A University of Queensland startup ready to help 1.7 million Australian diabetics has won UQ’s top entrepreneurship program, Ventures ilab Accelerator, Pitch Night.
Journalism and public relations alumnus, Ashley Hanger started Stripped Supply two years ago to solve the issue of young adults with diabetes not getting their medication on time.
Seeing her boyfriend’s difficulty managing his condition inspired Ms Hanger to bring diabetes management into the 21st century.
“Tristan has lived with diabetes for 27 years, and he can still forget to organise his medication,” she said.
“Diabetes doesn’t just affect your physical health, it’s a massive drain on your mental health too.
“I saw an opportunity to lighten the mental burden for diabetics, and using the many programs UQ Ventures has to offer, I was able to refine my idea and learn how to build a business.
“Now, thanks to ilab, I can turn Stripped Supply into a reality.
“Already, we’ve developed Australia’s largest online community of Gen Z diabetics, hosting important conversations on mental health, body positivity and sexuality, to change how we view and talk about diabetes.”
From a successful social media platform to a business, Stripped Supply is also Australia’s first diabetes subscription box: automating and delivering custom orders of insulin and other diabetic supplies.
The waiting list for home deliveries by Stripped Supply is 300 strong already, and due to rollout in late 2021.
The startup uses existing medical infrastructure to get medications to people, with a subscription model to make replenishing medication as simple as possible.
Pitch Night panellist, former Queensland Chief Entrepreneur and Everledger CEO, Leanne Kemp said her mind was blown by the quality of all 12 startups pitching their big ideas.
“Queensland, yet again, continues to deliver – from clean energy tinnies that double up as a battery for the home, novel spatial data AI gathering techniques, an impact-investing fintech, and the ultimate ilab winner: for-purpose diabetics supply chain startup Stripped Supply,” Ms Kemp said.
“My heart filled.
“Once again, the UQ Ventures program takes entrepreneurship seriously and in the face of the pandemic continues to churn out some of the brightest minds building the businesses of the future.”
UQ Ventures programs aim to prepare our students and alumni for a rapidly changing workplace irrespective of what sector they end up working in.
It also helps to equip more graduates with the confidence they need to start their own business and become job creators.
Find out more about all 12 startups.
Image above left by Anjanette Webb: Ashley Hanger
Media: UQ Ventures Head, Mr Nimrod Klayman, ventures@uq.edu.au, 61 7 3343 2492.
