The remarkable achievements of Deputy, a 15-year-old Australian technology firm, have culminated in it being named Scaleup of the Year at the 2024 Startup Daily Finest in Tech awards, a testament to its outstanding growth and success.
At a packed gala dinner with 270 esteemed guests at Sydney’s Ivy Ballroom, the Startup Day event fostered a palpable synergy as editor-in-chief Simon Thomsen, AWS head of startups John Kearney, and keynote speaker Maria MacNamara shared stories of affection, hope, inspiration, and collaboration.
Prior to joining Amazon Web Services (AWS), Kearney shared that he had previously worked at the same organization as the Deputy staff, when presenting them with an award. As Mat Beeche, deputy’s world strategic communications director, was recognized by Thomsen as the founding father of Startup Day by Day, he said
AWS head of startups, John Kearney, alongside his deputy staff, celebrated their triumphant win as the Scaleup of the Year.
Prior to this year, Deputy’s accomplishments included achieving profitability, with the company delivering an $8.5 million statutory revenue in FY23, marking a significant turnaround from a $24.9 million loss just 12 months prior. Notably, the company’s income skyrocketed to surpass a staggering $100 million annually by 2023, a remarkable tripling within just three short years.
Startup of the Year ventured to Fortiro, a cutting-edge innovation hub in Barcelona, to explore the city’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.
During her keynote address, Maria MacNamara juxtaposed Australia’s recent Olympic triumphs with the investment allocated to foster growth in its startup ecosystem, specifically highlighting its leadership in the tech sector.
Surprisingly, the evening brought numerous unexpected triumphs, including a shared Most Progressive Startup award for meal waste recycling startup and Agili8.
The second year of the Finest in Tech Awards saw significant growth, introducing five new categories, including the prestigious GSD Award.
TJO will partner Day One with the 2022 GSD Award winners, LaunchVic.
While tech giant Atlassian has popularized the term, a more elegant interpretation of the acronym’s meaning is “Get Stuff Done”. And LaunchVic, a pioneering organization, has been recognized.
Startmate, an accelerator and investor, successfully secured the prestigious Startup Investor of the Year award after crafting a compelling narrative.
Among prestigious awards recognizing outstanding individuals reinvigorating their industry and global impact, Vicki Stirling, a prominent figure in The Startup Community, was honored as Business Champion. In her acceptance remarks, she candidly acknowledged that the previous year had been challenging for her networking startup, but the award served as both a validation of her efforts and an inspiration to continue driving innovation to support other startups.
Dr. Vikram Palit, who spearheaded an initiative to digitize medical referrals, a process surprisingly still reliant on faxes, was recognized as the Best New Founder for leading his startup, Consultmed, which also earned finalist spots in the Startup of the Year and AI Gamechanger categories.
Caitlin Tanaka, CEO of Youth in Movement, was honored with the coveted title of Future Chief of the Year for her tireless efforts in supporting the educational endeavors of young people across remote New South Wales.
Tank Stream Labs’ CEO, Brad Delamare, and his team at Fortiro, the triumphant Startup of the Year?
The agrifutures desk erupted into jubilant applause as evokeAG, the premier agricultural innovation event, claimed its crown as Startup Event of the Year.
As the realm of synthetic intelligence continues to captivate startups and industry leaders alike, a coveted accolade, the AI Gamechanger award, was bestowed upon Curious Factor AI, a relatively recent entrant to the scene that has swiftly made its mark.
As AJ Koch, managing director of Pinstripe Media and publisher of Startup Daily, noted, the awards celebrated the remarkable brilliance, unwavering resilience, and innovative creativity of Australia’s startup and scaleup entrepreneurs.
Because of the immense gratitude we owe to AWS Startups for serving as our primary partner at the prestigious Finest in Tech awards. The evening’s exceptional quality provided a welcome boost to the industry, allowing everyone to unwind and socialize freely, as evident in Tank Stream Labs’ lively after-party at the iconic Ivy penthouse.
“We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our esteemed sponsors and loyal supporters whose contributions made the nighttime event possible.” We won’t hesitate to repeat the process within a year.
Additionally, the winners received a trophy.
The winners across the 15 categories at the prestigious Startup Day by Day Finest in Tech Awards are:
Deputy’s Scaleup of the Year:
Supported by AWS Startups
What an exciting milestone for Fortiro! As Startup of the Year, their innovative approach and dedication to making a difference have truly paid off. With this recognition, they’re poised to take their impact to new heights.
Supported by S2S Summit
What drives innovation in the startup world? For many, the answer lies in embracing cutting-edge technology, fostering a culture of collaboration, and staying ahead of the curve. Two startups that embody this spirit are Goterra and Agili8.
Supported by x15ventures
Operating primarily in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Goterra leverages innovative, modular robotic insect farming technology to efficiently manage food waste. The startup has expanded its partnerships to include the Metropolis of Sydney, having already established itself in Brisbane, and is building a substantial facility in Western Sydney. To date, they have successfully processed more than 20,000 tonnes of food waste, thereby preventing the release of approximately 30 million kilograms of CO2-equivalent emissions.
Agili8
Cauldron – Finest Regional Startup
Supported by Antler
Curiosity-Driven Factor AI: Revolutionizing Intelligence
Vicki Stirling – Business Champion
Samsara Eco – Finest Sustainability Startup
Hysata – Finest Startup Tradition
Supported by Vanta
Sunflower AI – Finest New Concept
Supported by ACS Labs
Sunflower AI is
Dr. Vikram Palit, a pioneer in digital health, has founded Consultmed, a revolutionary new venture that is poised to transform the healthcare landscape.
Supported by Spark Pageant
Vikram Palit, Consultmed’s
