Telstra startup accelerator muru D announces 10 startups in new SYD5 cohort

Media Release, 13 February 2018

The future of airborne human mobility, VR being used to rehabilitate stroke victims, and autonomous tree-planting robots are among the technologies being developed by the 10 startups accepted into muru-D’s SYD5 program, making up a cohort of companies focused on solving challenging global problems.

Head of muru-D, Julie Trell, said this cohort is the most diverse and ambitious yet.

“It was important to us to select teams that have a social purpose element, using technology in innovative ways to solve real problems and create solutions for societies today and into the future,” Ms Trell said.

“We received almost 20 per cent more applications compared to last year, and we were delighted to see the number of applications from companies with female founders also rose by that same amount. From our ten successful companies that made it into the cohort, it’s great to see that six of the ten have a female co-founder on the team.

“The SYD5 program commenced on 29 January, with each of the ten successful startups receiving $75,000 in seed capital investment. Over the course of the program, they will have access to a highly developed network of mentors and industry professionals to help accelerate their businesses to the next stage.

“I’m proud that muru-D continues to grow stronger each year and to have many of our alumni companies still actively involved in the program mentoring the next generation. With over 100 companies now in our portfolio, and 15 of these having raised $1 million or more in funding, we’re committed to continuing our support of the startup ecosystem throughout Australasia.”

muru-D is focused on working with exceptional founders who are solving high impact, global problems. As part of the six-month program, they gain access to a purpose built co-working space, a global network of mentors, alumni, investors and partners, an international trip to a startup hub, and many more perks.

Unlike other accelerators, muru-D tailors the program according to the requirements of the founders in each cohort. The program structure is very flexible and the curriculum is created around the founders, not the other way around. This means each founding team can extract maximum value from their time at muru-D.

The 10 successful companies accepted into SYD5 are:

  • AMSL Aero are developing an autonomous two seat aircraft that can take off and land vertically and fly horizontally at 300 km per hour, an innovation paving the way for the future of human mobility. It is safer, faster, quieter and less expensive than helicopters.
  • Catalyer's software and services provide customised business solutions for employers of all sizes to manage and grow their employee giving. In the two years since launching, Catalyser has facilitated over $2 million in donations for charities and has over 15,000 employee users in Australia, Asia, and the UK.
  • Cookitoo is a platform for cafes, restaurants and caterers to rent out their unused commercial kitchen space. From commercial cafes in Collingwood to revolutionary restaurants in Redfern, Cookitoo is changing the way food is made and consumed.
  • iCRM is a flexible cloud software platform that integrates with existing health and medical devices to deliver tailor-made care and support plans. iCRM has a mission to improve quality in-home care to the elderly and is already used in over one hundred aged care organisations in Australia.
  • Kiddsbay is the world’s first kid friendly platform that provides every child the opportunity to achieve their dreams by unleashing their entrepreneurial spirit. Kiddsbay provides the platform for kids to launch their on-line business in a safe, fun, educational, global environment that connects communities and allows kids to take charge of their financial wellbeing.
  • Life Skills Group educate and empower children, teachers, schools and families to build a more compassionate, kinder and connected world. They are building a scalable and easily-distributed digital model to deliver wellbeing programs for primary and secondary students, as well as professional development programs for teachers and staff.
  • Neuromersiv are using Virtual Reality to make neuro rehab therapy fun and improve the quality of life for their users. Having a stroke or brain trauma can be life changing for victims and their families. Neuromersiv offers a genuinely innovative solution to get people back on their feet as quickly as possible and lead normal, fulfilling lives again.
  • Share with Oscar is an on-demand platform for sharing private parking spaces. Founded by two female entrepreneurs passionate about finding a sustainable solution to the scarcity issues in our growing urban cities, Share with Oscar’s mobile platform allows the community to better utilise existing assets such as parking spaces through sharing.
  • SkyGrow are combatting the world’s deforestation problem by developing autonomous tree-planting robots (Growbots) that can rapidly plant billions of trees every year on behalf of communities, governments and industry. SkyGrow's tree planting system is ten times faster and 15% cheaper than current methods.
  • vetchat is an online platform connecting pet owners with vets to help their pets in times of need. They deliver easy access to affordable, expert vet advice via one-on-one video consultations and on-demand chat. They have already helped thousands of Aussie pets and their parents.

For more information head to: https://muru-D.com

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Media contact: Matthew Wu

Email: media@team.telstra.com

www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/media-centre/

Reference: 015/2018

 

About muru-D

muru-D is the startup accelerator backed by Telstra, which aims to support the very best tech entrepreneurial talent in Australia and Asia. By providing mentoring, tailored acceleration services and investment to early stage technology companies, muru-D’s goal is to help Australia and Asia become centres of digital business.