The National Roads and Motorists’ Association (NRMA) has committed to a second Jumpstart program after the success of its first startup accelerator program last year.
The Jumpstart program offers a $30,000 grant, a three-month structured incubator program, mentoring by industry professionals and networking opportunities with a range of business people. Startups also get access to NRMA’s 2.4 million members.
NRMA president Kyle Loades said the structure of its accelerator program gives participants a launching pad for their products and services.
According to Loades, the first program gave life to several businesses that could have the “potential to become household names.”
Four out of the five startup businesses which completed the first NRMA Jumpstart program have secured funding from private investors.
Startups which completed the program in December last year were:
- Careseekers - a national service to help people find in-home carers
- Gamurs - a social network for gamers
- Camplify - a service to connect campers with camping services including caravans and holiday parks.
- OTTO by Gizmosis - voice recognition technology for making and receiving calls and SMS while driving
- Hive UAV - maker of drones for agriculture, emergency services and industry
Loades added that Jumpstart is a "logical extension" of NRMA's ongoing quest to develop and offer new products and services to members.
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