State attracts new wave of global entrepreneurs under Advance Queensland initiative

Published Friday, 11 August, 2017 at 09:30 AM

Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy and Minister for Small Business
The Honourable Leeanne Enoch

Twenty-nine startups have been invited to relocate to Queensland under the second round of the Palaszczuk Government’s Advance Queensland Hot DesQ initiative, Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy Leeanne Enoch said today (Friday).

Ms Enoch said the entrepreneurial teams were selected from more than 180 interstate and international applications.

“The number (of applications) indicates a real appetite for startups wanting to join our innovation ecosystem,” Ms Enoch said.

“The independent assessors and judging panel certainly had a hard job - and we made offers to startups who have gained direct experience through participation in renowned accelerators including Start-up Chile, MIT Bootcamp and Y-Combinator.

“The connections our round two recipients will be sharing with Queensland will be truly global,” she said.

Ms Enoch said startups invited to move to Queensland were from nine countries, including the US, Chile, Canada, Switzerland, and the UK – as well as from Victoria and New South Wales.

The founder of round two applicant CloudPeeps, Kate Kendall, will be relocating from Silicon Valley under the Hot DesQ program after accepting her invitation.

“After building CloudPeeps in New York and Silicon Valley, we are excited to launch our Australian operations in Queensland,” Ms Kendall said.

“As a company focused on shaping the future of work, we were searching for a global startup hub that also had a world-class lifestyle to call home: Queensland has both.

“This unique combination is the perfect base for us to live and breathe our mission.

“With proximity to the digital nomad and remote work hubs in Asia, as well as local talent, we are excited to be based in Brisbane at such a pivotal growth point in the Queensland tech community.

“The Hot DesQ program came highly recommended from a round one participant, and it's not hard to see why so many entrepreneurs, and fellow founders from the San Francisco Bay Area, were attracted to the program.

“We're looking forward to sharing our insights, network and experience built over the years in the US market with the local ecosystem."

Hot DesQ round two applicants will receive up to $100,000 to relocate to Queensland for six months at a Queensland startup host organisation in either Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Sunshine Coast, Bundaberg, Rockhampton and Toowoomba.

This includes four new host organisations who have come on board: The Generator in Bundaberg, Rockhampton’s The Smart Hub, UQ’s iLab and Fishburners in Brisbane.

Advance Queensland is the Palaszczuk Government’s $420 million whole-of-government initiative, supporting jobs across a range of industry sectors.

For more information about the Hot DesQ program, visit http://advance.qld.gov.au/entrepreneurs-startups/startup-attraction-hot-desq.aspx

ENDS

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