First KPMG and Stone & Chalk Future Tech Program startups set to solve supply chain problems

Future Technology Program recipients will receive access to venture capital, industry connections, mentors, experts, and more.

SYDNEY, Wednesday 7 December 2022 — KPMG Australia and Stone & Chalk Group have today announced the first Future Technology Program cohort, which aims to supercharge the growth of homegrown Australian startups building supply chain solutions. Recipients will receive a personalised support program to help their businesses rapidly grow and scale.

In Australia, 75% of businesses experienced significant supply chain disruptions over the past year, according to internal KPMG research. The pandemic has exposed significant opportunities for innovation to help tackle the challenges faced across the supply chain, such as limited valuable data, insufficient risk management and a fundamental lack of agility.

Sarah Vega, National Managing Partner, KPMG Futures commented: “Creating more resilient, more transparent, and more sustainable supply chains is one of the most important challenges of our time. The Future Technology Program helps us to uncover new innovative technology for our clients, who are hungry for solutions but often struggle to engage with startups in a positive and meaningful way. KPMG is thrilled to be bringing together this diverse cohort of exceptional entrepreneurs who are building new technology to drive real change for producers, for companies, and, importantly, for the planet. These five startups are bringing trust, verification, transparency and efficiency to supply chains in a way that is critical to the future agenda."

The successful startup founders and their teams will receive residency for 12 months at one of Stone & Chalk Group’s startup hubs located nationally in the heart of Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide. They will also be provided access to a tailored support program from KPMG And Stone & Chalk covering investor readiness, industry insights, connections to potential clients, and mentoring on how to sell to large, global companies and more. 

Future Technology Program 2022 recipients:

• Adiona (Richard Savoie, CEO) — Helping to move people and goods more efficiently in an increasingly urbanised world through the implementation of AI and commercial mathematics in the cloud that can offset the programs urbanisation presents.
• Cynch (Susie Jones, CEO) — Helping small businesses prevent cybersecurity incidents by working closely alongside them, continuously profiling their business to develop strong and robust cyber fitness.
• Givvable (Frances Atkins, Co-Founder & Director) — Helping businesses meet their sustainability and ESG targets faster through fit-for-purpose insights.
• Versed AI (Fenella Boyle, CEO) — Award-winning Natural Language Processing technology to help organisations, of all sizes, identify the true scale of their supply chain.
• Zondii (Danielle Morton, CEO & Founder) — Working to provide a real-time smartphone verification and validation solution for the food and fibre industry. 

“I am thrilled to celebrate the Future Technology Program 2022 winners. They are a distinguished group of founders that represent the next generation of emerging supply chain tech in Australia,” said Stone & Chalk Group CEO, Michael Bromley. “It is also hugely encouraging that four out of five of the startups selected are led by female founders. We look forward to working hand-in-hand with KPMG to help these companies realise their ambitions, by providing access to a community that comes together to advocate and encourage one another in a way not possible anywhere else in Australia.”

“We are honoured to have been selected for the first cohort of this program, set up shop at a Stone & Chalk startup hub and work alongside KPMG, who is a leader in supply chain management consulting,” said Fenella Boyce, CEO of Versed AI. “We plan on utilising the opportunity to build Versed AI’s cutting-edge tech to better shape the future of supply chain management and procurement in Australia.”

Future cohorts of the program will focus on startups solving problems in other sectors, with the next round slated to kick off in February 2023. 

ENDS

About KPMG

KPMG is a global organisation of independent professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. KPMG is the brand under which the member firms of KPMG International Limited (“KPMG International”) operate and provide professional services. “KPMG” is used to refer to individual member firms within the KPMG organisation or to one or more member firms collectively.

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©2022 KPMG Australia, a partnership and a member firm of the KPMG global organisation of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee. All rights reserved.

About Stone & Chalk Group

Stone & Chalk Group is Australia’s home for emerging technology innovation. Our world-class expertise and networks provide unrivalled knowledge, access to capital, infrastructure, and guidance that's driving emerging tech innovation for positive impact.

For more information, visit: www.stoneandchalk.com.au 

Media Contact

Courtney Phelps, M: 0452 663 095, E: courtneyphelps@slingstone.com 

Tom Finnigan, M: 0408 867 367, E: tom@austcyber.com  

Ash Pritchard, M: 0411 020 680, E: apritchard@kpmg.com.au