Save the date – Tech23 2012!

We’re very excited to let you know that we will be holding Tech23 2012 on Tuesday 23rd October 2012. Plans are underway to make this the best Tech23 yet so please save the date!

We’ll be launching Tech23 2012 at our upcoming event, TechConnect 2012, taking place on Thursday 19th April in Sydney, where we’ll focus on the challenges and opportunities involved in becoming one of Australia’s big tech success stories. BigCommerce’s co-founder Mitchell Harper and Seek’s co-founder Matt Rockman are part of the amazing talent line-up, along with Matt Barrie; Bill Bartee; John Dyson; Peter Davison; Ian Gardiner; Matthew Macfarlane; Alan Jones and Dean McAvoy. A few Tech23 Alumni have also kindly agreed to speak, including: Roamz’s Jonathan Barouch; Posse’s Rebekah Campbell; Taggle’s Chris Andrews; IPScape’s Simon Burke and BuildingIQ’s Mike Zimmerman. We hope to see you there!

We’re also very happy to hear about all of the exciting things that have been happening for many of the Tech23 2011 Alumni, topped off last week with the news that BugHerd – winners of the People’s Choice Award at Tech23 2011 – has received a $500k investment from Starfish Ventures. Other recent good news we can remind you of – Kaggle raised $11 million with investors including PayPal Founder Max Levchin and Google Chief Economist Hal Varian; FilterSquad closed a $1.1 million round led by Yuuwa Capital; OrionVM raised money from Gordon Bell and Stephen Baxter; and APN News and Media took a 25% stake in Friendorse.

You can keep up to date with all of our plans for Tech23 2012 right here at the Tech23 blog. Stay tuned for all of the details!
The team at SlatteryIT

Tech23 2011 – What a day!

The Tech23 2011 Companies

The Tech23 2011 Companies

What a day was had by all who came along to Tech23 2011.  We saw some great presentations from our Tech23 companies, a stellar line-up of industry leaders probing the opportunities and challenges, and some exciting younger start-ups on Innovation Island.

The day ended on a high with drinks and the presentation of the awards.  Well done to goCatch, OrionVM, Centryc, StageBitz and Filter Squad who took out the NSW Government prizes, to Bugherd, voted the best presentation of the day, to Wooboard voted favourite Innovation Island company, and to the winners of the long list of supporter prizes.

We’re currently in the process of editing the video footage from the day, which will be uploaded to YouTube within the next week.  The photos from the day will also soon be available on the website - www.tech23.com.au.  Watch this space and we’ll be sure to let you know when they’re ready.

Thanks to all of those involved – the Tech23 companies, the Innovation Island companies, the Industry Leaders, our fantastic sponsors NSW Trade & Investment and ATS, Amazon Web Services, Citrix, CSIRO, University of Technology, Sydney, NICTA and Starfish Ventures, all of our supporters, our judges, all of the people who assisted the Tech23 companies with their preparation for the day, and of course the attendees.  It’s your involvement and support that helps make great things happen!

Now that it’s all over for another year, we’re already starting to think about Tech23 2012!  We’d love to hear your thoughts about the day via email – tech23@slatteryit.com.au or online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Tech23.

Thank again everyone!

The team at SlatteryIT

One week until Tech23 2011!

With only one week until Tech23 we’re getting rather excited!  We’ve spent some time with our Tech23 companies over the past few weeks, helping them refine their presentations for the big day and we think they are going to do a great job.  This year’s Tech23 are showing off all sorts of innovative technologies, from early weather warning to augmented reality platforms to human location solutions.

We’ve had a few welcomed additions to our fantastic line up of Industry LeadersRyan Junee, serial entrepreneur who sold his start-up Omnisio to Google, Dr Larry Marshall, Managing Director of Starfish Venture Partners, and Greg Roebuck, CEO of carsales.com.au.  The program is now final and promises to provide a jam-packed day full of exciting new Australian tech innovation.

For those of you coming along, don’t forget to stay for the Awards Celebration, where all of the winners of the great prizes on offer will be announced.  This year we have a record number of prizes, from an all-expenses paid trip to Silicon Valley, to meetings with investors and industry leaders, and cash prizes.

We hope to see you at Tech23 2011!

The team at SlatteryIT

Did you know that your mobile can see?

buildAR

Tech23 2011 Company - buildAR

Guest blogger: buildAR

And now for another guest blog from one of our Tech23 companiesbuildAR.  Enjoy!

Did you know that your mobile can see?  It can hear too!  It has a camera and a microphone and it can use these plus all it’s other sensors to find out things about the real world all around you.

If you hold your mobile up and move the camera around you can see digital content overlaid onto your view of the world.  This digital content can help you see into the future and into the past.

If you point your mobile at a logo or image it can project 3d models and video onto what you’re seeing.  Now the science fiction interfaces of the “Minority Report” are starting to appear in our everyday world.

Not all at once, but with an ever growing tidal wave.

This is called Augmented Reality.  buildAR.com helps you ride this new wave and makes it easy to quickly link your digital content and data to the real world.  buildAR make it easy to Augment your Reality.

Then anyone with a capable smartphone or table can see and interact with your content, in the time and location that makes most sense for you and them.  You can use buildAR to update these links and your content in real time.  This allows you to share your AR enabled content with the millions of AR enabled mobile devices that are already in use.

We’re still in the very early “silent movie” phase of Augmented Reality but it’s evolving rapidly.  This is why we have entered buildAR into the Tech23 awards.  Like the other 22 innovative tech companies, we’ve positioned ourselves on the cutting edge of a new revolution.  We’re really excited about sharing our vision with everyone on the 23rd of August.  A vision that we hope will leave you seeing the world in a whole new way.

One great example is a whole new retail concept we’ve developed with Yiying Lu, the creator of Twitter’s ‘fail whale’, and the new company she co-founded called walls360.com.  We’re going to bring digital art to your real-world-walls and create a whole underworld of interactivity hiding below the surface.  A hidden augmented reality that people can discover just by holding up their mobile.

We’ve also got some great announcements about the growth of our business and how we’ve really found our market fit now.  It’s exciting to watch the birth of this revolution.

SlatteryIT have done a really great job turning Tech23 into this amazing event in only three years and we’re so happy to have been selected to participate.  I think the collection of companies across all the Tech23 events shows you just how well the Australian innovation and start-up community really are doing.

I’m looking forward to seeing you at Tech23.

The time is right for an innovation like StageBitz!

Tech23 2011 Company - StageBitz

Guest Blogger: StageBitz

23 days until Tech23! We’re getting very excited! Here is our second guest blog, from StageBitz, another one of our great Tech23 2011 companies!

I was very pleased to hear that StageBitz had been accepted as one of the Tech23 companies because it means that I am starting to achieve one of my main goals in developing StageBitz; to show the technology sector what great opportunities await them in the entertainment industry.

Despite the amazing lighting, sound and computer effects that we as audience members take for granted, the process to actually organise all of this is extremely old-fashioned. Massive Broadway musicals rely on a ring-binder that people update with pencil as their key project management tool. Production management in general is a combination of spreadsheets, emails, lists and phone-calls.

Usually when I tell people this, the response is usually ‘But that’s ridiculous! Why don’t they use some of the amazing project management tools out there? There are so many available!’.

Well, the thing is that while 90% of what screen and stage does could be catered for by those tools, there is 10% that just doesn’t fit neatly into that box. And usually it’s because they don’t provide fields or flow-charts that allow for ‘drop chandelier from over audience onto stage’ or ‘make 12m long animatronic dragon claw’. Without the last 10%, the tools are useless.

This is, of course, what’s so amazing about working in stage and screen. Each project can be wildly different from the next; sure you’ll need to light a stage or operate some cameras, but in terms of what actually happen under those lights or in front of those cameras you can never be sure what you’ll be required to do. It’s an amazingly complex business, where the requirements for actors, crew, lighting, sound, design, set, props, costumes, special effects, make-up and so on can all change overnight yet must intersect perfectly when the lights go on or the cameras roll.

The whole purpose of the entertainment industry is to allow the audience that magical ‘suspension of disbelief’ so that they are transported for a few hours to somewhere else. It could be to a living room, suburb or city very much like their own. Or it could be to The Shire to see those Hobbits start their journey. Every element you see as a member of the audience has had many people involved with it from design to execution and appearing in the action. A great example of the huge amount of collaboration, design and forethought that has to go into an item is given in this behind-the-scenes tour of The Lord of the Rings and the challenges that it provided for props artisans; surely one of the biggest props efforts in recent times. Another fascinating peek into what happens in props departments around the world can be found in this look at how Life on Mars got the look and feel it needed. If you’re recreating a 1973 New York police station in the 2000s, it’s not just that you have to find now-redundant typewriters, phones, lamps and rolodexes from almost 40 years ago, it’s that they have to look new! This kind of thing is a constant challenge for props departments, designers and directors everywhere.

Which is what led me to StageBitz. I have worked professionally in theatre and events for over a decade. Frankly, it was driving me crazy to see all the amazing tools that my colleagues in other industries had at their disposal to improve their work when I was stuck with a pencil, paper, and the odd Excel spreadsheet. I’m not alone in this; the idea of digital tools has been wistfully discussed in the industry for years. The difference is that I have had the very good fortune and plain luck to be able to meet the right people to develop the product, secure the odd bit of capital along the way and be able to work exclusively on developing StageBitz; a combination of opportunities that is very rare in an industry that relies on freelance and project-based work which keeps people moving around.

The time is really right for an innovation like StageBitz®. People are more and more comfortable with doing business in the cloud and the advent of mobile technology like smartphones and in particular the iPads and so forth of the last year or so seems tailor made for an industry that has to work in nooks and crannies backstage, up in lighting rigs, in workshops and out on location where even a traditional notebook can be a challenge to use. For an industry that is still forced to use project management tools that are decades old, this is indeed an exciting revolution.

I’m looking forward to sharing our vision for StageBitz® with everyone at Tech23 and talking to everyone about how ICT and showbiz can provide great opportunities for both.

See you on August 23. www.stagebitz.com.

The humble beginnings of Roamz

Tech23 2011 Company - Roamz

Tech23 2011 Company - Roamz

Guest Blogger: Roamz

Leading up to Tech23 2011, we’ve invited the Tech23 companies to write blog posts, giving them an opportunity to tell us a little bit about themselves before we see them present on the 23rd of August. Our first guest blog is from Roamz. Enjoy!

The idea of Roamz comes from humble beginnings! It was simple, we wanted to know not only what was going on around us but more importantly we wanted to know about local places and activities that interested us. Let’s face it, we have FOMO (fear of missing out) so we began to brainstorm.

With so much information at our fingertips how come it is still so hard to find out what is going on around you?

Why it is that finding out about places and events usually occurs by serendipity?

Surely with all the sharing of location based information that is occurring on mobile devices there must be a better way to find out about places that are relevant to you at the time they are relevant to you?

This is where Roamz comes in, a service that is as individual as you are. Location based discovery that treats you as a unique individual rather than a homogenous robot. Simply put, Roamz is your friend in your pocket that knows what you are interested in.

We’ve built a really talented team who have been doing nothing but breathing, eating and sleeping Roamz. In the short time that we have been around we have been lucky enough to have won the support of the NSW Government through Industry and Investment’s mobile concierge grant and have been lucky enough to receive some press interest in our product.

Tech23 snuck up on us and we were over the moon when we were selected to be among the 23 companies to present. We can’t wait to share more about our product and vision at the event. The countdown to August 23 has begun and we are eager to get everyone’s thoughts on Roamz.

If you can’t wait until August 23rd then check our product video:
www.youtube.com/user/RoamzView?blend=3&ob=5

Hope to see you at Tech23 2011!
Team Roamz

Innovation walks on two legs!

I remember first hearing the concept that innovation walks on two legs from Dr Geoff Garrett (former head of CSIRO). Innovation doesn’t just happen – it needs people! And that is what is so great about Tech23, and what has made it a landmark event three years running. From the young companies demonstrating their bravery and passion to the exceptional expertise of the industry leaders; from the sponsors who create the opportunity for exciting new innovations to collide with experienced leaders, to the whole ecosystem that then buzzes around this – investors, referees, mentors, customers, partners, and more! Tech23 is all about people.

Today we are announcing the 23 companies that will form the core of Tech23 2011, and a lot of attention will focus on these companies and the wonderful innovations they are offering – social media, augmented reality, new search, mail clients, crowd sourcing – but what I think is even more worthy of attention is the amazing array of people behind these innovations! We have an incredible mix of seasoned entrepreneurs and clever PhD types as well as an army officer, farmer, economist, former Australian of the Year and a musician/marine scientist.

This is what makes Tech23 all about who you might meet! And as well as the fascinating people behind our top 23 companies, Tech2 2011 will again host a long list of industry stars, who each year are testament to the importance of the people behind the innovations.

Tech23’s industry leaders represent the cream of Australia’s ICT field, and in 2011 we have an exceptional and diverse line-up of people who each exemplify that innovation starts with people. Our industry leaders include CEO of Commercialisation Australia, Doron Ben-Meir; Singtel Innov8’s Managing Director, Edgar Hardless; Lars Rasmussen, the inventor of Google Maps who has recently moved to Facebook; Director of Tyro Payments and Co-Founder and CEO of Atlassian, Mike Cannon-Brookes; Daniel Petre, Chairman, Netus; Managing Director of Intel Capital, Deepak Natarajan; co-founder of SEEK, Matt Rockman; and CSIRO’s Group Executive Information Sciences, Dr Alex Zelinsky.

So we hope you can come and be part of the celebration of Australian innovation at Tech23 2011 – you never know who you might meet!

Welcome to the Tech23 blog!

Welcome to our first ever Tech23 2011 blog post! We are planning to use this blog to let you know about the exciting developments under way for Tech23 2011. Hear all about the Tech23 2011 companies, the Innovation Island companies, the industry leaders and the program for the day right here at www.tech23blog.com.

The review process has begun!  THANK YOU to everyone who submitted an application for Tech23 and Innovation Island. This year we have over 150 applications, coming from all over the country. Two thirds of the applications are from NSW but there is good representation from other states, although QLD was a bit short on applications.  As with the past two years there are lots of young exciting companies who have outlined their potential boasting new buzzwords and market opportunities – with many a mention of course of social media, cloud and “disruptive” technologies! And from first glances, it looks like we have YOUNGER companies thank in past years, which is also great to see!

This year we have some amazing prizes up for grabs, including $150,000 in cash prizes, thanks to the NSW Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services, and Australian Technology Showcase.

It’s our great pleasure to announce that Doran Ben-Meir, Commercialisation Australia’s CEO, and Edgar Hardless, the MD of Singtel’s Innov8, have recently joined the impressive list of Industry Leaders.  Read their full bios here.

Lastly, it’s not too late to join our fabulous sponsors and prize givers, NSW Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services, Australian Technology Showcase, Amazon Web Services, Citrix, and CSIRO and celebrate Australian ICT innovation. If you would like more info on sponsorship or prizes please email renee@slatteryit.com.au.

Thanks for dropping by!
The team at SlatteryIT