Startup Victoria's Updates

Hey Everyone,

Startup Week 2015 (March 27th - April 2nd) is starting in a couple days, and we want to make sure you'll get the most out of it!

If you have not done so yet, it is time to start planning your optimal Startup Week! There will be tons of events for every founders, from beginner to experienced, so make sure you know about all of them to choose the most valuable ones to you.
Check out the Startup Week website for the full schedule and more details on this week-long event!

Also, we will have a special deal at our Lean Startup Melbourne next Tuesday. We have 8 delegate passes ($345 value, check out the details below) for SLUSH Down Under to give away.

Want a pass? Become a member of Startup Victoria (only $99!) between now and Tuesday and you'll have a chance of winning one! We will have a stand during the Lean Startup Melbourne where you can get your membership too.

And now without further ado, here are your weekly community updates:

STARTUP WEEK: OFFICE HOURS WITH FOUNDERS - STARTUP VICTORIA
Which experienced founder will you choose to discuss your business idea with? Check out the full list with availability and meeting format HERE.

ONLY 3 MEETINGS LEFT so don't wait and book yours now!

• Troy Westley at 11:00 am on Thursday, April 2nd.
• Wen Xi at 12:30pm and 1:00pm on Thursday April 2nd

ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF FINANCING - STARTUP VICTORIA
This month, Lean Startup Melbourne will focus on 'Alternative Ways of Financing', with PwC, Pozible, VentureCrowd, and Cultureamp. You will learn how to obtain some much needed cash or advice without going to a VC or angel investor. And of course, free drinks and pizza and Melbourne's best networking.

The schedule for the night looks like this:

• 6.30pm - Food, Drinks & Networking
• 7.00pm - Event starts, intro by Startup Victoria
• 7.05pm - PwC + Q&A
• 7.20pm - Pozible + Q&A
• 7.35pm - Cultureamp + Q&A
• 7.50pm - Victoria State Government + Q&A
• 8.05pm - Networking

When: Tuesday the 31st of March
Where: Inspire9 (41-43 Stewart st)
Register: HERE!

Want to win a delegate pass ($345) for SLUSH Down Under? Become a member now (only $99) and have the chance to win one of 8 passes. There will be a stand during the event where you can sign up to become a member.

The passes include access to:

• Conference and pitching competition delegate pass entry: SLUSH Down Under, 22 April 2015. Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 8.50am – 6.30pm
• Entry to the CONNECT emerging ICT expo (www.con-nect.com.au)
• After party entry: Savoy Tavern, corner of Spencer and Bourke Streets Melbourne.  Red carpet arrival from 6.45pm.  The after party is being held in partnership with ‘That Start Up Show’

FEEDBACK ALLEY @ ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF FINANCING - STARTUP VICTORIA
How does an opportunity to demo your startup to a community of successful entrepreneurs, investors, designers and developers sound?

Awesome right?

Feedback Alley is an opportunity for startups to demonstrate their startup and seek some advice from our community of investors, entrepreneurs, designers and developers. We offer this opportunity to startups big and small, at any stage of development. There’s only one rule, and that is:

You need to have something to show.
It can be mockups, wireframes, a full product, anything! It doesn’t have to be a polished piece of work. All that matters is that you’ve done one thing, the single hardest thing involved in starting a startup, and that’s getting started.

Want to get Involved?

Make sure you have:

• Something awesome to show;
• A laptop to show it on.

Email [address removed] before Friday the 27th of March with:

• The subject line marked as “Feedback Alley”;
• A short description of your startup idea;
• What you’re going to show;
• An URL if you have it.

We are offering around five slots, if you haven't heard anything by Monday the 31st, you haven't made it for this time. The successful startups will be positioned in a separate area on the night so that the crowd can come and see what you have and hear about your plans.

SHOULD YOU QUIT YOUR DAY JOB? - BLUECHILLI
Are you wondering if you should quit your day job and focus on your startup idea? This session aims to help you with this decision, exploring idea validation, execution strategies and the hurdles of building a tech startup in the Australian landscape. This will be a small informative workshop, giving participants an opportunity to explore their unique idea and situation. An individual follow up session at a later date will be offered to each participant to help with specific questions. Book on Eventbrite sooner than later as spots are limited.

When: Monday, March 30th, 6:00 to 8:00pm
Where: Level 10, 50 Market Street Melbourne, VIC 3000
Price: $10, tickets HERE.

STARTUP WEEK: OFFICE HOURS - SCALE INVESTORS
Want to know what one of Melbourne's leading Venture Capital firms looks for when investing, and see if you and your startup are ready? Register now for a 90 minutes session with Scale's CEO Laura McKenzie. Be quick, selected spots available!

Laura MacKenzie will spend 20-30 minutes explaining what Scale Angels look for in founders, followed by a Q&A session.

Female founders (or co-founders) only!

When: Friday, March 27th, 10:00 - 11:30 AM
Where: Freshwater place on Southbank
More details and registration: HERE

MASTER CLASS: PITCHING YOUR STARTUP TO INVESTORS - STARFISH VENTURES
John Dyson is a co-founder of Starfish Ventures. He has personally overseen and managed nearly 20 investments in a range of technologies and industries. John will share his experiences as a technology investor and provide guidance as how to best pitch your start-up.

When: Tuesday, March 31, 5:30 - 7:00pm
Where: Level 5,[masked] Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Victoria 3000
Registration: HERE

STARTUP WEEK: THE VR-DEN - REVOLVER CREATIVE & INFINITY AMUSEMENTS
Revolver Creative and Infinity Amusements are excited to launch the "VR Den" at Revolver creative as part of Startup Week.

Come and check out the latest in "VR and then spend the day working at Revolver Creative Co-working space for $10.00. That's a bargain.

Here's the info:The VR Den is an extension to the resources at Revolver Creative (RC) a dedicated space for the exploration and development of virtual reality solutions. The “VR Den” will provide an extensive and ever growing library of VR and AR related hardware and software, as well as providing manufactures and developers a platform to showcase their prototype work to the general community.

All hardware is geared towards development in Unity.

When: Monday March 30th, 10am-9pm
Where: Revolver Creative [masked] Chapel st)
Tickets: HERE

STARTUP WEEK: ENROLLMENT WORKSHOP - THE FITZROY ACADEMY OF GETTING SHIT DONE
This mini-GSD is a taster of The Fitzroy Academy of Getting Shit Done flagship course, in one 2.5-hour evening workshop. We're proud to be part of Startup Victoria's Startup Week, which runs 27th March - 2nd April.

For the full schedule + more info, visit fitzroygsd.com/enrol. By participating, you’ll get a good idea of what our full 3 week course is like. Previous GSD students and mentors will evaluate new students in person.

Drinks and mingling at 5pm, workshop starts at 6pm, finishes 8:30 (9pm at the latest). If everyone's still overly hyped, we'll head over to DuNord or Campari House for afters.

When: Monday, March 30th, 5:00 to 9:00pm
Where: The Henley Club, Level 1, 8 Rankins Lane, Melbourne, VIC 3000
Price: $25, tickets HERE.

STARTUP WEEK: OPEN-DOORS AND Q&A SESSION - YORK BUTTER FACTORY
Come and join us for a Q&A session with founder Stuart Richardson on the 1st of April, and get to learn more about The York Butter Factory, the Australian Startup Ecosystem, Venture Capital 101 and all our other initiatives.

When: Wednesday, April 1st (Q&A session: 10:30am - 12:00pm)
Where: York Butter Factory, 66 King Street, Melbourne
Price: Free; Registration HERE.

This is event is part of Startup Week 2015!

10 TIPS FOR STARTING A STARTUP: A FREE MORNING CLASS - GENERAL ASSEMBLY
About This Class
Whether you have a great idea for a startup, are developing a brand or have already launched, there are key mistakes that can trip up even the most experienced entrepreneurs.

In this free class, we give you 10 fundamental tips to ensure your focussing your energy in the right areas and not wasting valuable time trying to overcome roadblocks that aren't actually worth overcoming.

Takeaways

• Learn about the common fail-points that most startups face
• Understand what elements are essential to the success of early-stage startups
• Discover where to focus your energy to ensure your time is as productive as possible

When: Tuesday, March 31st, 8:00-9:00am
Where: Level 1, 20 Queen Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000
FREE event
More details and registration HERE.

SOLVING PROBLEMS FOR PROFIT WITH LINUS CHANG - SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
Swinburne's Faculty of Business and Law warmly invites you to the first 'Learning from Entrepreneurs' seminar of 2015 featuring Linus Chang, Founder of Cortex I.T. and technology entrepreneur. Linus will speak on the topic: 'Solving Problems for Profit'.

About Linus Chang:
Linus Chang is a Melbourne-based technology entrepreneur with a love for creating software products and a passion for connecting business opportunity with innovation and marketing.

Starting at age 23, with just his savings and three computers, Linus founded Cortex I.T. while working from his bedroom at his parent’s house. Linus wrote various software products and tried several business ideas with limited success prior to writing BackupAssist which has since sold over 100,000 copies in over 120 countries.

In 2005, Cortex I.T. won a commendation at the Governor of Victoria Export Awards and today employs 30 staff, with offices in Australia and the USA.

Linus describes his journey as long and arduous, especially in the early days when self-doubt nearly prevented BackupAssist from ever being commercialised. His path has been one of continuous learning and growth personally and as an entrepreneur.

Linus believes that a flexible mind and a strong peer group are keys to winning the entrepreneurial game.

Linus is a keen traveller, hiker and amateur pianist. He is also an active member of the Entrepreneurs' Organization – the world’s only peer to peer network for entrepreneurs – and is on the board of its Accelerator Program.

Date: Friday 27 March 2015
Time: 5.15pm networking drinks; 6.00pm seminar commences
Venue: AGSE Building (G3), Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn VIC 3122 (networking drinks, AGSE Foyer; seminar, AGSE 207)
RSVP: by 5pm Thursday 26 March 2015
Register now »

CHAT WITH VAUGHAN ROSWELL (VEND ) - STARTUP GRIND
Vend has gone from $0 to $100m in four years. Come along to the fireside chat with founder Vaughan Roswell @NAB Atrium Docklands!

When: Wednesday, March 25th, 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Where: NAB HQ (The Atrium), 700 Bourke St, Docklands, 3008
More details and Registration HERE.

SLUSH DOWN UNDER
Coordinated in collaboration with the organisers of Slush, Northern Europe's largest tech startup event, Slush Down Under is Australia's premier launch platform for local startups.

Featuring a world class conference, exhibition and pitching competition, the event provides the next generation of emerging technology companies with the opportunity to present their products to, and network with, an audience of over 300 top VCs, Angels, corporate business development executives, prospective customers, partners and media.

When: April 22nd
Where: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (2 Clarendon St, Melbourne VIC 3006)
Details: HERE.

COMPETITION: WIN A FREE FULL-PASS FOR THE EVENT (worth $345!!!)
The first 8 people to become a member of Startup Victoria will get a free Slush-Down Under: Startups Package + access to the after-party, worth $345!
Don't wait and become a member of Startup Victoria for only $99 HERE.

CHILLI CHATS - BLUECHILLI MELBOURNE
Did you know that BlueChilli Mebourne host 'Chilli Chats' every Tuesday afternoon? Prospective or early stage tech startup founders are invited to come in for a casual chat to ask questions and get valuable feedback about their startup or idea. This is a low pressure chance to tap into our startup knowledge in a low key and welcoming environment. But there is one rule: no printouts and no presentations - it's a chat! Just book in for one of the 25 minute spots sometime between 2pm and 6pm available every Tuesday afternoon.

When: Every Tuesday from 2:00 - 6:00pm
Where: The Cluster on Market St (Level 10, 50 Market Street, Melbourne)
Book here: https://calendly.com/bluechillimelbourne/chillichats/

BLUEMIX: LUNCH & LEARN + OFFICE HOURS - YORK BUTTER FACTORY
Join us at the York Butter Factory on Thursday 26 March for the Zero to Hero Lunch and Learn plus Office Hours session hosted by IBM's PaaS guru, Felix Fong.

Come along to this short and informative session to learn how to quickly build and deploy an app to IBM's PaaS solution, Bluemix. This is your opportunity to -

• Discover the fundamental skills of building and deploying an application to Bluemix cloud with DevOps and CLI tools.
• Go from Zero to Hero in minutes -- Learn how you can quickly build a web app by leveraging Bluemix composable services such as Watson, SQLDB, mobile back end services and user defined third party APIs and get it up and running in the cloud in no time.
• Learn how to monitor and scale your application without lifting your finger -- Let Bluemix do all the heavy lifting for you.

Interested in some 1:1 time with our guru? You can book your office hours with Felix by emailing [address removed].

Registration and more details HERE.

When: Thursday, March 26th, 12:00 - 2:30pm
Where: York Butter Factory (62-66 King Street, Melbourne VIC 3000)

THE BIG PITCH - OXYGEN VENTURES
Application process:

• Apply via http://thebigpitch.com.au/
• Entires invited to an initial chat via skype / hangout / phone / in person depending on location.
• We'll (Ilya and I) meet face to face with shortlisted entires in major cities from end April to mid-May (Hobart, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne).
• Shortlisted entries will go through a follow up process and five will be chosen to pitch at the big event on June 30th in Melbourne.

Entries are now open and close on April 17th.

TECH TOUR FOR AUSSIE ENTREPRENEURS TO CONNECT WITH ENTREPRENEURIAL ASIA - ASIARECON
Asia Recon is a tech tour set up to help foster, develop, and build Australia’s engagement across the technology, innovation and entrepreneurial sector within Asia by promoting the transfer of people, ideas and capital.
Asia Recon will run a 7 day tour to Singapore, Shanghai and Beijing from 6-13th September 2015 and invite 12 delegates from Australia to participate.The tour will visit tech company offices, corporate innovation and R&D centres, start-ups, incubators, accelerators, co-working spaces and technology parks.
Applications are open from March 1-30th online at asiarecon.com
A recent article in Startup Daily explains more HERE.
For any questions please visit asiarecon.com

YOUNG SOCIAL PIONEERS INCUBATOR - INNOVATION NATION
Innovation Nation - a chance for all the young dreamers and doers, the innovators and entrepreneurs, to identify the challenges you care passionately about, and share your ideas to shape a better Australia. We are all Innovation Nation. Are you In?

50 exclusive spots in the Young Social Pioneers Incubator available nationally with 10 x $10000 in seed funding on offer for the best ventures. Entries Close March 27!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JOBS

JOB SEARCH - DEVELOPER
The project:
You will be helping to develop a novel networking application which
leverages existing social media. You will have the opportunity to add
your input into the growth of the business supporting the application,
and your ideas would be expected to help with marketing and strategic
positioning. The concept of the application is strong and the venture
is being driven by senior personnel from the legal and financial
sectors.

The position:
You will support the development, deployment, maintenance and support
of an application compatible with iOS and Android devices. A key focal
point will be to ensure the end user experience is the very best it
can be.

Requirements:
- Must have a solid understanding of the software development process,
including release management, for iOS and Android
- Ability to multi-task and good time management skills
- Scoping and estimation skills
- Ability to work on your own and as part of a team
- Excellent communication skills (verbal and written)

Contact:
Michael Hardiman via [address removed]

JOB SEARCH - OFFICE MANAGER/EA at EQUIEM SERVICES PTY LTD
The opportunity: Supporting the CEO in their extremely busy day to day operations and business development activities, plus acting as a central lynch pin for surrounding teams on and offsite. EA, office management, systems, processes, accounts, reports, presentations - you name it, you control it!
About You: With several years experience in office management and supporting senior managers in a PA/EA type role, you are happy to run with minimal instructions and like taking charge once you have the outline. You will need to be digitally savvy, quick on the uptake, flexible re tasks, organised, have attention to detail, a professional, with a down to earth and good sense of humour. Marketing and Apple experience preferred, Indesign skills a bonus.
More details and applications here!

JOB SEARCH - LEAD iOS DEVELOPER AT MYGUESTLIST
Established Melbourne start-up requires a lead iOS developer with proven iPhone & iPad experience. Immediate start!

We are an established start-up based in Melbourne who has built popular apps for the hospitality industry. As the lead iOS developer, you will own the end-to-end production of our mobile and tablet products including creative and technical design, development, documentation and support.

Technical:
- Objective C, Cocoa, XCode (minimum 3 years experience)
- iPhone & iPad development
- HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JSON
- Git code management
- Photoshop & design skills preferred
- Experience with Apportable preferred

Non-Technical:
- Experience working in an open & creative environment
- An excellent work ethic and a can-do attitude
- A talent for communicating ideas, issues and solutions in a team environment
- Exceptional English (verbal & written)

The successful iOS developer will posses advanced iPhone & iPad development skills and must demonstrate previous apps in the Apple App Store!

If the above sounds like you then please apply now along with a cover letter.

Apply for this job HERE!

Cheers,

Startup Victoria

And a special thank you to our category sponsor: