Perth entrepreneurs pitch for $5m prize

Local tech entrepreneurs have pitched their ideas to representatives from the Big Pitch competition in Leederville today, with the pick of the crop to go into the national finals with a chance to win $5 million to fund their idea.

Making its first appearance in Perth, the Big Pitch is the brainchild of Larry Kestelman, the founder of internet provider Dodo and director of Melbourne-based venture capital investors Oxygen Ventures.

The pitches from local tech startups were made at Leederville-based co-working hub Sync Labs.

Sync Labs is ranked #27 on the BNiQ list of start-up accelerators, places and programs.

Oxygen Ventures investment director IIya Frolov said Perth had a strong emerging startup technology sector.

“We have found that across the country many startups are developing technology that will link to existing industry and high-performing sectors in each state,” Mr Frolov said.

“We are interested to see what Western Australians have developed given the prominence of the mining industry, a technology-reliant FIFO workforce that wants to stay connected to friends and family at home, and also the closer proximity to Asian markets.”

Perth’s Sync Labs co-founder Andrew Larsen said it was exciting to see an east coast capital venture team come to meet the local talented entrepreneurs who could really benefit from early-stage funding.

“Perth’s start-up sector is rapidly growing and industry and government are starting to take notice,” he said.

“Groups like Unearthed have done a fantastic job of connecting the resource industry to the startup community.

“Perth’s offerings for programs that benefit startups are growing and the entire sector is defragmenting through collaboration hubs like Sync Labs, Spacecubed and Atomic Sky.”

The Big Pitch team is touring nationally, with the best five finalists to pitch their idea in front of a judging panel at Federation Square in Melbourne in June.