The Sydney Catapult Business Plan Competition
Results of the 2008 Sydney Catapult Business Plan Competition
Presentation Day – 17 October 2008
On Friday 17 October 2008 six teams presented their business plans to an experienced and diverse panel of judges (brief bios can be found on the 2008 Jury page). These presentations were given in a board room generously provided by the School of Information Technology in the Faculty of Engineering + IT.
The six finalists and their proposed ventures were:
- Oak Carbon: a nanotechnology start-up company specialising in the production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs).
- E-Succeed: the delivery of a complete and seamless emulation of a face-to-face tutoring lesson on the internet.
- Keevan: an alternative that is cheaper, lighter and simpler than the highly dangerous chain tensioning devices known as “dogs” that are commonly found in the transport industry.
- Marathon Robotics: a robotic system for live-fire training of elite military units in urban environments.
- Resource Energy Research: a proposal for a “bio-harvest co-generation” project for a two stage plan for a 30MW gas turbine generator and brick production plant close to a gold mine.
- Community.communication: a service bureau that addresses the need for effective communication tools in multi-tiered, hierarchal, community based organisations such as Lions, Rotary, Scouts and churches.
Each team presented to the Sydney Catapult panel for ten minutes, followed by a period of questions from the panel. These “pitches” supplemented a twenty page business plan submitted by the teams in advance of the presentations.
2008 Prize Winners
The winners of the inaugural Sydney Catapult Business Plan Competition and the prizes that they received were adjudged as follows:
1st place: Marathon Robotics
- $5000 cash
- Consultation with Lorne Wood-Roe, partner at Adams Pluck.
- Identity design by Colman Rasic Carrasco.
Runner-up & Best IBUS Entrant Prize: Resource Energy Research
- $1000 cash for Runner-up + $1000 cash for IBUS Prize
- Consultation with Lorne Wood-Roe, partner at Adams Pluck.
- Identity design by Colman Rasic Carrasco.
Runner-up: Keevan
- $1000 cash
- Consultation with Lorne Wood-Roe, partner at Adams Pluck.
In addition, the NAB is working with some entrants on a micro-enterprise loan to get their business off-the-ground.
An information pack has been produced about the winning teams, their venture proposals and the Sydney Catapult experience.