SBE Australia reveals eight-strong cohort of female founders for latest Springboard Accelerator

The latest cohort for SBE Australia’s Springboard Enterprises Australia accelerator has been revealed, with eight female founders across a diverse range of industries set to dive into the accelerator program.

The female-only accelerator consists of a four-day bootcamp in Sydney and eight weeks of coaching, culminating in a Shark Tank-style pitch competition to investors and business people.

Applications opened in January this year and this cohort will be the sixth one ran locally since 2013. Among the alumni from previous cohorts are well-known startups Mentorloop, Canva, and Flamingo.

The accelerator aims to boost female representation and participation in the Australian startup ecosystem. According to SBE Australia, the local ecosystem contributes $164 billion to the Australian economy, but venture-backed female founders represent just 17% of that — a percentage that has not grown over the past five years.

“SBE Australia is committed to strengthening the position of women in the Australian startup economy. In the six years since its founding, the Springboard Enterprises Australia Accelerator program has helped 45 alumnae rise above the norm for Australian standards,” SBE Australia chair and angel investor Topaz Conway said in a statement. Read more

Dominic Powell - SmartCompany - 4 April 2018