The pacemaker, the solar water heater, in vitro fertilization, the bionic ear, the race cam, the Speedo and, of course, the Hills Hoist (the freestanding clothesline, silly!) are just a few of the innovations to have come out of Australia. Tomorrow night, come see what will join this impressive list of innovations from a country of just 21 million at the 9th annual ANZA TechNet Gateway to the US Australian Innovation Showcase at Silicon Valley Bank in Santa Clara. Since 2002, ANZA has introduced over 200 early to mid-stage Australian innovative technologies to potential partners, investors and top-notch service providers in the world’s leading tech hub.
The Gateway companies are here to capitalize on key connections during a three-day summit in an effort to launch or grow a successful business in the States and take advantage of commercialization opportunities that don’t exist in the much smaller Australian market. Tomorrow night’s showcase will be a celebration of Australian innovation in Silicon Valley featuring keynote speaker Andrew Lacy, SVP Disney Mobile who sold his company Tapulous to Disney earlier this year.
Two local Aussie-led companies currently making headlines – ThreatMetrix and Whereoscope – will also showcase their smart technologies. This year’s nine Gateway companies include a unique entertainment and media platform, software that interprets “brain signals” to control electronic devices, enterprise solutions that turn management challenges into profits, specialist speech recognition technology, cutting-edge tools for web developers including a new database and a smart solution that trumps the universal remote market. Come see them for yourself. Tickets are just $35 and available at this link. All pre-registered guests go into a draw to win a roundtrip business class ticket from Los Angeles to Sydney on Richard Branson’s newest international airline, V Australia. Now, that’s an innovative way to get you in the door!
Kathy Drasky regularly writes about online culture. Her marketing and communications work with the ANZA Technology Network, Advance Global Australians and with various Australians and Australian enterprises has led to at least a dozen trips Down Under.
An accomplished digital photographer, her photos have appeared in 7×7 Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle and Google Schmap.
