Joint media release with the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham

Eleven of Australia’s top female tech founders will be given the opportunity to pitch their ideas to global industry leaders, partners and investors, as part of the Morrison Government’s Australian Women in Tech Pitch event.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham said the Australian Women in Tech Pitch event to be held in Brisbane next week would provide a unique platform for Australia’s best and brightest tech founders to catapult their ideas onto the world-stage.

“This initiative is about supporting Australia’s female entrepreneurs, particularly in the tech sector to take their innovations to the next level,” Minister Birmingham said.

“From a medtech start-up that delivers virtual healthcare in remote locations, to a company creating gamified solutions to motivate employees, the level of innovation and creativity amongst this year’s eleven finalists is truly inspirational.

“I hope this year’s event encourages many more Australian women out there to pursue their ideas, and explore what the possibilities are.”

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Karen Andrews said the competition was part of the Government’s broader strategy to improve gender equality in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“We know that only about one in five people studying IT or engineering degrees are female, and that more needs to be done to boost participation,” Minister Andrews said.

“This is a great example of the Morrison Government working hand-in-hand with the private-sector to support women already leading the way in tech start-ups, and to inspire future generations of women to pursue careers in the STEM sectors.”

The top prize includes automatic entry into an Australian Landing Pad in Berlin, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore or Tel Aviv with introductions to potential customers and partners, and access to advice on local markets.

All finalists will receive mentoring from Main Sequence Ventures and a complimentary ticket to the biggest international women in technology conference - the Grace Hopper Celebration [, which] will be held in Brisbane from 29-31 July.

Australia’s Women in Tech Pitch event is a joint initiative between Austrade, AusIndustry and the CSIRO’s Data61 and includes support from corporate sponsors - IBM and Alibaba Group.

For further information on the finalists: www.austrade.gov.au/womenintech.

Media contacts:

Minister Andrews' office 02 6277 7070

Minister Birmingham's office 02 6277 7420