The 19th instalment of Startup Weekend Perth took place at Spacecubed this past weekend, where we saw over 70 people in attendance. With Spacecubed having successfully run Startup Weekend since 2013, we have witnessed countless individuals and teams transform their business ideas into a reality throughout this 54-hour whirlwind event.
On Friday evening, the weekend kicked off as Jasmin Ward, event facilitator and Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas opened the event, providing inspirational insights to the participants. Following this, participants pitched their ideas to a room of like-minded entrepreneurs. After this, six teams were formed and their startups were born, including Mawa, Nakai, Coffee Reloving, DJ Booth, WholeSync and Model Kombat.
Throughout the weekend, an incredible range of mentors with vast expertise and diverse backgrounds shared their wisdom and practical advice with the teams as they started crafting business models and prototyping their ideas. In 54-hours, the teams conducted over five hundred customer validation interviews in order to measure problem-to-customer fit, ensuring there was a valid market for their startup.
When Sunday evening arrived, we welcomed a range of attendees who were ready to celebrate each team as they pitched their final business to a room full of supporters and a panel of judges, including special guest judge, Professor Justin Brown, Associate Dean at ECU. Here, each team showcased the remarkable growth and development they have achieved in just a couple of short days.
After much deliberation, the winning teams were crowned, with Model Kombat taking out first place. This team has won a six month coworking membership at Spacecubed, sponsorship to a Business Ideation Accelerator, a $100 voucher to Petition, access to 5 Office Hours sessions and 1-1 Growth Marketing Coaching with Ammo Marketing.
Learn more about the winning teams below!
Model Kombat - 1st Place
Model Kombat aims to revolutionise the field of AI chat comparison and validation for language learning models. In a world where multiple artificial intelligence chat boxes coexist, each claiming to generate factual responses based on user input, discrepancies among their answers become apparent. Model Kombat steps in as the ultimate solution, using advanced algorithms to compare and analyse the responses from various AI models, providing the user with the most accurate and reliable answer.
WholeSync - 2nd Place
WholeSync is a pioneering startup that aims to specialise in early disease detection through comprehensive utilisation of multiple medtech data sources. With a mission to empower health conscious consumers, WholeSync offers cutting-edge, high tech products designed to help individuals proactively monitor and maintain their physical well-being.
DJ Booth - 3rd Place
DJ Booth is an online platform that revolutionises the way consumers discover, engage with and book talented DJs in their local area through transparency, efficiency and direct engagement. Much like the renowned Airbnb model, DJ Booth provides users with an interface to explore a diverse selection of DJs, view their availability, pricing and effortlessly secure bookings through the streamlined platform, eliminating unnecessary intermediaries.
Startup Weekend was filled with both professional and personal challenges, with participants experiencing the exhilarating highs of breakthroughs and the invaluable lessons that come from embracing failures.
As the driving force behind Startup Weekend in Perth, Spacecubed is proud to witness the growth and transformation of countless businesses that have emerged from this transformative event. Each year, we see participants go on to found companies, forge meaningful partnerships, and acquire the skills and mindset necessary to thrive in the competitive startup ecosystem.
Startup Weekend #19 was a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and the unwavering spirit of entrepreneurship. We extend our congratulations and thanks to all the participants, mentors, and judges who contributed to the success of this incredible weekend. We eagerly await the next chapter in the Startup Weekend saga, where even more dreams will be realised and remarkable ventures will be born.
We’d like to thank the sponsors of Startup Weekend #19, the City of Perth and Edith Cowan University for making this event possible.
If you’re interested in taking part in the next instalment of Startup Weekend, or other business growth programs, express your interest here.