The first MAP Velocity cohort of 2022 has arrived!
…and the teams are solving more problems with more innovative solutions, than ever before!
Carry-on luggage that transforms into a child stroller, a robot which provides hugs on demand and agency-level marketing videos that can be produced at a fifth of the price: meet the 25 startups and 33 founders who make up the first MAP Velocity cohort of 2022.
MAP Velocity is a 10-week program for early-stage entrepreneurs with innovative ideas. The program guides founders through a series of workshops centred around customer discovery and market validation. Our cohort receives specialised experiences tailored both for-profit and for-purpose entrepreneurs.
Velocity is proudly supported by LaunchVic and with this support, we can continue to run two programs biannually. The program is delivered online, part-time; meaning any founder across the state of Victoria can participate.
The program will be delivered in 2022 by Rory McNeice, who joins MAP as the new Velocity Program Manager.
Rory’s background is steeped in innovation and entrepreneurship. Over the years he has worked with a variety of people hailing from startups and corporates, through to universities and small businesses.
Rory has a storied history with MAP, having worked with Omny Studio, who came through our first ever Accelerator Program in 2012 and then later through his work with the University’s Carlton Connect Initiative, which helped to bring Melbourne Connect to life. Before Melbourne Connect was built, MAP and the CCI team were both housed in LAB-14 in the basement of the Old Royal Women’s Hospital.
Rory is eager to delve in and support our founders in any way he can this semester and is extremely pleased with the variety of problems each startup is trying to solve:
“We have a wide range of startups this semester, with founders from all different backgrounds and industries. We’re off to a flying start and the teams seem really engaged with the content. I’m confident that we’ll have some great pitches at Velocity Showcase in a few weeks’ time.”
“Our founders are changing the way we think about solar, speeding up the process of searching and opening files in our inbox and even converting food waste into affordable agricultural feed for cattle and sheep.”
This semester, we’ve welcomed 11 female founders, making up just over 30% of our cohort. More than half are either current students or past alumni of the University of Melbourne and they’re from every background imaginable including Law, Business, IT, Science and Economics!
With thanks to our dear friends John and Alice Cameron, from the Cameron Foundation, one innovative social impact startup from this cohort will receive a $5,000 Cameron Fellowship Award grant at the end of the program. At MAP, we are committed to building a healthy environment focused on inclusion and diversity, collaboration and impact and we are so grateful to our partners who work with us to help us achieve this.
Make sure you follow us on social media and sign up to the MAP newsletter, to keep updated on all current cohort, past alumni and recent program news. Registrations for our end of program event, the MAP Velocity Showcase, will open in a few weeks’ time, so keep your eyes peeled!
EOIs are open year-round for our pre-accelerator program. To find out what Velocity can do for you and your startup, fill out an expression of interest form here.
Introducing the first MAP Velocity cohort of 2022:
Andromeda is creating a robot called Abi that can provide hugs on demand and aims to improve the wellbeing of residents in aged care facilities.
Ausilio is speeding up the time-consuming process of searching and managing documents shared via email. The team is developing an email document management system that integrates email and file management. The goal is to significantly improve workplace productivity.
Brave Feet is designing footwear for children that fit feet as opposed to shoes that feet must fit!
ChapterUp provides virtual mental health group support to help people get through tough times and get ready for their next chapter in life.
CommandPost® is a cloud-based real-time incident, hazard and crisis management tool built to save lives and to reduce business disruption. The platform has been utilised by emergency services from across the world.
Donor Dimes helps to bridge the gap and create partnerships between corporate companies and charities. It is a donation and grant system for everyone, wherever you are in the world.
Ella Technologies
Ella Tech is tackling scammers online and over the phone. The team has designed an app which effectively identifies the user and can trace all communication back to the original source.
EnAccess Maps is a platform in which users can leave reviews about and tag locations for their favourite accessible restaurants and cafes, helping people to find new, accessible places to explore.
Eventivity has created a digital bidding platform giving the event and activity industry a better way to connect with its customers.
Like Uber Eats but for home cooked meals: Homely Eatz lets you buy home cooked meals from certified and verified home cooks with peace of mind.
Honest Feeds
Helping Aussie farmers and the planet one fruit waste at a time! Honest Feeds collects food waste (fruit) from food manufacturing businesses and converts them into affordable feed for cattle and sheep, using renewable energy. The social enterprise helps farmers give nutritious feed to their livestock during droughts and extreme weather events.
Koios
Koios has developed a teaching and learning software so teachers and students do not need to follow the “one size fits all” approach. This software aims to drastically improve pass rates for university exams.
MERA is a location-data and ticketing platform that connects users to an events and venues marketplace. MERA’s mission is to deliver a platform where customers can buy, sell, create and manage all in one place.
Octto is a digital publishing and subscription platform for reading e-books, listening to audiobooks and watching web series. The platform will make it easy to select the next book, movie or podcast that the subscriber wants to engage with.
Partner for good is like Tinder, but instead strategically matches Australian charities with medium-sized businesses.
Safee is an electronic work diary for truck drivers. The app provides work and rest recording, compliance safety monitoring and the ability to document photo evidence of any issues or hazards on the road.
Self-Powered Ankle Exoskeleton (SPAE)
The team has developed a device for people with brain or spinal cord disorders, nerve injuries or muscle disorders. The device minimises the risk of tripping and falling.
SolsticeAI has developed a technology which captures solar generation across entire regions by identifying solar panels in regions and forecasting cloud movement. This process of using AI technology and analysing satellite data will speed up the use of renewable energy, save money and better manage the grid.
Opening doors to a brighter future by making home ownership possible.
Store Vision helps Retail and FMCG brands to save millions of dollars and keep their customers satisfied by managing out-of-stock and KPI performance in real-time. The team aims to implement “shelf cameras” into stores, which can detect and monitor product levels and stock availability.
TernX makes travelling with kids stress-free. The team has created a world-first luggage-stroller hybrid: a carry-on suitcase which turns into a child stroller.
Tunarch is reinventing architectural cataloguing for designers, recruiters and real estate clients for a value-based collaboration. The platform allows users to publish their portfolio online and connect with potential customers.
UpSol
UpSol is a renewable energy focused social enterprise that at its core, aims to reduce energy poverty in remote communities, whilst addressing the power needs of major corporations in the mining, agriculture and construction sectors.
Vimi is an online video production company allowing customers to create agency-level marketing videos at a fifth of the price.
Wilderlands is a pioneering marketplace which facilitates scalable and lasting investment into biodiversity conservation. This enables businesses and individuals to make a direct and lasting impact on the world’s natural habitats and threatened species.
Wilderlands has created a platform which sells biodiversity units to businesses and individuals. For each unit sold, the customer is protecting one square metre of Australia’s fauna and flora.
