Western Australia’s Innovators of the Year (WAIOTY) Launch 2025

Morning Startup is honoured to host the official launch of Western Australia’s Innovators of the Year (WAIOTY) Award for 2025

The Western Australia Innovators of the Year (WAIOTY) Award celebrates and supports the outstanding ideas, technologies, and entrepreneurial talent emerging from WA.

Run by the WA Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, the program recognises local innovators who are translating brilliant ideas into real-world impact—whether that's through startup ventures, cutting-edge research, or groundbreaking products and services.

WAIOTY isn’t just about trophies—it’s a launchpad. Finalists and winners receive funding, exposure, and expert mentoring to help take their innovation to the next level. There are categories for early-stage ideas, growth-stage ventures, and everything in between.

In short: If you're doing something innovative in Western Australia, WAIOTY is the award to go for. It shines a spotlight on WA's best and helps turn local ideas into global game-changers.

What to expect at the launch
We'll kick things off with a welcome from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Science and Innovation, Lisa O’Malley MLA, followed by an inspiring address from Professor Fiona Wood, WAIOTY Patron and one of WA’s most celebrated innovators.

Next, Anna Dixon from BlueSalt Consulting will present on the “Key Success Factors for a Compelling WAIOTY Application”, offering practical advice to help your submission stand out. Anna Dixon has helped businesses secure over $70 million in grant funding by helping translating their unique value propositions into compelling grant applications. Her insights into what makes a project not just fundable—but innovative and scalable—position her as a trusted advisor for those looking to stand out in programs like the WA Innovators of the Year.

Past WAIOTY winners and finalists will also be at the launch to answer any questions you have about writing a successful application and provide candid insights about the entire experience.

Applications for the 2025 WAIOTY officially open at 11:00am on the day, so come along, get inspired, and hear all about how to turn your application into a winner!

Agenda:

• 7:30 am: Morning Startup's "shameless plugs and announcements" — where you can introduce yourself or announce your startup to the Perth startup community!
• 7:45 am: Western Australia’s Innovators of the Year (WAIOTY) Launch 2025
• 8:30 am: Networking & delicious breakfast treats
• 9:00 am: Finish

Live stream
This event will also be live streamed by the amazing folks at [Perthvideo.com.au](https://perthvideo.com.au/), courtesy of the New Industries Fund from the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation!

Access the live stream and all our post-event recordings here:
https://perthvideo.com.au/morning-startup-perth/

Coffee, Food and Sponsors
Tell Joey Zaza's you're heading to Morning Startup on the way in for a free coffee courtesy of the Department of Jobs Tourism and Innovation (JTSI). JTSI are also supplying the delicious breakfast treats for this event!

And thanks to the amazing folks at Ammo Marketing, Beacham Group, Purpose Ventures and KeepSpace for keeping this Morning Startup alive 🙏 ❤️

WA Innovators of the Year 2025 Award is proudly supported by Rio Tinto, Business News, Wesfarmers, Woodside, YEA, Biodesign Australia, Nexia Australia, Wrays, CERI, CSIRO, Betterlabs, Moore Australia & AIMI.

About Morning Startup
Morning Startup is a fortnightly meetup for WA startups, founders and entrepreneurs to help inspire and support entrepreneurship in WA.