Here are the 12 startups in the first Techstars Tech Central program in Sydney

The 3-month program at Sydney’s Tech Central provides startup founders with seed funding, training and access to a network of mentors to develop their entrepreneurial skills.

The selected startups work across a range of sectors including AI, climate tech, fintech and healthtech.

Among them is events rental startup Gecko, which leveraged the Techstars funding with other investors to build a $350,000 pre-Seed round.

Techstars managing director Kirstin Hunter said they received nearly 500 applications for the accelerator, which kicked off earlier this month.

“We’re pleased to have such a diverse group of unstoppable founders on board for our accelerator. These 12 companies stood out to us for their passion and their innovative approach to solving some of society’s biggest problems,” she said.

“At Techstars, we believe anyone anywhere can be a world changing entrepreneur, and from our new base at Tech Central in Sydney, we’re looking forward to using our global network to accelerate the next wave of innovators that can make a lasting impact across the community.”

NSW industry and trade minister Anoulack Chanthivong said it was an incredible opportunity for the companies involved.

“Taking part in an accelerator program like this can be a game-changer. It will provide startup founders with the tools and knowledge they need to grow their business,” he said.

“This is also an opportunity that gives founders access to an investor community that secure the investment needed to take them to exciting new heights. As the largest pre-seed investor in the world, we’re delighted to have Techstars onboard at our growing innovation hub at Tech Central.”

Psychologist Nikki Tugano, founder of SeenCulture, is among those taking part.

“What excites me most is the global opportunities that come with being in Techstars’ world-class accelerator program,” she said.

“I’m personally also super grateful to be working with Kirstin Hunter and program manager Lauren Fong because they’re so purpose led and really care about diversity, equity and inclusion. For SeenCulture, we want to achieve product market fit ASAP, so that’s going to be a huge focus for us in this program.”

The 12 companies selected for the Techstars Accelerator Program are:

• DogBase – An online platform for working dog handlers to track and measure performance.
• Femtek – The first menstrual health focused smart ring built exclusively for women to improve body literacy during sleep.
• Gecko – A booking system customised for event rental businesses.
• GoTradie – A purpose-built messaging app that simplifies the way tradies and worksites connect, communicate and collaborate.
• LARKI – A web portal providing 3D laser scan surveys to assist early-stage architecture projects.
• Mantaray Climate – A procurement platform that provides companies with data and tools to make more climate-friendly supply chain decisions.
• Outread – An AI-powered platform that provides short summaries of research articles from top journals.
• Pico – A platform that makes learning coding simpler for high school students.
• SeenCulture – A software solution that helps business leaders stabilise and optimise their existing workforce.
• some.place – An immersive commerce platform for retail brands to connect with their customers.
• Latent Knowledge – A platform that helps institutions accelerate research performance.
• Violet – A not-for-profit organisation that provides tools and support for people caring for others in the last stages of life.