Skip to main content
state library of queensland
Blog
Business and entrepreneurs

How these startup founders took a hackathon concept to full product launch in just four weeks

By Administrator | 18 December 2017

A socially-focused Australian startup has gone from concept to execution in just four weeks, after participating in a StartUp Weekend hackathon and setting an ambitious goal to change the quality of life for thousands of people living in remote Indonesian villages.

In these villages in the region of West Papua, some residents travel for half a day to find locations to charge their phones and torches — items essential for everyday life.

Entrepreneur Nick Kamols believes this shouldn’t be a reality for so many people in the 21st century, and is hoping to bring about change via his startup PowerWells. The startup installs solar-powered battery packs created from e-waste in remote locations to allow residents to charge various devices.

Kamols, who comes from a town planning background, was first alerted to the issue around one month ago during a Social Enterprise StartUp Weekend in Logan, Queensland.

Having participated in “four or five” hackathons previously and with a mind for social ventures, Kamols told StartupSmart the idea for PowerWells actually came about while he and co-founder Brad Claire were looking into a separate idea — using e-waste and 3D printers to make prosthetics in Cambodia. Read more

Dominic Powell - Smart Company - 13 Dec 2017

Comments

Your email address will not be published.

We welcome relevant, respectful comments.

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
We also welcome direct feedback via Contact Us.
You may also want to ask our librarians.