The state government has committed $500,000 in support for West Tech Fest which opened last night, effectively underwriting the startup convention for another two years.
The state government has committed $500,000 in support for West Tech Fest which opened last night, effectively underwriting the startup convention for another two years.
Using its $25.8 million New Industries Fund, the state’s funding matches the previous promise which was due to finish with this year’s festival.
About 600 delegates are registered for West Tech Fest which got underway last night with an event at the Cottesloe Beach Hotel. About 100 people have come from overseas or interstate, including high profile speakers, to attend about 20 events throughout the week of the convention.
That includes a day at Port Beach to acknowledge Western Australia’s tourist assets which have proved an attraction to technology financiers, especially the kite surfing clique amongst the US venture capital community such as speaker Bill Tai, who backed Canva’s Perth founders, and his fellow Silicon Valley financier Aaron Gershenberg who will both speak during the week.
Hosted by Curtin University, and backed by corporate funders such as IT giant Cisco, West Tech Fest claims to be the longest-running tech and innovation festival in Australia.
"West Tech Fest is a fantastic way for local tech innovators to promote themselves as well as network with others around the world and has grown to be the longest-running festival of its kind in Australia,” said Innovation and the Digital Economy, Science and Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson, who attended the opening event.
Cisco Engineering Sustainability Office vice president Denise Lee also spoke at the opening night urging delegates to consider how sustainability can be embedded in their plans. Ms Lee joined West Tech Fest ahead of attending the company’s major Cisco Live 2023 which will start in Melbourne later this week.
There will also be 14 satellite events this year to coincide with West Tech Fest such as the Diversity and Innovation Tech West, Mandurah Tech Showdown, Perth Biodesign Showcase, First Nations X, and events focussing on blockchain, web3, angel investing and agtech.
The formal program starts with West Tech Women this morning, West Tech Coast at Port Beach is Tuesday before the main event back in Perth’s CBD at the Pan Pacific on Wednesday.
A startup festival will be held at Freo Social in Fremantle on Thursday.
