent's garage in Padbury, he built up one of the largest ISPs in the country with over $1B in sales over the next 20 years, taking on industry giants and even Hollywood studios.

One of WA's true tech success stories, Michael is now a non-executive director at Seven West Media and NBN Co, as well as an investor in several startups and tech businesses.

"It’s pretty special when you’re sitting down with an 18-year-old (South African) kid, we were paying 6 times the average national income, youth unemployment was 50% at the time, and that 18-year-old kid can buy his Mum her first house." ~ Michael Malone.

For more: https://iinet.net.au/customers/  

and https://www.perth.net.au/

~~

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from the New Industries Fund, Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Dinner Twist.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

65. Michael Malone - iiNet + Company Director

Charlie talks with the co-founders of mining tech startup MiPlan, Louise and Rob Daw. The couple met in a former software business, and decided to set out on their own to solve a problem they saw in the resources industry.

Seven years in, they had built it up to a scale that they were acquired by major mining software conglomerate Hexagon Mining, where Rob is now CTO.

They both share their journey, through the startup phase, winning clients, fund-raising and hiring staff through to exit.

"He has a really good vision where technology and the mining industry should go, and often I’m very risk averse… even though we did take on all this risk of having a business, I didn’t want to take on more debt, or go into too many unknown markets… we did get there eventually, but we probably could have got there faster…" ~ Louise Daw.

For more: http://miplanconsulting.com

and https://hexagonmining.com/

~~

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from the New Industries Fund, Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Dinner Twist.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

66. Louise & Rob Daw - MiPlan

Danelle and Steve talk with James Flanagan, co-founder of newly launched HoverIT (‘Hover It’) which is looking to provide a single platform for small businesses to reach and sell to their customers directly. 

Originally from the west of Ireland, the former oil and gas worker and commercial diver launched the service in Fremantle earlier this year with his Uncle Luke as co-founder. 

“Definitely the best people I’ve met have been at events, some that I was not even going to go to, and then I left and I was like – I’m so happy I went to that event…” ~ James Flanagan.

For more: www.hoverit.com 

~~

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth, Dinner Twist and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

72. James Flanagan - HoverIT

Danelle and Steve talk with Mihailo Bozic, founder of Envited, an events platform that does not need Facebook, and works across all social media platforms. Only 2% of teens use Facebook, so this cohort needs another means to set up and share events.

He started working on the concept last year while still at university, recently raised a $350,000 pre-seed round to employ some staff, and is about to launch the service.

“When I was raising money for Envited, I spoke to over 70 investors, and only one of them invested, and they took the lead. So you just have to just talk to as many as you can, and you have to grind it out…. People at an early stage invest in founders. They don’t invest in your business.” ~ Mihailo Bozic.

For more: https://www.envited.io/ 

~~
Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth, Dinner Twist and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

73. Mihailo Bozic - Envited

Steve and Brodie talk with Angie Keeler, cofounder and CEO of Zella DC, a next-generation data centre provider disrupting traditional server rooms.

Originally from South Africa, together with husband Clint, Angie and her team have developed a mobile data centre - about the size of a fridge - that can be placed in harsh environments such as remote mine sites and pretty much anywhere.

“Definitely it's all about really getting your name out there and talking to people, and networking, and getting to know everybody… and that’s how you will find the right investors who are going to help you…” ~ Angie Keeler.

For more: https://www.zelladc.com/

~

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth, Dinner Twist and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

74. Angie Keeler - Zella DC

Brodie and Steve talk with Nicole Gazey and Rebecca Loftus, co-founders of IDEA (Innovation Design Entrepreneurship Academy), a brand new ‘alternative school’ for young innovators, entrepreneurs and creatives.

Having graduated from last year’s Plus Eight tech accelerator program, IDEA raised some funds from BetterLabs Ventures and launched the academy earlier this year, with their first cohort currently going through their programs at the FLUX co-working space in the city.

“The need for change is so great, and the amount of students that are currently struggling in the system, and being underserved by it, is so great that I think the more the merrier in terms of alternatives…” ~ Rebecca Loftus.

For more:  https://ideacademy.com.au/ 

~

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth, Dinner Twist and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

77. Nicole Gazey & Rebecca Loftus - IDEA

Steve and Brodie talk with Matt Hart, co-founder of Perth-founded smart wearables tech company Soter Analytics, who is passionate about reducing injuries at work.

Scaling the business to more than 50 staff over the past five years, the company is now headquartered in London, with a development team in Estonia and an office in Perth. Their most recent funding round was more than A$16M. The boy from Armadale has done well, and does not hold back on his views about developing a startup in Perth.

“…When you look at Estonia, they say ‘Look out of Estonia from day one’; because one and a half million people live there. If you’re going to make a tech business, a startup, you’ve got to think worldwide from day one. And I think that’s the same in Perth.” ~ Matt Hart.

For more: https://soteranalytics.com/ 

~

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth, Dinner Twist and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

81. Matt Hart - Soter Analytics

Danelle and Steve talk with Zach Nielsen, co-founder and CEO of Ascend Health Group, which includes Ascend Health services, software company Bruno Health, and hardware operation Obdo.

Established in 2017, the group provides care services in the national disability and health sectors. A physiotherapist by training, Zach and his team operate in Western Australia and Queensland, and have plans to launch into other states over the next few years. 

“I was already building Ascend in my last year of university. I had already seen the value of having smart, dedicated young people with fire in their belly. People go into these health science degrees because they want to help people…” ~ Zach Nielsen

For more: https://www.ascendhealthgroup.com.au/ 

~

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth, Dinner Twist and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

82. Zach Nielsen – Ascend Health

A fantastic start for 2023 and our 5th season: Danelle and Brodie interview the Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy, Hon Stephen Dawson MLC.

Growing up in Ireland, the eldest of four children, he moved to Australia in his teens with his family, and became involved in student politics. His father had been active in the union movement. Starting out as a drama teacher, Stephen Dawson became a Labor member of the upper house of Western Australian government in 2013 becoming a cabinet minister in 2017, and Innovation Minister in 2021.

Minister Dawson talks about his hopes for the local innovation ecosystem, and what it needs now.

"The ideas are here. The expertise is here now as well. We’re growing it locally and we’re bringing it in from overseas. But money, if we had more money here we could do so much more quicker. Part of that’s my role, and we’ll have some announcements over the next 12 months – hopefully the next budget will be good to us – but certainly working with people in Perth who have got money, convincing them how good an investment this will be, is important." ~ Minister Stephen Dawson

For more:  https://www.wa.gov.au/nif 

~

* OFFER from sponsor Dinner Twist for Startup West listeners in Perth: so you can focus on creating the next unicorn, let Dinner Twist worry about dinner. Here is $30 off your first box. Enter SW30 at the checkout. Go to www.dinnertwist.com.au to enjoy *

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth, Dinner Twist and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

90. Hon Stephen Dawson MLC, Minister for Innovation

Danelle and Brodie talk with the recently crowned WA Innovator of the Year, Kate Lewkowski, co-founder and CEO of medtech startup Neurotologix. 

Her company is developing a remote patient monitoring device for dizziness and vertigo, which afflicts 2.9 million Australians, prompting over 350,000 medical appointments.

An audiologist with over 20 years of clinical and epidemiological research experience, Kate holds degrees in computer science, mathematics and public health, and is determined to manufacture her device in Western Australia.

“She said ‘I always wondered why somebody doesn’t do something about it. And then I realised I was somebody.’ So I always wondered why were not monitoring the attacks. And then realising… oh I think that has to be me…!”  ~ Kate Lewkowski.

For more: https://www.neurotologix.com/ 

~

* OFFER from sponsor Dinner Twist for Startup West listeners in Perth: so you can focus on creating the next unicorn, let Dinner Twist worry about dinner. Here is $30 off your first box. Enter SW30 at the checkout. Go to www.dinnertwist.com.au to enjoy *

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth, Dinner Twist and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

91. Kate Lewkowski - Neurolotogix

Steve and Chris talk with Tim Jones, Managing Director of cyber security startup Hyprfire.

Starting out as a lawyer, he moved into technology law, worked in Sydney, and then moved back to WA to work on various startups in the ASX and private space. He did some advisory work, helped fund tech startups and worked for a time at HealthEngine.

Spun out of Curtin University, Hyprfire has raised some significant capital as well as an Accelerating Commercialisation grant, offering network threat prevention as a service.

“Enjoy the ride. Not many people get to do this. Just recognise that, and enjoy it as much as you can. Celebrate the great moments, and try and keep things in perspective.” ~ Tim Jones.

For more: https://www.hyprfire.com

~

* OFFER from sponsor Dinner Twist for Startup West listeners in Perth: so you can focus on creating the next unicorn, let Dinner Twist worry about dinner. Here is $30 off your first box. Enter SW30 at the checkout. Go to www.dinnertwist.com.au to enjoy *

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth, Dinner Twist and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

92. Tim Jones - Hyprfire

Chris and Steve talk with Dr Mehdi Ravanbakhsh, co-founder of two AI startups – the 7-year-old data analytics and AI company MapIzy and the brand-new cryptocurrency platform, CryptoCrispy.

Originally from Iran, with a PhD from the Leibniz University of Hanover, Germany, and 20 years’ experience as an academic, Mehdi moved to Melbourne for his postdoc, then to Perth as an associate professor at the University of Western Australia. 

Fascinated by the power of AI, he quit his job to set up MapIzy in 2015, winning contracts with Airbus and Toyota. Once the company was “in a good shape”, he set up CryptoCrispy in 2022, where he aims to improve crypto trading with AI, empowering smarter and easier trading.

“ If you’re interested in our innovation or solution, come and talk to us. We have an excellent track record, and we can empower people and organisations in many ways. ” ~ Mehdi Ravanbakhsh. 

For more: https://mapizy.com/ and https://cryptocrispy.com.au/

~
* OFFER from sponsor Dinner Twist for Startup West listeners in Perth: so you can focus on creating the next unicorn, let Dinner Twist worry about dinner. Here is $30 off your first box. Enter SW30 at the checkout. Go to www.dinnertwist.com.au to enjoy *

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth, Dinner Twist and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

96. Mehdi Ravanbakhsh -  Mapizy + Cryptocrispy

We talk with Joanna Morris, co-founder and CEO of Matilda, a digital platform that informs, connects and assists patients of endometriosis, a painful chronic condition that afflicts 1 in 9 Australian women.

A pelvic physio by background, she and her business partner Kevin started the business to improve the lives of the 190 million people around the world that suffer from the affliction.

Passing through Perth BioDesign and Curtin Accelerate programs, the business has been bootstrapped and now has paying customers.

“ I wish I've said, ‘Do you know what Jo, this is going to be so much fun, you just need to jump in.’ Because there’s no use being scared, and it’s going to be a lot of fun…” ~ Joanna Morris.   

For more: https://matilda.health

~

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

97. Joanna Morris - Matilda

Australia's number 1 startup podcast talks with former Western Australian of the Year, Bourby Webster, founder of the Perth Symphony Orchestra, who recently stepped away from the CEO role, after 13 years.

Growing up in the English countryside, she was exposed to orchestral music from a young age, played viola, and went to Oxford University, where she also got into rowing as a coxswain. Moving to Perth, she did an MBA, worked for an engineering firm, and wondered why there was only one symphony orchestra whereas in Manchester, England - with less than a third of Perth's population - there are four.

Setting up an orchestra - with its insanely hard business model - was tough. She received no government funding for ten years, and had to sell out every concert just to survive. ‘The orchestra that breaks the rules’ plays everything from Nirvana to INXS to Mozart to Chopin, and is intent on ‘taking music to the people’.

"My way of growing the orchestra was to go and speak to as many mayors and CEOs of local governments, and I identified a market of 139 shires in WA, all of whom could use music as a way to connect their community." ~ Bourby Webster

For more: https://perthsymphony.com and https://www.bourbywebster.com

~

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Tekkon.

98. Bourby Webster - Perth Symphony Orchestra

Australia's number 1 startup podcast (1) welcomes well-known co-host of the Mix 94.5 Brekky Radio Show ('Pete, Matt and Kymba'), and, now startup founder and Plus Eight graduate Pete Curulli.

A mad-keen gamer, and co-host of popular podcast for gamers, Game on Aus, he is developing a platform for independent gaming developers, Three Little Pixels, which he plans to launch later this year.

Passing through the Plus Eight tech accelerator last year, Pete has been bootstrapping the development of the platform, which Australian/New Zealand developers can register (in the link below).

"... Cos when it’s midnight, and it’s all too tough, and it’s too bloody hard, and your business is going backwards, and you’re losing money, you’ve got a month or runway left, it’s the guy that sat there for 9 hours, that will find a solution to get you past that, not the guy that left in 15 minutes." ~ Pete Curulli

For more:  https://register.threelittlepixels.com/login (register if you’re a ANZ game developer)

~

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Tekkon.

(1) As ranked on Feedspot: https://blog.feedspot.com/australian_startup_podcasts/

99. Pete Curulli - Three Little Pixels

For our 100th episode, a real treat: we speak with the inspirational Professor Fiona Wood AM, who with research partner Marie Stoner invented spray-on skin, ‘ReCell’, made famous after the Bali Bombings, for which she was made Australian of the Year in 2005.

Growing up in the north of England, the daughter of a fifth-generation coalminer, the self-confessed “sporty nerd” moved to London to study medicine. Emigrating to Western Australia in the '80s, she became the state's first female plastic surgeon, and in the 1990s pioneered the ReCell technology that would greatly reduce permanent scarring in burns victims. 

She continues to work perfecting the technique, as director of the Royal Perth Hospital burns unit and the Western Australia Burns Service, and inspire the next generation of innovators. 

“ It’s hard. It’s a long road. So you have to have that passion and belief. So it’s really worth interrogating that idea, roughing it up a bit, moulding it, shaping it, so that when you go to the table, you know it inside out, and you believe in it…” ~ Fiona Wood. 

For more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiona_Wood 

~

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

100th episode: Professor Fiona Wood AM

Australia's number 1 startup podcast (1) breezes into episode 101, with Rob Kelly, managing director of Agora Livestock, a price discovery marketplace for sheep, cattle and goats.

Growing up on the family farm in Kojonup, in the Great Southern, 250 kilometres south from Perth, Rob was into maths and science at school, and studied ag science at university. After a decade in grains trading, he saw that banks had no efficient, real-time way of valuing livestock, which spawned the idea behind Agora.

After five years as a pure B2B subscriptions business, the business has recently launched its online marketplace nationally.

"If you say ‘Well I can’t show you because you might steal the idea’.. your business is not robust enough for the investment. So the sooner you can start talking about what you’re doing, the better, and you’ll find mentors along the way" ~ Rob Kelly.

For more: https://agoralivestock.com.au

~

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Tekkon.

(1) As recently judged by Feedspot: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/australian_startup_podcasts/

101. Rob Kelly - Agora Livestock

Australia’s number 1 startup podcast (1) talks with two of Veintech's co-founders, Nick Buckley and Nik Bappoo, who with a team of 10 are developing a handheld unit that visualises veins to make cannulation (drawing blood) easier. 

It’s a disturbing fact that the standard ‘miss rate’ for cannulations is around 40%, incredibly high. Once you miss twice, you have to call for help.

Set up in 2020, the medtech company closed a seed round last year, won an Accelerating Commercialisation grant, and is moving towards clinical trials. 

“ No matter how far you get along this journey, it is that vision you define in the early days … often that’s something that’s skipped. It’s often seen as ‘fluffy’,  … we were lucky as we got forced to do it through accelerators. ” ~ Nik Bappoo.  

For more: https://www.veintech.com.au 

~

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

(1) Feedspot Ranking of Australian Startup podcasts: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/australian_startup_podcasts/

102. Nik Bappoo & Nick Buckley - Veintech

Australia’s number 1 startup podcast (1) talks with Ingrid Rodriguez, founder of Eikonic, a dental hygiene product looking to help a billion mouths over the next ten years.

Born in Chile, and growing up in Perth, Ingrid studied oral hygiene and after years of practice, saw a need to develop a revolutionary product that would assist the 3 billion people that suffer from one type of oral disease or another. 

“ Do whatever it takes to be you own best friend. That was another great piece of advice, and a quote that I’ve taken with me and my journey. Sometimes as a sole founder it can be very lonely…” Ingrid Rodriguez ~ 

For more:  https://www.eikonic.org 

~
Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

(1)	Feedspot Ranking of Australian Startup podcasts: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/australian_startup_podcasts/

103. Ingrid Rodriguez - Eikonic

Australia’s number 1 startup podcast (1) talks with the CEO of tech recruiting firm Valrose and co-Chair of Women in Tech WA (WiTWA), Tina Ambrose. 

Growing up in west London, she took on various jobs, found herself homeless at one stage, then later made “the best decision in [her] life” to move to Perth, Western Australia. Working in recruitment, she devised and then set up her own company, and also champions women in technology through her work with WiTWA.

“ If I knew then what I know now, would I have started?! There’s a lot of challenges you face. And the answer is yes, absolutely …” ~ Tina Ambrose. 

For more: https://valrose.com.au/ 

~

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

(1)	Feedspot Ranking of Australian Startup podcasts: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/australian_startup_podcasts/

104. Tina Ambrose - Valrose & WiTWA

Australia’s number 1 startup podcast (1) talks with Simon Anderson, CEO and founder of Notis (student engagement platform for schools) and Swayz (prompts friends and family to share video content for you).

With Notis, established in 2013 in Perth, Simon has raised US$1M over 10 years and is aiming to have a thousand US schools on board in 2023. Simon raised his first $5K thanks to Curtin Accelerate in Perth, then US$350K in an angel round, sold up everything in Australia, moved to Canada, while his kids were young. He's now back in Perth.

Meanwhile, his new startup baby is Swayz, a social media engagement app, which was launched a few months ago.

“… If you realise that you have time on your side, regarding that it’s going to take a long time. You’ve got time, you’re young, so do something every day… do that one thing, and it will add up.” ~ Simon Anderson.

For more: https://notis.com/  and https://www.swayz.app/

~
(1)	Feedspot Ranking of Australian Startup podcasts: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/australian_startup_podcasts/

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

105. Simon Anderson - Notis & Swayz

Australia’s number 1 startup podcast (1) talks with serial app entrepreneur, award-winning founder and all-round nice guy Stuart Kidd.

When one startup is not enough, how about four or five? Originally from the UK, Stuart arrived in Australia aged 10, then went back to work there after school, developing his eye for design, tech and online businesses. Back in Perth, he set up Apps People, an app development business, and has launched multiple app businesses over the past few years. 

Last year, he was voted Startup News Most Admired Startup Founder, and in this episode he shares a lot from his journey and multiple startups.

“… Sometimes you have to say to yourself 'Hey, this stuff I can do by myself, this stuff I can't do at all, I need people on board'. It's not just about collaborating, it's about understanding your business better, and understanding where your skills are, and where your skills can be better focussed.” ~ Stuart Kidd.

For more: https://foodybag.com.au, https://www.blezz.co, https://www.familia.app, http://www.everythere.com.au

~
(1)	Feedspot Ranking of Australian Startup podcasts: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/australian_startup_podcasts/

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

106. Stuart Kidd - Foody Bag, Familia, Blezz, Everythere et al

Australia’s number 1 startup podcast (1) talks with Intan Oldakowska, co-founder and CEO of medtech startup Earflo. 

She and her team are developing a non-invasive device that drains middle ear fluid in children with chronic ear infections, avoiding developmental delay and the need for surgery.

From an idea first borne over at Stanford University, California, the company was recently awarded $500,000 in WA government funding, which will help them commercialise their solution over the next few years. 

Originally from Jakarta, Indonesia, Intan moved to Perth during high school, wanted to be a ballerina at WAAPA, then switched to engineering, and later a PhD. 

“…Startup is a tough road. Don’t go into it because you want to get famous or something. Because it’s totally not worth it. The pain is not worth that, right? So you want to be in it for the right reason. Be ready for it to be a long journey, with lots of setbacks.”  ~ Intan Oldakowska

For more: https://www.linkedin.com/company/earflo/ 

~

(1)	Feedspot Ranking of Australian Startup podcasts: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/australian_startup_podcasts/

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

107. Intan Oldakowska - Earflo

We talk with Jemma Iles, who has been working in, and promoting, innovation across various industries including local and state government for the past 20 years. 

Jemma is also one of the people bringing the new ‘Australian Innovation Management Institute’ (AIMI) to Australia.

How can governments and corporates best innovate? What can they learn from startups? How can governments and corporates best assist startups and the local innovation ecosystem? 

“I’d love to see more public sector officers in the startup ecosystem. I think there’s lots to learn, and probably one of the biggest things I learnt in my roles in government was spending listening to the challenges that startups face, and being able to find a pathway to help them to access grants and funding, or just support, to bring their businesses to life.”  ~ Jemma Iles  

For more: https://aiminstitute.org.au and https://thelightboxgroup.com.au

~

Co-hosts: Danelle Cross (Curtin University) and Chris Tan (Spacecubed).

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

108. Jemma Iles - Lightbox Group & AIMI

Danelle Cross (Curtin Uni) and Chris Tan (Spacecubed) talk with Dan Dawson, founder and director of edtech startup Paperly. 

Originally from New Zealand, Dan saw the need to reduce paper-based bureaucratic systems in schools. Coding 7 hours a night while holding down a full-time job, he was selected to join the Plus Eight Tech Accelerator in Perth in 2022. 

This year, the newly established early-stage VC fund Purpose Ventures invested in the business, and his goal is to get Paperly into 10,000 schools. 

“…It’s one thing starting a company. It’s another thing starting a company with a partner, or wife. It’s next level again, once you’ve got kids...”  ~ Dan Dawson

For more: https://www.paperly.io

~

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Tekkon.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

109. Dan Dawson - Paperly

For the final episode of 2023, Startup West recorded a founders' panel in front of a live audience of more than 400 at Freo Startup Fest, which is part of the annual West Tech Fest, Australia's longest-running tech festival.

Host Charlie Gunningham chats with Dr Julia Reisser (Uluu), Amy Carter-James (Raaise) and Jonathan Lilley (Electro Ventures). Each company is heavily involved in developing and funding cleaner, climate-friendly products.

Having raised $8.6M, Uluu is commercialising the production of red seaweed as an alternative source of plastics, to change fashion and other industries. Meanwhile, Raaise is a platform connecting investors with climate tech startups, and Electro Ventures has raised $20M and funded 13 EV-related boat, plane and vehicle companies.

Julia, Amy and Jonathan talk about their challenges and successes in 2023, the climate tech sector generally, and their plans for 2024 and beyond.

For more: 
>> https://uluu.com.au
>> https://raaise.co
>> https://electro.ventures
>> https://electronautic.com.au

~

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and pays respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Startup West is recorded at Riff studios in beautiful downtown Perth, Western Australia; produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Tekkon.

Startup West will return in 2024.

110. Founders' Panel (Live) - the Climate for Tech

Danelle Cross and Natalie Milne talk with Brian Innes, founder and CEO of Plico Energy.

The avowed purpose of the business is to 'make energy green again', or MEGA (!), by allowing households to take control of own solar power use, protect themselves from blackouts as well as having access to a 'virtual power plant' (VPP).

For more: https://www.plicoenergy.com.au/

Startup West is produced by Startup News and is made possible thanks to generous support from the New Industries Fund, Wrays, BDO, Spacecubed and Curtin University.

32. Brian Innes - Plico Energy

Welcome to a special episode of Startup West: a panel recorded in front of a live audience at Little Creatures in Fremantle as part of this year's Freo Startup Fest.

Charlie Gunningham chats with Matt James (CTO of Virtual Gaming Worlds), Renae Bunster, (founder of Bunsters) and Dan Jovevski (founder and CEO of WeMoney).

We titled the session - Building a scalable business in WA... what pandemic?! The panellists notched up notable achievements in 2020: 

•	two raised $2M each; 
•	one had a baby; 
•	another doubled revenues to $780M.

For more: https://www.vgw.co/
https://www.wemoney.com.au/
https://www.bunstersworldwide.com/

Photos of the event: https://startupnews.com.au/2020/12/17/startup-west-podcast-49-freo-startup-fest-panel/

~~

Startup West is recorded in Western Australia, produced by Startup News, edited by Carmen Yee Kai Wen and brought to you thanks to support from the New Industries Fund, Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Dinner Twist.

Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast was recorded, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

49. Freo Startup Fest Panel - VGW, WeMoney + Bunsters

Welcome to the Startup West podcast. We talk with West Australian startups who have been there and done it, or are right here and doing it! Recorded in beautiful Perth, WA; produced by Startup News, and brought to you thanks to support from Spacecubed, Curtin University, RSM, the City of Perth and Tekkon. Startup West acknowledges the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, traditional owners of the lands and waters of Perth, where this podcast is recorded, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Startup West

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