Black Hops Brewing to turn the tap on new growth chapter

Its young entrepreneur founders have shown talent in producing craft beer for local sales, but the next step in Black Hops' evolution will require mastering the craft of scale.  After winning the "Oscars for Beer" this year, the Gold Coast's Black Hops Brewing is frothing over a new facility that's set to open i...

Vet visionary proves top dog at Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

Pet owners know the struggle of getting your beloved family member to see the vet, but Tomas Steenackers is easing the burden on animal lovers across the country. The National Veterinary Care (ASX: NVL) founder took out top honours at the 2018 Business News Australia Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, held at QT Gold Coast ...

Gold Coast's most exciting young entrepreneurs to gather in celebration

In a year when Gold Coast icons Billabong and Mantra were bought out by international investors, the scene has been set for a new crop of local business minds to forge the city's icons of the future. And what better place to look than a gathering of youthful, creative business leaders who have built companies that not only impact the ...

Meet MaMilk: the innovative new Australian hemp milk

One year on from the legalisation of hemp in food products the sector is showing signs of innovation. Currently, health food stores and supermarkets only have a few options when it comes to hemp-based foods (you've probably seen bags of raw materials and a few infused drinks floating around). True innovation in the sector will com...

Global domination ahead for Mammojo lactivewear entrepreneurs

Designer activewear is all the rage right now, but it's not exactly designed with the expectant mother in mind. After returning to exercise following the birth of her first of three kids, Melita Shirley, co-founder of lactivewear brand Mammojo, found it impossible to source nursing friendly activewear. "Traditional activewear...

GO1: The tech tiger that changed its stripes

With financial backing from the likes of Steve Baxter, SEEK, Oxford University and Y Combinator in Silicon Valley, e-learning company GO1 has helped provide workplace training to more than a million people globally with its aggregated online service. And its founders aren't even 30 yet. Vu Tran (pictured left) and Andrew Barn...

Gig Economy: Discover the movers and shakers in freelance job postings

Copy typing, javascript and creative skills saw the sharpest growth on Freelancer.com in the third quarter, while gigs in maths, statistics, algorithms and report writing dropped off.  Jobs relating to website development and internet applications were among the highest growth categories in the three months to September on Freelancer...

How proptech young guns Catalano and Hywood are reinventing the game

Melbourne-based young entrepreneurs Jordan Catalano and Tom Hywood have well and truly established themselves as mainstays in the proptech world. Property and marketing is in the blood of these young guns who are the sons of former Domain boss Anthony Catalano and Fairfax CEO Greg Hywood. Under their umbrella company AD Group, Catalan...

How Adelaide's Vacay Swimwear nailed e-commerce and launched its second season

As summer approaches, most of us are looking forward to some down-time, Christmas lunch, and long days at the beach. But for Adelaide-based swimwear brand Vacay Swimwear their peak period is just about to start. Co-founded by business partners and best mates Corey Decandia and Jordan Kallios, Vacay is a unique swimwear brand inspired ...

Blackbird Ventures: Unlocking "unprofitable beasts" and why they need more patient capital

Companies are staying private for longer than ever before with abundant capital on offer, but the flipside is that sizeable global funds are entering the Australian market earlier to make their mark on the startup community. Meanwhile, local public equity funds are often unable to do the same due to mandates that don't allow investmen...

Huxley School of Makeup lays foundation for success with "first of its kind" TAFE deal

After the milestone of managing makeup for 7,000 people at the Commonwealth Games this year, Gold Coast entrepreneur Michael Huxley is stepping up to the podium with confidence after a big win with TAFE Queensland. He says the Huxley School of Makeup is now "future proofing" the business through an official partnership with Tafe...

How this influencer took on the fashion world with The Blonde Republic

The template for social media success is ever changing and always competitive, but Brisbane-based influencer Sapphiroula Pelecas is keeping ahead of the curve. This last year has been busy for Pelecas, who, in the period from August from September, launched her own fashion line, got married, went on a Honeymoon and presented at New York F...

Unlocking "unprofitable beasts" and why they need more patient capital

Companies are staying private for longer than ever before with abundant capital on offer, but the flipside is that sizeable global funds are entering the Australian market earlier to make their mark on the startup community. Meanwhile, local public equity funds are often unable to do the same due to mandates that don't allow investmen...

How Blackbook is trailblazing the world of AI and automation

For Thuy Lam, founder of Blackbook.ai, problem solving has always been the name of the game. After working in professional services for close to ten years, Lam felt he had enough experience to be able to create his own company. With a history in process optimisation and data-science ("when data-science wasn't sexy," he a...

Tanda clocks up big-name clients as live wage tracker goes global

"Our biggest problem is innovator's dilemma where we've built something that works and it's so far beyond the curve that people just don't realise it exists," says Tanda co-founder Tasmin Trezise. Have you ever been to a bar where the queue spills out like that beer you just can't seem to order? Only one...

Aussie drone defender to join international 'Night Hawk' military exercise

Sydney-based drone defence company DroneShield (ASX: DRO) has been selected by Danish Special Operations Command to participate in the annual international 'Night Hawk' initiative. DroneShield will take part in the major military training exercise which is run annually by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).and atte...

Tammy Hembrow's Saski Collection impresses at New York Fashion Week

Her athleisure brand has only been around for just over a year, but already Tammy Hembrow is wowing crowds at New York Fashion Week. As the premier destination for fashion designers of all stripes and backgrounds, securing a runway at New York Fashion Week is a covetable moment. Hembrow showed her latest collection alongside other Aus...

Top 25 Australian startups revealed

With a wealth of data at their fingertips, LinkedIn has released its list of "the most sought after startups in Australia", and it's certainly a prestigious list. To be eligible for for the list, compnaies must be seven years old or younger, have at least 50 employees, and be privately held and headquatered in Australia. ...

Digital disruptor wins Brisbane Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2018

Ben Bradshaw is shaking up the very meaning of digital marketing as we know it, and with a solid track record promising bright prospects at home and abroad he has now received Brisbane's top prize for young entrepreneurs. In a hotly contested competition between the city's enterprising elites, Bradshaw was crowned Brisbane Young E...

River City Labs sold to ICT professional association ACS

River City Labs (RCL), the incubator behind some of Queensland's most successful tech startups, has been sold to ICT professional association ACS. ACS is the professional association for Australia's ICT sector, and intends to invest heavily in the future of the incubator. The association's acquisition will take effect imme...