Australia Innovation Shootout in Silicon Valley, January 20, 2010

It’s not too early to save the date and RSVP to the fourth annual Australia Innovation Shoot Out, to be held at the Microsoft Campus on January 20, 2010, from 8:00 am – 11:30 am.

Eight innovative companies will pitch their technologies to a panel of top-tier US investors who will rate them on their readiness to play on the global stage, starting in Silicon Valley. It’s a competition, and the judges will carefully evaluate each company before naming one “Australia Innovator of the Year”. Seating is limited for this free event. RSVP now (through SDForum) to reserve your spot.

Click here for more details and a list of the eight state finalists. Watch this space for upcoming exciting announcements about panelists, keynotes and more.

Digislide, Spinergy Secure Funding from South Australian Innovation and Investment Fund

Entrepreneur Luceille Outhred, the founder of miniature projection technology company, Digislide (ASX:DGI), and the CEO behind clean energy companies Spinergy and H2Oasis Energy has secured a $1.2 million government grant to further advance opto-electronics and clean technology research and development. Digislide was awarded the funds under the South Australian Innovation and Investment Fund. Two other early expansion technology companies, Spinergy and H2Oasis Energy, were co-applicants with Digislide for the funding.

Last week, Digislide made news when they announced they had secured $18 million in capital investment commitments from London-based investment company, GEM Global Yield Fund Limited.

Both Digislide and Spinergy have showcased at ANZA Gateway to the US summits; Digislide in 2005, when it was a co-winner of the Guy Manson Hottest Technology Award, and Spinergy in 2009.

Red Lizard Software Wins ANZA’s Tech23 Prize: Company Most Ready for US

by Viki Forrest, CEO ANZA Technology Network

It’s my pleasure to announce that Red Lizard Software has been chosen to receive ANZA’s Tech23 prize, which is awarded to the company we saw at Tech23 last month who demonstrates great potential for the US market.

Red Lizard Software’s Goanna product cleans up software bugs for developers, reducing the time programmers spend testing and debugging. Red Lizard estimates that software bugs are a $100 billion (USD) problem. And, they have a solution that can remedy this expense within minutes. The upshot is that higher quality software gets to market faster.

Read more about Goanna here.

Our prize for Red Lizard Software is a slot in our 2010 Gateway to the US program. Valued at $3,995 (USD), Red Lizard will have the option of taking part in a US market analysis workshop next year in Sydney, then working with a US-based coach who will get them ready to pitch in Silicon Valley to potential US investors, partners and others from the tech community who can further facilitate US market exploration and entry.

Congratulations to Red Lizard Software. We look forward to working with you!

Accepting Expressions of Interest in the ANZA TechNet Gateway to China Pilot Program

We’ve had a number of enquiries into the Gateway to China Pilot program since we sent out an e-blast yesterday, so we have re-posted the link for the Expressions of Interest here.

This Pilot program will be open to Australian entrepreneurs looking to get into the China market. If you are interested (or know someone who is), please follow this link and enter a brief description of your company by 9 November 2009.

We will have more information for those who express their interest shortly after the closing date for registrants given above. The Pilot is still in its planning stages, but as of now ANZA TechNet will tentatively be holding FREE workshops in Australian cities in February 2010, with a 1-week trip to Shanghai in March 2010 to meet with China-based coaches who will help you navigate the complexities of the China business culture, explore business opportunities and learn more about doing business in the China market.

While many companies will be invited to the FREE workshop, only five will be chosen to go to Shanghai.

If you’d like to register your interest, click here. To find out more details about the Pilot, contact ANZA CEO Viki Forrest at viki@anzatechnet.com.

Great Day at Tech23

Dan Bisa (left) and Justin Barrie (right) catch up with ANZA CEO Viki Forrest at Tech23 in Sydney. Photo by KazzaDrask Media.

An impressive lineup of companies today at Tech23 in Sydney. Twenty-three companies gave us a look into Australia’s technology future across consumer web, enterprise, mobile communications, clean/green and in between, digital media and SaaS/cloud computing.

We picked a favorite in each category that we thought has what it takes to make it in the global marketplace. Our choices were:

• Posse (Consumer Web)
• Red Lizard Software (Enterprise)
• QMCodes (Mobile)
• HEARD Systems (Clean/Green/In Between)
• We Are Hunted (Digital Media)
• Simmersion Holdings (SaaS/Cloud)

It was good to see our friends from Perkler, a 2008 Gateway to the US company who did not pitch at Tech23, but was there to lend support to these up-and-coming next wave of Aussie innovators. Kudos to Rachel Slattery and her team at SlatteryIT for putting together an excellent show and well-run event.