From cooperative video games supporting neurodiverse children to a platform connecting musicians with influencers to promote new music: Meet the 2022 MAP cohort.
Applying artificial intelligence to satellite imagery to identify solar panels and forecast solar generation and a male fertility diagnostic tool ensuring all men can access reproductive care are just among some of the 11 remarkable startups that have managed to secure their spot in Australia’s most sought-after accelerator program, MAP.
These 11 startups have been chosen and whittled down from over a hundred hopeful applicants during MAP’s rigorous four-stage selection process. With an incredibly strong talent pool to pick from, the 2022 cohort had stiff competition during selection, making the group of teams who were successful all the more remarkable.
MAP’s annual headline event, the MAP Launch (Wednesday 29 June) marks the beginning of an exciting five-month journey for these founders. For the first time in three years, the event will be live and in-person and is being hosted at MAP’s home base, Melbourne Connect.
Over the course of the next five months, the 11 teams will participate in bespoke masterclasses, mentoring sessions, a range of events and learning activities and unrestricted access to our world-class professional networks.
Each year MAP invests in 10 of Australia’s most outstanding startups, equipping them with $20,000 equity-free funding, office space in the heart of Melbourne’s Innovation District and access to Australia’s best business minds to help them accelerate their growth.
In 2022, with the generous support of Melbourne Climate Futures, MAP is proud to offer an additional 11th spot through our Social Impact Sustainability and Climate Stream to a team actively working to solve the global climate crisis.
There are so many people within the Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre who are excited to see in-person events happening again. No one is arguably more happier than Professor Colin McLeod, Executive Director of MEC:
“It’s incredible to think that it has been three whole years since we last celebrated the MAP Launch in-person. This annual experience has always attracted so many visitors from across the ecosystem including MAP alumni, corporate leaders, venture capitalists and some truly standout entrepreneurs. I know I speak on behalf of the entire team when I say that we are really looking forward to welcoming our community into Melbourne Connect for the Launch.
The University’s announcement today about the establishment of two new major investment funds, in partnership with Breakthrough Victoria and Tanarra Capital, is incredibly exciting for the MAP community moving forward. We’ll continue working hard to provide funding avenues and support for early-stage startups to see these teams flourish.”
The University of Melbourne today announced the establishment of two new major investment funds, totalling $115 million. The University has partnered with Breakthrough Victoria and Tanarra Capital and the funds will support entrepreneurial academics, alumni and university affiliates. You can read more about the announcement here.
Professor McLeod, who is a member of the Investment Committee for the Genesis Fund said:
“When we first started working on these funds, it was already clear that MAP teams had proven to be highly investable over the 11-year history of the program. These new funds always regarded MAP as an important part of the investment pipeline.”
The University of Melbourne backed initiative, now in its 11th year, is renowned as one of the most outstanding accelerator programs in Australia, having supported over 240 companies who have generated over $250 million in revenue, raised over $250 million in funding, and created over 1,400 jobs.
Laxmi Pun, MAP’s Program Manager believes the involvement and commitment of alumni and mentors have been essential to MAP’s success.
“Our alumni are invaluable to this program and we are so grateful to the mentorship they offer to each new cohort. They provide a perspective that can only be given by someone who has been in the same shoes our founders find themselves in. We’re excited to see the 2022 cohort develop long-lasting relationships with this fantastic group of people.”
MAP’s application process is not for the faint hearted. Each team undergoes a rigorous selection process hosted by a panel featuring some of Australia’s best and well-known entrepreneurs and investors. Founders face multiple interviews, pitch presentations, and a plethora of quick fire questions analysing the ins and outs of their business model.
An important part of the MAP model is the Entrepreneur in Residence program. Each startup is given a dedicated EIR who coaches the teams throughout their five-month journey. These networks allow MAP alumni to continue to be involved with MAP teams and remain co-located in the MAP office long after they’ve completed the program. The support the EIRs provide is often instrumental for teams’ progress.
For the second year running, Simon Murphy will be guiding the cohort through their jam-packed journey as MAP’s Chief Entrepreneur in Residence. Simon is the Founder and CEO of RefLIVE, a SaaS startup that simplifies sports referee management, and was part of the MAP cohort in 2017:
“Every year we’re blown away by the quality of startups that apply for MAP.
This year’s successful applications have a high level of traction which is a healthy sign of Victoria’s startup ecosystem. We are also extremely proud that over 60% of teams in the 2022 cohort have at least one female founder. More importantly, we’re excited to see the global impact that these founders are all capable of having.”
MAP has helped to accelerate the growth of numerous noteworthy startups across Australia:
BindiMaps went through the program in 2019. The company assists people with vision impairment in navigating their way around complex buildings and in 2022, this technology was used at the Australian Open and the Australian Grand Prix!
Kepler Analytics was part of our very first cohort, way back in 2012. At the beginning of this year, the company closed an astonishing $22 million funding round.
The seasoning company, Deliciou was founded by Kjetil Hansen in 2015 at home in his kitchen and Kjetil took the company through MAP the following year. Since its time with MAP, Deliciou has expanded to overseas markets and increased its revenue to $12.6 million in the last financial year.
Finally, MAP19 alum Bardee, which transforms food waste into sustainable pet food and organic fertilisers, closed a $5 million seed raise in late 2021 with Blackbird Ventures and angel investors!
The Melbourne Accelerator Program has become renowned as being one of the strongest accelerator programs in Australia. We can assure you that this year’s talent will not disappoint. Register here for the 2022 MAP Launch.
Introducing the 2022 MAP cohort:
CHILD NATION is a collection of digital guides which lead children to physically explore the real places they inhabit in playful new ways. The team develops creative experiences for children in destinations, allowing them to imagine real places in different ways.
Flowverse allows its audience to discover products built on the Flow Blockchain. The team helps users to navigate the Flow Blockchain and educates them with tutorials and Ask Me Anything sessions.
FURNISHD. is a digital design and shopping platform that empowers time-poor homeowners to furnish their homes with a designer’s vision, access and assistance, all at an attainable cost.
I Am Mindful helps young people to be their own mental health heroes through mindfulness, distress tolerance and emotion regulation strategies drawn from research.
More Good Days offers an evidence-based pain management program to help you understand your fibromyalgia condition, reduce symptoms, and improve emotional wellbeing all from the comfort of your own home.
A research-based program and social enterprise that supports neurodiverse children to build friendships and develop collaborative skills using cooperative video games.
Sapyen is an at-home male fertility diagnostic tool which has been built to ensure all men can access fertility and reproductive care from anywhere at any time.
The Solstice AI team is applying artificial intelligence to satellite imagery to identify solar panels and forecast solar generation. This enables more solar to be integrated into the grid at a lower cost.
SoundSmith is an online marketplace connecting musicians and influencers to promote music.
A debit card program pioneering smart and secure payments for people with disability and elderly people.
Vimi is an online video production company allowing customers to create agency-level marketing videos at a fifth of the price.
