Foundations for success: welcoming 30 new Velocity founders for 2024
“90% of startups fail.”
Quite a contrast between the first sentence and the title (I know) and probably a rather stark opening to this announcement…
But, in my defense, this isn’t a statistic to dampen our spirits — rather, it’s a clear call to action. One that highlights the critical need for robust support and strategic planning to help founders navigate their journey to success.
And that’s where Velocity comes in — MAP’s part-time, pre-accelerator program powered by the University of Melbourne. A program dedicated to empowering early-stage founders by providing a safe space to test and refine their venture ideas.
This semester, we’re thrilled to welcome 30 new founders to the Velocity program. Among them are two founders from the Victorian Music Development Office (VMDO) and three from the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology Endeavour Exhibition, all joining us through scholarship placements.
Katrina Gaskin, MAP Velocity Program Manager, shares her excitement:
“It’s fantastic to have such strong partnerships with initiatives across Melbourne, where we can offer a space to support founders with a passion and ambition to make an impact.”
Just over two months into the program, the Velocity teams have already significantly expanded their understanding of customer discovery and market validation. A member of the 2024 MAP Velocity Winter cohort reflects:
“The support and insights we’ve received from Velocity have been invaluable in shaping our startup’s direction.”
This year, we’re also excited to announce that the teams will debut at a larger University of Melbourne event, moving beyond the traditional MAP Velocity Showcase wrap-up.
“We’re ramping up the exposure of innovative opportunities by collaborating with other programs focused on early-stage development within the Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre (MEC). Super excited to see this come to life,” says Kat.
If you’re interested in meeting the teams in person or learning how the University of Melbourne can support your entrepreneurial journey, be sure to register for our upcoming Ignite: Future Founders Festival here.
In the meantime, let’s welcome our 2024 MAP Velocity pre-accelerator cohort:
Aeterra — Yiran (Richard) Ma and Zheq (Leo) Shen
A student-driven, crowd-supporting platform that empowers universities to transform sustainability initiatives into real impact.
www.aeterrasdg.com
Anthrōprospective — Courtney Boag
Bridging academia and industry by translating current social science research to engage wider audiences and foster understanding of today’s pressing issues.
https://anthroprospective.com/
BrewerNet — Yun-Chi (Jim) Hsiao and Weibo (Charles) Zhou
Connects professionals for coffee chats that enhance networking, community engagement, and personal development.
https://www.brewernet.social/
Chyral — Gabriel Iván Oyarzo Ojeda
Transforming lives through accurate, convenient, and non-invasive blood sugar monitoring.
https://chyral.notion.site/Home-2cc4a143affb47c3af8117119b8e2e67
CernQuest — Markus Fietz
An online platform to enable groups and individuals make better decisions in complex situations.
www.cernquest.com
GASP!Science
GASP!Science is an innovative science and health education platform transforming how people experience and understand science and the human body.
www.gaspscience.com
Green BioConversion
Revolutionising sustainable waste management practices in aquaculture and agriculture.
Index AI — Hannah Zhao
StrokeVision by Index AI offers AI-powered tennis coaching for
personalised feedback and performance analysis, enhancing player skill
development efficiently.
https://www.theindexai.com/
Iris Medical — Kate Owen, Auwen Xia, Jennifer Meek
Advancing the latest technology to transform women’s healthcare and deliver exceptional patient outcomes.
https://www.irismedical.au/
Lightly Toasted Tech — Lachy Oliver
Creating tools to help musicians and creatives put on the performances of the future.
https://www.instagram.com/lightlytoastedtech/
Modus AI — Tom Van Der Linden
Revolutionising knowledge management by empowering ADHDers to seamlessly organise and unlock their best ideas.
https://modusai.app
Peace Kitchen — Elaine Pratley
Facilitating meaningful conversations over food to promote mutual understanding, connection, and community-building.
www.peacekitchen.com.au
Rocky — Henry Edwards
Makes sports helmets that reduce the risk of concussion for amateur boxers.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-edwards-7941b7172/
The Rowe Centre — Karina Malobrodski
A multidisciplinary practice focused on providing high-quality evidence-based outpatient treatment for eating disorders and disordered eating of all shapes and sizes.
The Social Permit — Damien Meunier, Rahul Jhaveri, Mark Bennett
An engaging platform that teaches young people how to navigate social media safely and responsibly, providing parents with peace of mind about their child’s online activities.
https://thesocialpermit.com/
VCExpert — Hajrah Sajid
An e-learning platform dedicated to enhancing Victorian education through innovative AI-driven solutions and bridging the gap for disadvantaged students by offering free, quality resources and tools.
www.vcexpert.com.au
Wildcard Collective — Kate Spencer
Equipping creative industry professionals with tools for building sustainable careers, managing career pivots, and navigating the evolving landscape of work.
https://www.wildcardcollective.com/
We can’t wait to see the incredible progress, pivots, breakthroughs, and even the valuable lessons from setbacks that these founders experience.
Learn more about our MAP Velocity pre-accelerator program here: https://www.themap.co/programs/velocity
👉 ++ one more plug for Ignite: Future Founders Festival. 👈
