Foundry658: Meet 10 new Aussie tech start-ups ready for lift-off

Ten Melbourne start-ups have been selected to get ready to launch themselves on the market.

The Victorian state government accelerator program Foundry658 prepares them through an intensive three-month program, working with mentors and business coaches.

Several of these focus on underrepresented communities including young Indigenous people, the queer community, women of colour and people battling mental health.

Minister for creative industries Martin Foley observed, “When creativity and business come together powerful things happen.

“We’re proud to provide this investment to these emerging businesses and look forward to seeing them develop.”

The startups are:

The Big Feels Club, a podcast and online membership-based community by Honor Eastley and Graham Panther which shares content about mental health.

OK Motels, set up by Kate Berry which provides curated tours to local music events as well as food destinations and exhibitions in the buoyant artistic country town of Daylesford.

Acustico Design, interior design by Samantha McKenzie, the first lighting range in the world that uses special materials and construction methods to absorb up to 30% of mid-range frequency noise.

Threshold by Sarah Lockwood and Tahli Corin, which creates a personalised interactive theatre-based experience that connects users and their teen as they move from childhood to adulthood.

Queer Town by Archie Boulter and Grace Carey, an online hub that includes videos, podcast series and writing created by queer people for queer people.

Aunty Cloud a podcast/radio show by Shantel Wetherall, which collects user-generated stories of women of colour.

Scanlan & Makers by Clare Scanlan and Shannon Wylde, a bespoke artisan paint for the high-end designer market.

Momento Media Jessica Ferrari, which allows users to capture and collect family stories via film and storytelling.

Global First Nations Network by Kalinda Palmer and David Ottosen, a media platform that focuses on sharing and creating content with young Indigenous people across the world.

Rani P Collaborations, mixed media and tech by Rani Pramesti which gives prospective international students an experience of what it would be like to live and study at an Australian university.