The Victorian Government is supporting 16 tech start-ups to develop new ideas to help create more renewable energy, improve energy affordability and generate innovations that could attract future commercial partnerships.
Delivered by LaunchVic, the CivVic Labs challenge gives start-ups the support they need to test, refine and develop their ideas and deliver practical outcomes. The startups will also take part in the CivVic EnergyTech Challenge.
The group will work on delivering advancements in smart solar batteries, electric vehicle charging and next generation electricity grid maintenance powered by drones and artificial intelligence - all fast-growing sectors.
Each start-up will receive $10,000 in equity-free funding to take part in a 12-week accelerator program from August this year. At the end of the program, four of the most promising ideas will be awarded an additional $35,000 to help take their solution further.
LaunchVic’s CivVic Labs program has now helped more than 100 startups connect with government, co-design with real end users and develop businesses ready to launch into market.
Dr Kate Cornick – CEO, LaunchVic
The Challenge has two key streams. The Empowering People and Communities stream aims to help households and small businesses take up renewable technologies, while the Powering the Grid of the Future stream is focused on technology that can transform how energy is generated, stored and distributed.
Victoria is home to more than 3,500 start-ups and has a start-up ecosystem worth $132 billion, providing an innovation network that can support Victoria’s legislated renewable energy targets of 65 per cent and at least 2.6 GW of energy storage capacity by 2030.
Whether based in Australia or overseas, Victoria’s start-up ecosystem connects founders, investors, and industry partners through government-backed programs and accelerators, providing access to funding, mentorship, and resources that support business growth and scalability.
The full list of start-ups from both streams can be found at launchvic.org
Learn more about Victoria’s rapidly growing startup ecosystem
