10 Melbourne start-ups hoping to make it big and change the world

Melbourne has been called Australia’s Silicon Valley, with start-up companies booming across the city. Here are Victoria’s hottest new start-ups that are out to grow their business and change the world while they’re at it.

Ten new Melbourne start-up businesses are hoping for success like headphones manufacturer Nura (pictured). Picture: Ellen Smith

It’s the program that has helped catapult Australian companies like headphones manufacturer Nura into the mainstream.

Now in its eighth year after supporting the dreams of more than 100 businesses, the Melbourne Accelerator Program is again giving 10 new start-ups a genuine chance to crack the big time.

The start-ups will begin their five-month journey by presenting in front of industry heavyweights during Melbourne Knowledge Week, launching on May 21 at the Meat Market.

Here are Melbourne’s newest start-ups to keep an eye on.

BEYOND AG

By using insects to convert food waste into sustainable and in-demand animal feed and

organic fertiliser, Beyond Ag is hoping to revolutionise the waste game.

The idea is to feed food waste to fly larvae to create sustainable animal feed and organic fertiliser.

Beyond Ag co-founders Phoebe Gardner and Alex Arnold. Picture: Melbourne Uni

Beyond Ag promises its system is 10 times faster and produces 70 per cent less pollution than composting.

BINDI MAPS

A smartphone information and navigation tool for indoor spaces created to change the lives of vision impaired people.

It is designed to help people living with vision impairment navigate their way around crowded shopping centres, schools and hospitals.

Founders Anna Wright, Tony Burrett and Mladen Jovanovic believe the revolutionary app will change the lives of vision impaired people.

BRUNSWICK ACES

This start-up is aiming to capitalise on what they claim to be a global trend towards people drinking less.

Instead of bland tasting non-alcoholic beverages, Brunswick Aces promise spirits that give you plenty of flavour without the hangover.

Brunswick Aces’ range of non-alcoholic spirits. Picture: Supplied/Facebook

Brunswick Aces are already producing their non-alcoholic gins that can be purchased online and in stores.

CODELLO

Lisa Stephenson knows how much money Australian hospitals spend annually to cover nurses calling in sick — $750 million annually, to be precise.

But with her Codello co-founders Paul Lockwood and Jaxon Hickey, the trio believe they have created an easy way to make shift swapping simpler, ensuring nurses can manage their work life balance without needing to call in sick.

Codello co-founders Paul Lockwood, Jaxon Hickey and Lisa Stephenson. Picture: Melbourne Uni

It’s a software product that is designed to make workforce scheduling more efficient, allowing nurses to swap shifts with one another — at first within the same hospital, but eventually across other hospitals.

CURVECRETE

Curved concrete is expensive and creates hordes of construction waste, but two Melbourne entrepreneurs think they have solved those problems,

Curvecrete inventors Daniel Prohasky, Paul Loh and David Leggett have created a robotic mould that makes the production of curved concrete panels simpler and more cost-efficient.

They currently have 12 lightweight panels on display in the office of leading architectural firm Arup.

ENABLER

More than 500,000 Australians live with disabilities so Melbourne’s own Huy Nguyen has set out to make their lives easier.

Australia is lacking 90,000 skilled workers to support people with disabilities with many forms of education proving to be ineffective.

But Enabler is a training platform to educate support workers, using 3D mobile gaming technology.

GECKO TRAXX

This is a portable wheelchair accessory that enables off-road access for manual wheelchairs.

Millions of people worldwide can’t easily access unpaved surfaces, but Gecko Traxx could be a total gamechanger.

This man is able to head to the beach using Gecko Traxx. Picture: Supplied/Facebook

Developed by industrial engineer Ryan Tilley, Gecko Traxx is a flexible set of over-tyres that fits inside a backpack. Basically like snow chains for cars, but for wheelchairs.

HELLO CASS

While one in four Australian women experience physical violence, only a third of incidents are disclosed or reported.

Hello Cass creator Emma Koster has created an SMS chatbot to provide easily accessible information for family and sexual violence — the first of its kind in the world.

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SCRATCH

Tired of the quality and service of big dog food brands?

Two Melburnians have set-up Scratch — a premium dog food with real ingredients, made fresh on subscription, with orders customised according to the breed, age and activity level of the dog.

Scratch offers fresh dog food. Picture: Supplied/Facebook

By selling direct to consumer on subscription, the team are able to spend up to 50 per cent more on ingredients for the same price.

THINGC ROBOTICS

Creator Cameron Leeson is promising a revolutionary product that will change farming.

Artificial Intelligence-powered robots could be placed on farms to help farmers dealing with a lack of skilled workers.

Leeson, who grew up on a farm in regional Victoria, believes the robots are flexible enough to accommodate a range of different tools.

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