$1m cash splash on 44 promising Queensland exporters
A Queensland software firm helping to put the first woman on the moon is one of 44 companies to receive export grants from the state government. See who made the list.
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Gold Coast-based tech firm Opmantek is shooting for the moon as it chases export growth.
The company has already sold its software monitoring technology to NASA for use at its Kennedy Space Centre.
Opmantek was one of 44 companies to receive funding in the latest Trade and Investment Queensland’s Go Global Export Program.
CEO Danny Maher says Opmantek’s is the only monitoring software the US space agency is using for its Artemis program, which it hopes will see the next humans land on the moon in 2024, including the first woman.
The grant will help the company make modifications to the software for NASA’s purposes and train their engineers.
“We think of ourselves as modern-day explorers – we hope we’re breaking down barriers in some markets and making it easier for Australian companies to do business in those markets, just as those before us have broken down barriers and helped us.”
The 10-year-old company, a five-time Queensland Exporter of the Year and two-time Australian Exporter of the Year, is now exporting its open-source software to 130,000 companies in 178 countries.
“I’m sure most tech companies in the world would love to be involved with a space mission and this grant helped us take that step and make it commercially possible.”
Another successful exporter to share in the $930,000 in funding is Brisbane-based Field Orthopaedics, which will commercialise the metacarpal nail which was recently used in a world-first operation in Brisbane.
The grants are to help companies finalise new export deals in their target markets.
Field Orthopaedics was founded in 2015 by orthopaedic surgeons frustrated by what they saw as shortcomings in surgical practice impacting patients’ care and outcomes.
The company launched the Micro Screw, the world’s smallest cannulated compression screw, in 2017.
CEO Dr Chris Jeffrey said the company is now exporting to more than 30 states in the US, as well as Europe, Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand.
“The metacarpal fracture is one of the most common hand injuries and it’s incredibly frustrating as a surgeon to have to tell someone that their finger will never be the same again,” said Dr Jeffrey.
“Our business is designing and creating innovative medical devices to address the under-serviced extremities market.
“We have global market conversations, but there are significant barriers to entry, such as identifying trusted distribution partners and navigating lengthy regulatory processes, plus the most recent challenges of growing a business in a pandemic.”
Townsville’s Clean Oil Services is using its $20,000 grant to expand in the United States.
The company is launching a new product into the Californian hydro power market in a deal it hopes will further its expansion plans for the Americas.
Clean Oil Services managing director Bob Smith said the funding helped the company obtain ISO 9001 quality assurance and other certifications that are in demand in international markets.
He said 200 trial units were on their way to California hydro power stations and he expected more orders to follow.
“It’s a unique product, a totally new design for hydro power stations that’s small and compact but with a weight and size that suits hydro power, so we expect word to spread,” Mr Smith said.
Clean Oil Services’ products have been sold in Africa and the company wants to explore further opportunities in Canada, the US and Latin America when travel restrictions ease.
“We spent last year developing trial units for other applications so the next 12 months will be very interesting – it’s an exciting time for us.”
A Sunshine Coast-based hydrogen innovator was also successful in snaring a $25,000 Go Global grant.
The funding will allow it to obtain certification to export to Europe, where demand for hydrogen products is growing rapidly.
H2H Energy CEO Cranston Polson said he expects Europe to be a springboard to other markets.
“There is huge growth happening in this industry and there’s a sizeable transportation component,” he said.
“The funding has helped us facilitate the roll-out of small-scale refuelling stations under a lease arrangement to Europe and beyond that we’re looking at the Middle East and Africa,” he said.
Mr Polson said until 2019 the company was purely a hydrogen-specific technical consultancy focusing on refuelling, vehicle testing and systems testing and integration.
“The refuelling stations represent a transition to product delivery which opens things up for us and we’re excited about the potential.”
Other Sunshine Coast companies receiving grants were Fable Foods, which is looking to tap into the US market as well as Herbal Wellbeing and The Trustee for Dotts Trust which are both targeting the Middle East.
Cairns-based Banana Feeds Australia received $22,000 in funding.
The company produces nutritional supplements for horses using green bananas.
Banana Feeds Australia’s sales and marketing director John McArthur said as a result of the funding the company was now exporting to the UK and also looking at opportunities in the US and New Zealand.
“We established the business in early 2020, a week before Covid hit, so it has been a very challenging 12 months, a whirlwind, but the demand is certainly there and the UK is our starting point,” he said.
The company already has a strong presence in the domestic market and has just completed trials with Tasmanian beehives, given the potential benefits of the supplement for bees.
“We’re taking it one species at a time, but green bananas are beneficial for dogs, sheep, cattle and even humans,” Mr McArthur said.
The 44 Go Global Export Program grant recipients:
GREATER BRISBANE
Atrax TTL (defence)
Aremdeco (manufacturing)
Australian Innovative Systems (manufacturing)
Flavour Creations (manufacturing/retail)
Ceres Tag (disruptive technology)
Field Orthopaedics (health)
The Bearded Chap (consumer/beauty)
Clever Eli (education)
Grabba Technologies (biotech/advanced electrical systems)
OBE Beef (food and agriculture)
Seipel Group (health)
Sortera Global (mining)
Pinssar Australia (mining)
Australian Thermal Insulation Manufacturers (transport/storage)
Relialytics (mining)
Redflow (mining)
Kehoe’s Kitchen (food and agriculture)
Immersive Robotics Research (disruptive technology)
Imaging Solutions (medical devices and technology)
Native Beeings (food and agriculture)
Sofi Trading (food and agriculture)
Aim Lab Automation Technologies (medical devices and technologies)
The Australian Wild Camel Corporation (consumer/beauty care)
SUNSHINE COAST
H2H Energy (new energy)
Herbal Wellbeing Australia (food and agriculture)
Fable Foods (food and agriculture)
The Trustee for Dotts Trust (food and agriculture)
GOLD COAST
Opmantek Software (space)
Knotwood (manufacturing)
Koala Karma Trust (food and agriculture)
Agunity (food and agriculture)
Burmon (manufacturing)
Crockd (manufacturing/retail)
DARLING DOWNS
Penfold Grazing (food and agriculture)
Claytons Organic Beef (food and agriculture)
WIDE BAY BURNETT
Modsel (medical devices and technologies)
LGF Future (food and agriculture)
CENTRAL QUEENSLAND
MACA Enterprises (food and agriculture)
MACKAY - WHITSUNDAYS
RTI (mining)
East West Lighting (mining)
TOWNSVILLE
Clean Oil Services (manufacturing)
CAIRNS/FNQ
Banana Feeds Australia (food and agriculture)
All Fish For Dogs (food and agriculture)
EffectiveOrganics (business/commercial professional services)
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