Applications close soon for CORE Start Award

The CORE Innovation Hub has opened applications for the third round of the CORE Start Award, providing promising early-stage energy and resources technology start-ups with three months of co-working at the hub, coupled with facilitated industry connections, mentoring and network links to support the growth of their business.

CORE is said to be Australia’s first co-working collaboration and innovation hub focused on the resources industry, serving as a common point for operators, suppliers, researchers, entrepreneurs and start-ups to connect and collaborate on innovative challenges across the oil, gas and mining, and mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sectors. For new start-ups in these sectors, passing through the ‘valley of death’ can be particularly difficult due to limited access to resources, increasing overheads and the need to establish valuable connections.

Some of these challenges can be overcome with the help of the CORE Start Award, thanks to sponsorship from CORE foundation partners NERA (National Energy Resources Australia) and WesTrac. NERA CEO Miranda Taylor said the award can form an important elementary step in nurturing the next generation of Australian energy resources entrepreneurs.

“CORE Start not only provides a unique co-working space for early-stage start-ups, it’s an invaluable opportunity to connect them with an ecosystem of technology entrepreneurs that encourages collaboration and the transfer of knowledge and skills — all vital building blocks that support innovators to design, develop, commercialise and scale new technologies and services,” Taylor said.

Previous CORE Start Award recipient Chironix has gone from strength to strength since winning the second round of the award in 2018, with Managing Director Daniel Milford saying the company recently moved into larger office space in Perth.

“We’ve had an amazing time and must thank everyone at NERA and CORE Innovation Hub,” Milford said. “Your support over the last year has been invaluable to the growth of Chironix as we have scaled from a team of four to 14 and counting. We couldn’t have asked for better industry champions.”

CORE Innovation Hub General Manager Aaron Schier is looking forward to supporting the next round of innovative start-ups with disruptive technologies that can deliver significant value to Australia’s energy and resources sector.

“We are currently accepting applications from start-ups to pitch their business and describe how their tech can transform our industries, comprising mining, oil and gas, resources, energy, defence and space,” he said. “The next two recipients of the CORE Start Award will be provided an environment that fosters connections between the tech entrepreneurial ecosystem and industry.”

Applications for the CORE Start Award are open until 17 August. To learn more, visit www.corehub.com.au/core-start or email info@corehub.com.au.

Image caption: Representatives from Chironix, the winner of the 2018 CORE Start Award, with NERA CEO Miranda Taylor.