Innovative entrepreneurs will be vying for a total of $125,000 in development funding in the final of the UQ Enterprize business plan competition today (Friday, November 1).
A total of eight teams in two categories will pitch their business plans to a panel of judges in the final, to be held at the UQ Centre at The University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus.
The judging panel is UQ Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield, Bob Christiansen, executive director of Australia’s largest venture capital firm, Allen & Buckeridge and Stephen Copplin, who heads the Queensland State Government technology incubator initiative at Toowong, i.lab.
Now in its second year, Enterprize has been expanded, with the addition of a $25,000 student team prize provided by the Queensland Government`s technology incubator i.lab, plus $100,000 provided by the UQ Business School for the open competition.
The finalists in the open competition are:
* X-Stim, which has developed a life-saving device that stimulates patients, such as unconscious people, to produce a reflex cough on demand;
* Phoenyxx Corporation Pty Ltd, which plans to commercialise skin substitute and cell culture technologies;
* Hypersystems International (HSi), a provider of project management software and services, as well as IT management support;
* Bamser Project Management Pty Ltd (BPM, which) hopes to create and improve underground car parks, storage facilities and basement retail and commercial spaces; and
* Bio-Ed, which plans to supply affordable, modern laboratory equipment and classroom resources enabling schools to integrate modern bio-technology and genetics into their teaching.
The student team finalists are:
* CASNAV Pty Ltd, which will offer research and development, consultancy and project management for global satellite navigation systems; and
* The Couch will offer an online student discount directory, based in Brisbane, targeted at small to medium sized enterprises.
* Casuality will create a website matching employees with short-staffed employers.
UQ Business School Head Professor Tim Brailsford said he had been impressed by the ideas submitted by all entrants to Enterprize.
“There’s no shortage of budding entrepreneurs on-campus and in the wider community,” he said.
“Enterprize continues to unearth some amazing business ideas and I’m looking forward to the final presentations tomorrow.”
Media: For more information, contact Professor Tim Brailsford (telephone 3365 6225) or Brad Turner at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2659).
