2015 Business 3000+ Awards Business of the Year and Servcorp New Business Award
Winner: FG Advisory
FG Advisory (FGA) began its story in May 2014 as a startup consulting firm with the ambition of transforming the Australian building performance landscape.
FGA provides independent multi-disciplinary engineering and advisory services to a diverse range of clients across the public and private sectors. The team specialises in building performance optimisation and strategic infrastructure planning for their clients’ building portfolios.
A unique FGA characteristic is the team’s talent in distilling external and internal complexity into meaningful, simple and compelling actions. Actions that have consistently delivered industry benchmark performance outcomes in a manner that is measureable, verifiable and stands up to scrutiny. FGA do this by creating ideas, overcoming challenges, and constructing solutions together and with our clients, seemlessly integrating a principles based engineering analytics approach with strategic systems thinking.
As a result, FGA has quickly established trusted partnerships with some of the biggest organisations in Victoria.
More information: www.fgadvisory.com
Alan Knipe Starnet Innovation Award
Winner: KISA Pty Ltd
Kisa Pty Ltd is a Melbourne-based technology startup established in mid-2013 by three entrepreneurs who were struggling to find a simple mobile phone solution for their family. KISA felt that even the simplest mobile phones on the market were too complex and assumed users were capable of using digital menus, touch screen interfaces and audio commands. At the most basic level, all of these phones assumed the user could read.
That’s how the idea to create the KISA phone was born.
The KISA phone is the first mobile phone in Australia that can finally make mobile technology affordable and accessible to everyone. The phone has been designed in conjunction with the community and several major associations including those supporting the disabled and vision impaired. The KISA phone will appeal to parents with young children, the visually impaired, those living with reduced physical abilities, or anyone wanting a simple and easy to use mobile phone.
As a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), the KISA team are pleased and excited to also be launching the simplest mobile phone plans available in Australia – exclusive to the KISA phone.
More information: www.kisaphone.com.au
Small Business Victoria Sustainability Award
Winner: AquaTrophic
Established in April 2014, AquaTrophic Pty Ltd was founded as a private company by Scott Grierson, Peter Clark and William Crothers.
Aqua Trophic is an aquatic biomass oriented life sciences company grounded in research, driven by biotechnology and predicated on the principles of sustainable development.
The scientific and market analysis has identified aquatic organisms –animals and plants that contain essential fatty acids, pigments, proteins and other bioactive molecules or physical properties that are in high demand or offer novel product potential. AquaTrophic’s technical and commercial capabilities as well as partnerships enable them to cultivate, isolate and or transform these species into valuable products that enrich and enhance our lives. AquaTrophic’s vision is to become Australia’s first fully scaled aquatic biotechnology enterprise. The long term strategy is to leverage the inherent growth capabilities of a diversified and integrated range of aquatic species to create valuable end products. The proven approach and technology allow’s AquaTrophic to realise this ambition and facilitate growth in the local and regional market. The mission is to cultivate low impact aquatic biomass species with high value end product applications. Such products will meet a diversity of market needs provided they that are cost competitive, high quality, environmentally benign and carry minimal regulatory and operating risk.
More information: www.aquatrophic.com
International Award
Winner: Pongolabs
Pongolabs creates world-first software technologies using symbols, pictures and touch. The company’s mission is to use technology to simplify life and turn work into play. Their unique visual approach turns complex tasks such as paperwork and quality assurance into positive and enjoyable experiences. Pongolabs software is now being used by people all over the world at many large multinational companies and manages over 20 million data interactions.
Pongolabs does technology research and development with a team of developers and designers based in the Melbourne CBD. The company invests at least 30% of its revenue back into research and has active collaborations and mentorships at leading Australian universities. Pongolabs also run regular events that promote innovation and positive cultural change.
Pongolabs has recently opened an office in Singapore and has plans to expand to a number of other countries in 2016. The founders are proud to be based in Melbourne and contributing to the city’s emergence as a global innovation hub.
More information: www.pongolabs.com
Social Enterprise Award
Winner: Scuba for Change
Many research studies have demonstrated that profits generated by tourism-related activities in developing nations “leak” out to developed nations. Scuba for Change is a unique social enterprise model, ensuring tourism income generated by the community are retained for their own development. Scuba for Change is here to create positive and lasting legacies.
Governed by a strong and diverse Board (unremunerated positions), Scuba for Change features a unique model in the tourism industry where 100% of net profit is ultimately reinvested to the benefit of local communities in developing nations. Founded in early 2014 & “Headquartered” Melbourne, in March 2015, Scuba for Change opened its first Scuba Diving operations in Puerto Galera, Philippines.
Operating within the beautiful surrounds of Sunset Resort at Aninuan Beach, Scuba for Change provides snorkelling, fun and course diving experiences for its customers. Furthermore, Scuba for Change will invest in its staff’s training and education needs. Section 2 details these endeavours in detail.
More information: www.scubaforchange.com and view our introductory video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrBEXwEfAt0