Congratulations to 2024 Australian Tech Innovator – Gelomics
Gelomics was crowned winner at the Australian 2024 KPMG Tech Innovator challenge on 14 August 2024 – a startup that is revolutionising drug development by enabling pharmaceutical companies to grow human tissue in a petri dish.
Gelomics won the top gong after a head-to-head pitch off in Sydney against four finalists, selected from a record-breaking over 155 submissions from Australian startups.
The KPMG Global Tech Innovator challenge seeks to identify the world’s most innovative and exciting tech startups. The Australian leg of the competition, organised by KPMG High Growth Ventures, featured startups helping to build zero-emission air travel, creating wearable tech that measures your emotional state, and even growing human tissue in a petri dish to provide an alternative to animal testing.
CEO Christoph Meinert and Co-founder of Gelomics has won a fully funded trip to present their idea on the world stage at Lisbon’s Web Summit for their chance to be crowned the KPMG Global Tech Innovator 2024. They’ll have the opportunity to present their technology in front of 70,000 investors, policy makers and industry leaders at one of the world’s largest startup and technology conferences.
Amanda Price, Head of KPMG High Growth Ventures said this was the third year Australia had run the Tech Innovator competition and the calibre of applicants was exceptional.
The judges included KPMG Enterprise Partner, Josh Geelan, Main Sequence Investment Associate, Emerald Scofield, Co-Founder and General Partner of OIF Ventures, Jerry Stesel, Lighter Capital CEO, Melissa Widner, and VC investor at Five V Capital and Founder of Cut Through Venture, Chris Gillings.
We were delighted with the breadth and depth of Australian innovation we saw during the process to select these finalists. Each entry was unique and demonstrated a high level of global potential, making the selection process incredibly challenging.
2024 Australian finalists
Christoph Meinert, CEO and Co-founder of Gelomics
Gelomics
CEO – Christoph Meinert
Gelomics revolutionises drug development by enabling pharmaceutical companies to grow human tissue in a petri dish. This disruptive innovation serves as a highly predictive alternative to animal experiments and conventional cell cultures, which commonly fail to predict human drug responses accurately. The technology will significantly reduce the reliance on animal testing, accelerate drug development, cut costs, and enable life-saving treatments to reach patients quicker and safer than before.
DoveTail Electric Aviation
CEO & Co-Founder – David Doral
DoveTail Electric provides an integrated electric system that includes electric motors and battery packs to turn existing airframes into zero-emission commercial aircraft for short flights. This enables clients to get modified aircraft for regional flight, integrating hydrogen systems and aviation operators to avail the service for a financially sustainable future.
Eden Brew
Co-Founder & CEO – Jim Fader
Eden Brew uses precision fermentation to brew nature-identical casein (dairy) proteins. These caseins are then combined in the presence of nutrition, to form the casein micelle, the same as in dairy milk. The micelle is fundamental for nutrient loading and bioavailability, heat stability, and many of the sensory and physical properties loved by consumers in dairy milk & dairy consumer products.
InTruth Technologies
CEO & Founder – Nicole Gibson
InTruth Technologies is a developer of a wearable-compatible app that tracks your emotional state in real-time, and provides hyper personalised AI insights, acting as a personal emotion coach and decision-making tool.
Sustainable Salons
Co-founder – Paul Frasca
Sustainable Salons partners with salons to collect and repurpose waste materials like hair, metals, plastics, and chemicals. These materials are transformed into valuable resources, such as hair booms for oil spills, soil treatments for plants, and plastic for closed-loop products.
Benefits of the Global Tech Innovator competition
The competition is an unrivaled platform to profile your business. The benefits are second to none if you take the opportunity to compete.
National and Global Exposure
Raise awareness of your innovation and your business by showcasing it on a prestigious platform to a national and global audience of industry experts, investors, potential partners and customers. Increase your company’s local profile through business and social media posts that reach tech and business influencers in your country.
Validation and Recognition
Enhance your credibility in the tech industry and potential investors, partners and customers by gaining recognition and validation for your innovation as a finalist (and potential winner) in country and global pitch competitions.
Networking opportunities
The competition is a hub for networking, fostering collaborations, and gaining insights from seasoned professionals. Connect with fellow tech innovators and join a global peer-to-peer network to share ideas and build important connections in a growing community of high-achieving tech entrepreneurs.
Mentorship and Guidance
Access the experience of KPMG mentors and advisers who provide valuable guidance, expertise, and mentorship to refine your innovation and navigate the challenges of scaling up your tech.
Media and Publicity
Gain media coverage and publicity at the regional and global level to boost your innovation's visibility and market presence and attract potential users, customers and future sources of funding.
Learning and Growth
From the initial application to the regional and global pitch presentations, the competition can be a significant learning experience. Feedback from judges and interactions with other participants can help refine your innovation and presentation skills.
Video: Hear from 2023 winner PlasticFri
KPMG Private Enterprise Global Tech Innovator winner testimonials
It is a huge privilege and testament to our amazing team to win this year’s KPMG Private Enterprise Global Tech Innovator competition from 2000 companies around the globe. The competition in the global finals was impressive, and we’re thrilled to be recognized amidst such an amazing group of brilliant innovations and entrepreneurs. We sincerely thank KPMG Private Enterprise and our KPMG Private Enterprise Sweden team for their support at every step in the process.
We’re ready and eager to take the next step forward for our company.
Max Mohammadi
Founder and Chairman of Sweden’s PlasticFri and the 2023 Global Tech Innovator Winner
The competition provides profile and credibility because if you’re trying to interest an investor, they must have confidence that you’re a credible business. Because KPMG Private Enterprise has already screened you and you’ve competed with other people, it already puts you on investors’ radar screens.
If you have KPMG saying that you’ve been voted as the best tech innovator in the world that year, you already have the benefit of the doubt when you talk to a potential client or investor. It gives you that foot in the door.
And I would say to anyone who is thinking about entering the competition: Enter…and if you win through the regional heats, you’re instantly credible. If you get through to the country final, you’re credible. If you make it to the global final, you will have been screened by industry experts at every stage of the competition — and even more doors will begin to open.
Tim Davies
CEO of UK’s HiiROC and the 2022 Global Tech Innovator Winner
It was extremely gratifying and encouraging for Krilltech to be recognized among ‘the best of the best’ and the first Global Tech Innovator Winner in 2021, thanks to the support that the KPMG Private Enterprise team KPMG in Brazil as well as the wider technology ecosystem has provided to us at every step of our growth.
Participating in the competition achieved our goal to broaden its Krilltech’s global profile, and here are some suggestions that I would offer to future competitors: Focus on the major pain points in the world and how your technology relieves that pain. Whether it’s climate change, digitalization, changes in human communication – the major things that are happening right now and what everyone is talking about – that’s what you should focus on when presenting your innovation.
Be very thoughtful about your selling point. It isn’t about your technology, per se, but who it will benefit – and how.
Have confidence in your technology, be persistent and never give up!
Diego Stone
CEO Brazil’s Krilltech and the 2021 Global Tech Innovator winner
Qualifications and eligibility criteria
Applicants are typically technology entrepreneurs who are successfully making the transition from the startup phase to the next stage in the growth of their businesses. They have developed innovative, proven technologies, established robust business models, demonstrated traction and have the potential to scale up globally.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the competition, you must:
- Be a registered company in the country/region where the country/region final is being held
- Have been actively operating for 5 years or less (in the current form)
- Generate revenue between US $1 million and $15 million; or have raised at least US $500,000 in equity
- Be either a pure technology or a tech-enabled, tech-driven or tech-led business
- Not be majority owned by a large corporate
- Be able to conduct all pitches in English
- If selected as a finalist, be available to pitch on 14th August 2024 at KPMG Sydney.
- If selected as the Australian winner, be available to pitch at the global final at the Web3 Summit in November 2024, in Lisbon, Portugal.
What are we looking for?
Each pitching competition will be judged by a panel of industry experts. All applications will be scored based on six, equally-weighted criteria:
- Disruption and innovation
- Market potential
- Customer adoption
- Market traction and marketing
- Long-term potential
- Pitch quality
The decisions of the panel will be final.
Refer to the terms and conditions (PDF 167KB) for detailed information.
What countries are participating in the KPMG Private Enterprise Global Tech Innovator Competition?
The KPMG Private Enterprise Global Tech Innovator Competition is more than a contest. It’s a celebration of entrepreneurship and technology advances that have the potential to leave a lasting and positive impact on the world. As the world watches this year’s competition, tech entrepreneurs from 23 countries/regions will take the stage, challenge each other and leave an enduring mark on the world.
The 23 countries/regions participating in the 2024 competition include: Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya (East of Africa), Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Everything you need to know (FAQ)
Applications
How can I participate in the competition?
To enter the competition, you must fill out the online application form for your company before the application deadline of your country final.
Who can apply?
Any technology entrepreneur that has operated for less than 5 years and is registered and based in country/territory/jurisdiction that are participating in the competition can apply. Applicants must have innovative, proven technologies, robust business models, the ability to demonstrate traction in their activities and the potential to scale up. All entrants entering the competition on behalf of the company must be residents in the country/territory/jurisdiction they are applying in and aged 18 years or over. KPMG employees and contractors are prohibited from entering the competition.
When can I apply?
Check with your member firm to determine application timelines.
Is there a limit to the number of entries?
During the application period, there is no limit to the number of companies that can apply, however we request that no more than one application per company is submitted.
What information do I need to provide?
If you’d like to apply, here’s what we’ll need:
- Company details (name, address, company registration number, contact details)
- CEO, founder and management team details
- A brief description of the company, business model, any media coverage and proprietary technology (maximum of 200 words)
- Details on funding raised to date, 2023 revenue figures and projections for 2024
- A high-resolution image of your company logo
Selection criteria
How do I know if my company qualifies?
We aim to be as inclusive as possible; whether you’re a pure technology company or tech-enabled, tech-led, or tech-driven, we want to hear about your growth ambitions.
What stage should my company be at to be considered?
We are looking for companies that have been operating for 5 years or less, and must have a viable product or service.
Pitching
What is the pitching format?
Each company will be given a total of approximately 5 minutes to both pitch and answer questions from a judging panel. All presentations must be in Microsoft PowerPoint or PDF file format. A detailed pack outlining requirements will be shared with shortlisted businesses when appropriate.
What is the judging criteria?
Each pitching competition will be judged by a panel of industry and KPMG experts. All applications will be scored based on six, equally-weighted criteria. The criteria are disruption and innovation, market potential, customer adoption, market traction and marketing, long-term potential and pitch quality. The decisions of the panel will be final.
Winners
What do winners get?
Country/region winners will receive exposure and recognition through local media coverage and KPMG corporate channels. The country/region winners will also be put forward as finalists in the Global Tech Innovator competition, which will take place in November 2024.
The finalists will be provided with standard class flights/travel, hotel accommodation to the final.
The prizes cannot be substituted for cash or any other alternatives.
How and when will the winners be notified?
Country/region winners will be notified on the day of the final. Winners will also be profiled in the KPMG “Winners Report”. The Global Tech Innovator winner will be announced on stage in person and virtually in November 2024.
Further information
What are the costs involved in participation?
There is no charge for entering into the competition, although all costs related to attendance at the semi-final and country finals must be covered by the participants themselves, where they are being held in person. KPMG will cover the cost of standard class flights/travel, accommodation for the one member from the finalist companies who are invited to present in November.
Is there any publicity involved?
KPMG Private Enterprise will be promoting the pitch heats alongside various partners throughout the course of the competition. By entering the competition, you agree that any personal information provided by you with your entry may be held and used by KPMG to administer the competition.
If you are a winner of the competition, you agree that KPMG may use your name, image and company branding to announce the winner of the competition and for any other reasonable and related promotional and marketing purposes.
Will I receive feedback on my application?
Unsuccessful applicants will be notified. Due to the volume of entries received, we are unable to provide detailed feedback to each unsuccessful applicant.
We value the time and effort put into each submission and thank you for your participation.
Who do I get in touch with for further information?
For any further information please email go‑fmglobaltechinnov@kpmg.com.
About KPMG High Growth Ventures
KPMG High Growth Ventures works with founders to build sustainable, scalable startups. We connect founders and their teams to the services they need to grow efficiently and effectively, saving them both time and money.
We offer a range of specialised services for startups at price points tailored to different stages of growth, including Outsourced CFO, which brings sophisticated financial planning capabilities to startups at a fraction of the usual cost. We also assist startups with their ESG and ESOPs as well as offering other services like bookkeeping, tax structuring, cyber, and government incentive support.
Over the past five years, we have helped over 200 startups, from Canva and Nexba to emerging leading startups like Great Wrap, Sundrive Solar, and Fat Zebra. We are an active member of the startup scene, partnering with organisations such as Innovation Bay, Upside and Climate Salad to provide ongoing support for founders. In tandem, our team works with VCs and ecosystem partners to run founder education programs, networking events and Q&A sessions.
