Why New Zealand hologram startup Point Zero is setting up shop in Queensland with $100,000 in funding

New Zealand hologram startup Point Zero is now basing its operations out of the Brisbane and Ipswich areas after being enticed across the ditch with $100,000 in funding from the Advance Queensland Hot Desq program.

Established by the Queensland Government’s Advance Queensland initiative, the $8 million Hot Desq program offers startup founders from around the globe the chance to relocate to Queensland for at least six months, offering free desk space in co-working hubs across the state and funding of up to $100,000 in an effort to attract international startup talent.

It’s an offering that enticed Point Zero from Wellington to Queensland’s sunny shores, and its co-founder Chris Mather hopes the program will support his startup to further develop its interactive holographic technology for use in sectors like education, advertising and health services.

Hot Desq has already lured back members of Silicon Valley’s Aussie tech mafia like Kate Kendall of CloudPeeps and Pixc’s Holly Cardew, as well as US startup TimeLooper.Point Zero now joins this list of founders making the move Down Under as one of the 29 startups invited to participate in the second round of the Hot Desq program.

Point Zero will base its Australian office out of the Ipswich-based Firestation 101 building, and has received $100,000 in funding from Advance Queensland on the condition that the startup mentors two Australian startups and “contributes to the ecosystem” by running meet-up groups, hosting presentations and engaging with the local startup community.  Read more

Angela Castles - Smart Company - 5 Oct 2017