Engineering students and alumni from The University of Queensland will showcase their innovative web-based businesses to the public at the ilab DemoDay on May 3.
Taylah Hasaballah, Elliot Smith, Ariel Briner, and Eban Escott will represent four emerging Queensland ventures when business incubator and technology accelerator ilab opens its doors on Friday, May 3, 2013 from 12.30pm to 4pm.
Initiated and funded by the Queensland Government, and now a division of UniQuest at UQ, ilab supports early stage, high-tech companies through the first few years of development. ilab is based at UQ’s Long Pocket site, at 80 Meiers Road, Indooroopilly.
ilab Program Director Leigh Angus said DemoDay was to encourage the public, especially students, to tour the facilities and meet the residents.
“The day will showcase the business workings of the incubator and visitors can listen to business pitches from a number of ventures,” Ms Angus said.
“We really want aspiring entrepreneurs, students, business community members, Government, the public and the media to come and see the important role smart start-up businesses are playing in the growth of Queensland.
“We’re also running Mentor Blaze, where entrepreneurs can watch short sessions with some ilab mentors for feedback and guidance on their ventures.”
Two participants of Mentor Blaze will be selected to attend a conference call with pioneer of the Lean Start-up movement, Eric Ries.
Taylah Hasaballah, who recently started her second year of a software engineering degree at UQ, runs an online clothing store, Tiger Temple, which is driven by social media. The store stocks featured designers and vintage one-off garments and accessories. As an ilab Germinate program graduate and current incubatee, Tiger Temple has progressed from a home-based cottage industry to a full-scale online and logistics business.
“What started as a Facebook page has grown into a full-scale business supporting emerging designers across the globe,” Ms Hasaballah said.
“ilab has really boosted my knowledge about growing an online business.”
Engineering undergraduate Ariel Briner from Cartesian Co and engineering PhD student Elliot Smith from HSK Instruments, said the program had helped them focus and crystallise what were playful ideas or student projects.
“ilab mentors were invaluable and have helped us with applying hard core business principles. We’re now focused not only on building a great product, but a great business,” Mr Smith said.
HSK Instruments is working on a Positive Expiratory Pressure (PEP) chest physiotherapy exercise for treating cystic fibrosis.
Cartesian Co is building a rapid prototyping electronics printer capable of producing PCBs (printed circuit boards).
UQ engineering graduate Dr Eban Escott recently joined ilab to develop his company Crowdsites.
“I’m very excited to see the University has such great resources available for both students and alumni,” said Dr Escott, who provides software and web development services via his WorkingMouse company.
“Access to facilities and knowledgeable people will be crucial to Crowdsites’ success in the future.”
The ilab DemoDay:
80 Meiers Road
Friday, May 3, 2013
12.30-2.30 pm: Student Session and Project Pitches: Lunch and tour for students from local universities
12.30-3.30 pm: Mentor Blaze: ilab mentors offer feedback guidance on business ventures to aspiring entrepreneurs, either in person or via Skype
12:30-4pm: Meet the ilab Participant Businesses: Germinate and Incubate program participants showcase their products and services. Visitors are invited to meet with some of the companies.
UQ staff and students can take the shuttle bus from St Lucia to the Long Pocket campus throughout the afternoon. http://www.pf.uq.edu.au/buses.html
About ilab
ilab Technology Accelerator and Business Incubator was established by the Queensland Government in 2000 to support early stage, high-tech companies by building their business management capabilities, fostering mentor networks for start-up founders, creating investor ready companies, and graduating companies with increased chances of success. ilab has incubated over 100 start-up companies and helped them raise over $70 million in grant and investment capital to fund their growth and generate nearly 400 technology jobs. UQ Holdings Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of The University of Queensland (UQ), acquired ilab in 2009. With continued funding from the State Government, ilab has become an independent division of UniQuest (another UQ Holdings subsidiary) with its own funding, staffing and management structure. It operates from purpose-designed premises at 80 Meiers Road, Indooroopilly.
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