The Adelaide startup accelerator sponsored by ANZ Bank has announced it will open a new program based in Sydney.
The fourth ANZ Innovyz START program will run in Adelaide and Sydney simultaneously from 10 February to 9 May next year. The deadline for applications is 9 December.
“Sydney is a major business hub and a centre for startups, so it makes sense to extend our program to Sydney in addition to our Adelaide-based program,” ANZ Innovyz START program director, Jana Matthews, said in a statement.
“Our high-calibre mentors and our experience in growing companies will enable a number of Sydney-based startups to accelerate along the growth curve. We look forward to joining in and contributing to the vibrant ecosystem in Sydney.”
The new Sydney proram will be based at the Regus business centre located in Darling Harbour.
“In addition to being able to use our co-working and meeting room space in the vibrant Darling Harbour precinct, being based in a Regus centre will enable these companies to plug into our global network, and have access to startup hubs from Shanghai to Silicon Valley,” said Paul Migliorini, Regus CEO of Australia and New Zealand.
Nick Reade, ANZ general manager for small business, said the addition of a Sydney bases shows the bank’s commitment to Australia’s startup scene. ANZ and other big Australian companies increasingly are seeking partnerships with startups to stay innovative.
“There is a growing interest in financial innovation and I’m keen to see startups from the financial services sector apply,” Reade said in a statement.
ANZ Innovyz is not the only accelerator to announce an expansion recently.
The INCUBATE startup accelerator at the University of Sydney said last month that it will expand to other universities across Australia under a partnership with Google.
And the Optus Innov8 seed program has recently announced it is now open to startup pitches 365 days a year, a major shift from its previous approach of holding application rounds twice a year.
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