Innovation where its needed most
2 Jul 2019
26 Jun 2019
It was an early morning start for the folk who attended the Perth Angels Annual Investor Breakfast today. But was it worth it? Absolutely.
The breakfast, hosted in the Reveley Room on the top floor of RAC Arena, welcomed over 130 people who held an interest in Western Australia’s emerging tech sector.
What was the purpose of the event?
The mining and agriculture sectors are a common choice for investors because they’re familiar. The technology sector is a huge growth area but not one that many investors feel comfortable with. The Perth Angels want to educate investors on when, where and how to invest in tech so they feel confident enough to take a risk and invest in something different from the stock standard choice.
Quantify’s CEO Brett Savill was one of three panellists who headlined the event. He was joined by PowerLedger’s Dr Jemma Green and Sapien Cyber’s Glenn Murray for a fascinating discussion on the tech sector and what to look at when searching for potential investment opportunities.
Partnerships add value:
This was one of the more common points that came from the discussion.
Brett discussed Quantify’s highly valuable partnership with Harvey Norman Commercial Division. They have an excellent reputation within the trade sector and having them behind us boosts our credibility and value.
Glenn touched on the importance of the partnership his company has with Woodside and how that has affected business. Jemma noted the importance of building partnerships internationally, with PowerLedger’s overseas success stemming from strong collaborations with global companies.
Perth is a hub:
While going global is important, it’s evident Perth is becoming a hub for business activity and growth, especially with major mining, oil and gas companies located here. All three panellists agreed that Perth is an excellent place for innovation – its on the same time zone as Hong Kong which is a major hotspot for business activity and its home to some of the most disruptive companies, with Quantify, PowerLedger and Sapien Cyber just three examples. Having companies like this based in WA creates a reason for people to stay in Perth for work opportunities, instead of being forced to go overseas to chase innovation and disruption.
Other points of interest:
Glenn Murray discussed how his company has formed a partnership with Edith Cowan University and was investing time and money in developing students, so they had more practical capabilities versus theoretical knowledge.
Jemma Green mentioned she was impressed by the South Australian Government’s support network for innovation and tech and hopes the WA Government invest more money and time into developing and supporting innovative tech companies in the future.
Brett said it was important companies invested in high value staff and nodded to WA as the home to some of the best engineers across electrical, firmware, software and hardware engineering.
What was really hammered home was how WA punches well above its weight in tech. Investors can share in these opportunities but there has to be a certain willingness to take risks in the early stages of business and be in it for the long-term.
WA is home to a large pool of high value investment opportunities and now is the time to dive in!
More photos are available on the Quantify Technology Facebook page.
More about Perth Angels HERE.
More about Power Ledger HERE.
More about Sapien Cyber HERE.