ANU success at InnovationACT awards

27 Oct 2014

This year’s InnovationACT saw a number of great business ideas, and it really highlights the talent of our students at ANU, spanning across disciplines

Three teams comprising of ANU students received grant funding at last week's InnovationACT awards night, as recognition of their innovative startup ideas.

The InnovationACT business model competition attracted a wide range of business concepts, from social ventures to microbusinesses, and the awards night was a culmination of ten weeks of intensive work from the teams involved. Over the course of the program, teams were taught to think like a founder, participating in startup workshops and pitching competitions, while also being mentored by an entrepreneur from the local startup ecosystem.

ANU Pro-Vice Chancellor (Innovation), Professor Mick Cardew-Hall praised the high quality of the projects involved in this year's competition.

"This year's InnovationACT saw a number of great business ideas, and it really highlights the talent of our students at ANU, spanning across disciplines," Professor Cardew-Hall said.

InnovationACT first ran in 2008, set up by a group of ANU PhD students as a way to foster entrepreneurial activity across the University. The competition has gained momentum over the years and has since expanded to include all of Canberra's tertiary institutions.

Congratulations to the following ANU teams, who each received $10,000 in grant funding in InnovationACT 2014:

  • KRIGE Tech: The team are looking to reduce wasted household energy consumption with their "smart plug" device that plugs into standard wall sockets and can be controlled with your smartphone.
  • Vacant Space: The team is targeting the issue of underused office space in Canberra, with the aim to assist community groups, such as local artists, students, etc. to utilise these spaces for temporary use.
  • OzGuild: Team of two brothers have developed an Australian-based online store for Magic: The Gathering cards
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