As 2024 comes to a close, we’re looking back to celebrate a remarkable year of progress and collaboration across the innovation ecosystem. From groundbreaking ideas and impactful programs to global partnerships and vibrant events, this year has showcased the strength and ingenuity of our community. Here are some highlights that shaped 2024.
Building connections through community events
This year, our hubs came alive with 53 vibrant community events across Australia, ranging from pitch nights and workshops to sundowners and networking sessions. These events fostered countless opportunities for connection, creating a supportive and engaging environment for our members. (Interested in joining future events? Follow us on Humanitix here!)
Throughout the year, in partnership with the Town of Victoria Park, we ran a series of Business Boosted events at The Hub, Bentley Technology Park, inviting local residents and business owners to enhance their skills and forge meaningful connections. Key events included our social media workshop with Laia Font De Mora Monferrer, video production with Jeremy Mullally, and an exclusive Sundowner in October that brought the local business community together.
Other standout events include our She Thrives series, supported by the Western Australia Government Department of Communities, which hosted four dynamic sessions to inspire growth and success for female founders and leaders. We also hosted four AccelerateHER workshops across Perth, Western Sydney and virtually, where we saw 200+ women gain the valuable tools, strategies, and connections to support their entrepreneurial growth.
Supporting startups Australia-wide through Plus Eight
2024 was a milestone year for Plus Eight’s programs. Over the course of the year, we hosted three dynamic Startup Weekends across Perth, including the City of Joondalup Startup Weekend in March, the highly anticipated Startup Weekend All Stars edition in June — which reunited past participants, winners, and mentors for a thrilling competition for the ultimate Startup Weekend crown — and a special Student Edition Startup Weekend in November. These events, made possible thanks to the generous support of the City of Joondalup, Student Edge, the City of Perth, and Venture UWA, saw 175+ participants get involved in building a startup from scratch, collaborating intensively to transform ideas into viable businesses over just a weekend.
In addition, the Plus Eight Accelerator program reached new heights with additional funding from partners, including the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation’s New Industries Fund, BetterLabs, Woodside Energy, Vici Ventures, Sherkane Pty Ltd, Hawaiian, CFC Group, adapt, K&L Gates and DFK Gooding Partners. This added support allowed us to double our impact, accelerating seven startups through the program. These ventures secured their share of a $1.2 million seed-funding pool, participated in an international immersion experience in London, and showcased their achievements at Demo Night in October. This remarkable event, held at the Heath Ledger Theatre, attracted over 400 attendees and celebrated the incredible growth and innovation of our participants (read the full recap here!).
In addition to the Accelerator program, we delivered five Pre-Accelerator programs across Australia, reaching startups in the City of Canning, City of Joondalup, City of Perth, and Western Sydney (supported by Investment NSW). These programs empowered numerous startups to scale their businesses and forge valuable connections with mentors, helping to lay the foundation for their continued success (find out more about our latest Pre-Accelerator graduates here!)
We also expanded our offerings through a series of impactful one-day bootcamps and workshops from a LEAP Bootcamp in Karratha to AccelerateHER workshops in Perth and Western Sydney, inspiring and empowering women entrepreneurs across the country. Throughout the year, we also facilitated 150 one-on-one sessions through our year-round Office Hours program.
Driving impact and building ecosystems through Meshpoints
Supported by Lotterywest, Meshpoints continued to play a vital role in strengthening WA’s innovation ecosystem and marked significant progress in 2024. Highlights include the WA Innovation Leaders Congress which brought together over 120 individuals, the support of seven community leaders to participate in the national Community Collective’s program, and the launch of the Ecosystem Builders Initiative.
A major milestone reached was the deployment of $2,282,271 in funding across 81 projects through the Innovative Society Fund, directly supporting initiatives across all regions and sectors in Western Australia.
Connecting global innovation through the Perth Landing Pad
This year, the Perth Landing Pad program played a pivotal role in bringing international startups and scaleups to Western Australia, enhancing the state’s reputation as a global innovation hub. The program facilitated key MOU signings with leading global organisations, including World Trade Centre AMTZ, T-Hub, Forge Innovation and Ventures, and InnoLab Asia.
Another highlight includes the Perth Landing Pad Showcase, held at Council House in June with over 100 attendees, including Minister Stephen Dawson and Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas. This showcase not only celebrated the achievements of the Landing Pad but also reinforced Perth’s status as a vibrant center for innovation and entrepreneurship.
As the year draws to a close, we were thrilled to play a significant role in this year’s West Tech Fest, a flagship event for WA’s innovation community. Highlights included hosting our Office Hours and Ask the Expert program at West Tech Main and attending the Freo Startup Fest, where the Golden Ticket Pitch competition took center stage. Congratulations to Yoochooz on their impressive win of the Entrepreneurial Prize, earning themselves a place in the 2025 Accelerator Program bootcamp, set to run in April (uncover all our highlights from West Tech Fest here!)
As we reflect on 2024, we are filled with gratitude for the incredible achievements and progress made across the local innovation ecosystem. We thank our members, partners, and community who have contributed to building a more connected and innovative future. Together, we’ve proven the power of community and collaboration in driving growth and opportunity.
Thank you for being part of our journey!