CeBIT urges startups to come along

The CeBIT Australia Expo, the largest business technology event in the Asia-Pacific region, will continue to emphasise the role startups play at the expo, according to managing director Jackie Taranto.

It continues a concerted effort by organisers, which began last year with CeBIT Startup Campus Day, to ensure startups had an appropriately prominent place at the event.

“We’ve been operating for 13 years and I really think now is the right time (for startups),’’ she says.

“You want to help it continue and help with that stimulus.

“This year we’ve had quite a lot of growth and can confirm 155 startups will be in attendance.

“We had hoped for 200, but unfortunately we had to close it off at 155 because of a lack of space.

“It’s really grown, we think it’s a really important part of the event.

“That’s the future of Australia.”

CeBIT will once again present Pitchfest at the Expo, which will see over 200 applications pitch and subsequently be narrowed down to 12 finalists by the judging panel, which includes chief executive of Aria Dan Rose, and Elevation Capital director Trevor Folsom.

One startup that’s in attendance, Taranto, is particularly excited about is MyPsych, which provides mental health treatment using live video conferencing with professionally accredited psychologists 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

She says the expo provides an invaluable opportunities for startups to network, as well as providing access to private individuals and investors and she’s sick of hearing there’s no place for these type of events.

“I get that a lot about trade fairs,’’ she says.

“But they’re a place where you can get a lot of excellent feedback, a lot of face-to-face-interaction.

“I think they’ll always been around.’’

CeBIT Australia 2014 will be held at Sydney Olympic Park from Monday, May 5 to Wednesday, May 7.