Our Vision
We offer many opportunities to all interested in growing business in SA - in Adelaide and the regions. Our aim is to grow businesses, jobs and communities to introduce Startups to Grownups to produce Scaleups with Global potential.
Starting
Starting up organizations are companies or ventures that are focused on a single product or service that the founders want to bring to market.
Most of these companies are initially funded by their founders - they lack the Credibility, Capital and Customers to grow quickly.
Our startups come from the programs we run and are supported by our specialist industry focused mentors and coaches.
We help develop the ideas and build the structures need to attract customers, investors and credibility.
Scaling
When we make the connections we aim to add experienced Entrepreneurs into the mix to grow the vision and develop the confidence and connections needed to underpin the Vision to Scale fast.
Working closely with Universities and "Futurists" we aim to develop a Portfolio of Opportunities over the next 10 years and have strategies in place for each.
While we can never be certain about the future our approach ensures we develop Clarity by deploying a Future Back approach to our planning and review process.
Growing
Growing Up organizations are companies or ventures that have been in operation for some years and have the credibility, capital and customers that enable steady growth.
They also have the expertise and smarts to do more but generally are too busy developing to look at the longer term future.
We invite owners of these businesses to join our club and bar as a place to get to know are startups and other members of our wider community.
Along with 2 partners we have restarted the Founder Institute program in SA. We are midst our first 13 week online hands on practical business building course with another planned to start in Sept.
We want to have businesses and Government in SA Govt get behind this Silicon Valley developed program which has been proven over the past 15 years in 90 countries. It is the biggest pre-seed program in the world .. FI are also running a program to create 1,000 Ethical Venture Capitalist program globally.
Connecting Startups with Grownups to Develop Global scaleups
Connecting existing businesses with startups and developing global scale ups is very much our focus here. With FI being one of the “programs” we run out of here.
Three recent examples –
Linking Numedico ( an SA business exporting millions of syringes globally with no clients in Aust) with Research Sat (who have developed a mini lab to conduct microgravity research projects in space) to develop a global Space medicines R&D business.
Loftus Technology are creating a spinoff Securing Australia to deliver Cyber Security as a service to Defence and Space industry supply chain companies.
Imagination Entertainment – the main lease holders on our building and my partners in Moonshots – have worked with Startup Skin Care Company Organique company to get them into several hundred stores in the US via their connections.
Imagination headed by Shane Yeend are the second largest developer and distributor of Board Games in the world with head of office in our building. They are currently developing a Netflix style approach with games becoming immersive experience – they have long term relationships with all the major content suppliers (eg Disney) and have offices in LA and New York.
Connections
Within Moonshots and the Founder Institute program we have access to dozens of mentors, all with practical hands-on experience in a variety of businesses, sectors, and disciplines.
Connections to research or industry bodies that can assist the entrepreneur to access technical or market expertise
As above this is something we are already doing through the programs we run and/or support
Capacity building and networking services and events e.g. seminars, networking events including SouthStart, demonstration days.
Most of our people are veterans of the Start-up and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Adelaide and regular attendees at all events. And of course, as above, we run our own weekly events at our Speak Easy bar every Friday. We can and will provide introductions to all relevant people and events in Adelaide and beyond.
Facilitate introductions to potential finance partners and investors
Our Connectors, Mentors & Coaches
Our Founder Institute program ensures all start-ups have a data room suitable for presenting to investors etc. locally and globally. In addition, we invite likely investors to our weekly events to keep them in touch with potential offerings around town.
Provision of support for grant application processes, business planning, product, or service development
We would closely with John Nixon, Marty Gauvin and Remo Marcellis, who are all members of our mentor team in this area along with many other in these fields.
Access to advice related to starting a business in Australia (legal, accounting, HR services)
Within our supporters we can all of the relevant services (as listed) free of charge to start-ups
to get them up and going. How we meet the criteria.
The Full Story
We firmly believe for SA to prosper we need to make sure the sort of people who have the experience and passion to grown businesses, jobs and our community quickly, connect, converse and collaborate.
Imagination is one of the world’s largest Board Game developer and distributors - founded by Shane Yeend who was Australian Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005. Imagination is now working on a Netflix style business for Games which will pioneer new technologies and practices in their quest to become a Billion Dollar business grown in Adelaide.
Three years ago when Imagination moved to our current building at 54 Hyde St ADELAIDE we established Moonshots as a business incubator to assist Start-ups and Scaleups develop global businesses.
Shane established the vision for Moonshots and takes a highly active role in our activities in finding and developing Globally Scalable businesses.
I was appointed to run Moonshots given my lengthy background in the SA Innovation and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. Over the past ten years I have mentored at Flinders University’s New Venture Institute and Adelaide Universities ThincLab.
I have also lectured in Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University Australia (CMUA) and mentored many of their overseas students developing businesses.
Many of the CMUA international students have stayed in Adelaide and I continue to assist in their business development. I currently serve on the Advisory Boards of Wisecar – a blockchain business started by a CMUA student - Zaidul Alam - who migrated to SA from Bangladesh with his partner and ResearchSat – a space bio-tech business started by Indian Master student and migrant RaviTeja Duggineni.
Several years ago, I established Innovation in the City. We run Monthly events to introduce Start-ups to the business community and to introduce the business community to new technology and new idea.
One such start-up Founder was Marion Vigot who came to SA in 2019 thanks to the SISA program. Marion was one of our guests in early 2019 not long after her arrival. In part because of our introductions to key people in Local Govt, Agriculture and Business her business has prospered.
At Moonshots we run the SA/NT Chapter of the Silicon Valley based Founder Institute. The Founder Institute is the world's largest pre-seed start-up accelerator, having helped launch over 5,000 companies across 200+ cities and six continents.
The company was founded in 2009 by serial entrepreneur Adeo Ressi and his colleague, Jonathan Greechan. The idea for the program spawned from operating TheFunded.com, where it became apparent that most entrepreneurs at the idea and launch stages lacked the structure, feedback, and support network needed to be successful.
Part of our target market for our programs here are Refugees and Migrants. Among our recent graduates in addition to Zaidul Alum was Rafael Caetano who migrated from Brazil to start his business SmartCity Go Pty Ltd in Adelaide.
Given the mentors in the Founders Institute and others who reside in our building we have many people who can assist in a very hands-on way to help SISA participants have an increased readiness for commercial success and business growth.
We are currently working with the Robe Town Council to establish Robe as a Creative Hub and a Gateway to Innovation in the Limestone Coast.
Our Entrepreneurs Playground there will give SISA participants an ideal sandbox to develop and test new products and ideas.
Robe would provide those working in Aquaculture, Viticulture, Agriculture and Tourism a great base to work from too.
At Moonshots we will provide private Office Space and access to our Board Room and Meeting Room space and have unlimited use of the 10 Gig Adelaide Internet service.
In addition to Imagination Entertainment our building is home to a Content Production studio set up for full scale TV style production and live video podcasting, Loftus Technology a leading IT services company, one of Adelaide leading PR companies, a video production company and a leading Digital Marketing business.
Within our building everyone is a mentor to someone else in the building. I believe this will be a particularly good way to get people new to SA integrated into our community and the broader SA community as quickly as possible.
We also have a fully functioning bar available for members to hire for events. The Speakeasy Bar is open every Friday from 4 pm till 7.30 pm, when we aim to build collaboration between Start-up businesses and Grownup businesses to grown new opportunities in Adelaide.
One of the ways we help Start-ups to prosper fast is actively helping them find relevant existing successful businesses within our vast network to “adopt” and support them.
Recently we brokered deals that saw ResearchSat gaining a $250,00 investment from our member Numedico to work of development of new drugs etc in Space and Loftus Technology invest $300,000 and expertise in 42 School to help grow vitally needed tech talent in SA.
Our Assistance
In addition to 10 Gig Adelaide, we have links to providers of all the technology that may be required. Given the background and experience of people in our team we have access to a vast network in the new tech arena.
As above we have extensive content and media production facilities inhouse.
I hope that in the above we have adequately covered how we meet the criteria and how we provide a unique focus and in many ways . But above all we have a real focus on supporting programs aimed at building Entrepreneurial Leadership in SA.
We will undoubtedly contribute to SISA participants having an increased readiness for commercial success and business growth
We aim to support the growth aims of each other’s business while seeking to support emerging businesses that are capable of scaling globally and growing 10 x not 10 %.
Rick Carter
Ringmaster @ Moonshots