Following a competitive application process, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) is excited to announce the 11 successful applicants for the ACMI Xcel: Creative Tech Accelerator. The winning ideas span the breadth of creative technologies from AR, VR and AI through to animation and digital story telling. The applicants will go through the two-week ACMI Xcel Bootcamp in early February 2018, after which four teams will be selected to progress to the three month ACMI Xcel accelerator program.
“When we talk about innovation in Australia, we sometimes underestimate the impact and importance of the creative industries across our society as true innovators, and equally don’t invest the time and resources to ensure these creative companies have the skills and support they need to bring their startup ideas to fruition. ACMI is proud to be working with Launch Vic to extend our ACMI X co-working initiative to this next stage by establishing the ACMI Xcel program. The calibre of applicants has been exceptional; we are thrilled with the selected teams and the diversity of ideas they are seeking to develop,” says ACMI Director & CEO Katrina Sedgwick.
During the ACMI Xcel Bootcamp these entrepreneurs will be upskilled in lean startup methodology including: growth marketing, design thinking, customer validation and sales. Select Bootcamp participants will go on to the ACMI Xcel accelerator program where they will receive intensive bespoke mentoring, training and opportunities for product testing.
The successful applicants are:
Lin Tam, Derek Pritchard and Warwick Molloy, founders of Immix: Developing the Pixar of Augmented Reality storytelling and discovery.
Brett Harrison, Kit Webster and Tobias Webster: A cinematographer and artist team developing a natural imaging system set to revolutionize cinematic storytelling.
Jamie Dunbar, founder of Dragonboots: Creating digital animations to assist health professionals explain the complexities of surgery to children.
Mei Lim and Daniel Calvo, founders of Mosster: Designing immersive, interactive art-based experiences for commercial application.
Robin Hao CEO of MagicPi: Developing “Maggie”, the world’s first AI museum guide.
Dan Koerner, founder of Sandpit Creative: Designing a retail experience platform that serves customers personalised content both in the physical and digital worlds.
Raydel Prado and Mark Xu, founders of Drone Light Studio: Creating drone lighting for live performances.
Emma Roberts and Ben Andrew: Creating location-based immersive VR experiences.
Ken Mahon: Developing a VR enabled firefighting training simulator.
Paul Anderson: Designing an AR platform allowing ad agencies to bring outdoor advertising to life.
Jon Rowe: Creating an accessible e-sports gaming platform.
“Creative services bring enormous value to the Victorian economy and I look forward to hearing how this diverse and exciting group benefit from ACMI X’s tailor-made accelerator program,” says LaunchVic CEO Dr Kate Cornick.
ACMI Xcel compresses years of business experience into an immersive learning program that will support participants to make their product investor or customer ready. At the conclusion of the accelerator in April 2018, startups will pitch to investor networks in a demo event and their final products will be showcased in ACMI.
Open to Victorian based tech creatives who want to explore new opportunities in the entrepreneurial startup world, ACMI Xcel is the first creative industries accelerator designed by an Australian museum. A mentor driven program, it brings the best of the startup world into the creative environment of ACMI’s co-working space ACMI X.
The ACMI Xcel demo event will be held in April 2018. More at acmi.net.au/xcel
For interviews and images, please contact
Imogen Craddock Kandel
Media & Communications Manager
T: +61 434 603 655
E: Imogen.CraddockKandel@acmi.net.au