NAB and Western Sydney University help kick-start Parramatta start-ups

Anthony Healy, Chief Customer Officer – Business and Private Banking, NAB and Professor Scott Holmes, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Western Sydney University

In a win for Western Sydney’s knowledge economy, National Australia Bank (NAB) has partnered with Western Sydney University’s award-winning Launch Pad Technology Business Incubator.

A significant investment in Launch Pad’s innovative projects is just one part of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by NAB and the University. The partnership also includes plans for high-rise facilities at Parramatta Square and the development of a graduate program for NAB.

“Western Sydney University’s Launch Pad program has been instrumental in creating a tech start-up ecosystem embedded in Sydney’s west. NAB’s significant investment will translate into more award-winning businesses and ideas for the region,” said Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Scott Holmes.

Anthony Healy, Chief Customer Officer – Business and Private Banking said employment pathways and work experience opportunities for Western Sydney University students at NAB will also be explored.

“Collaborating with academic bodies like Western Sydney University through the Launch Pad Business Incubator ensures we stay connected to the local community and continue to foster local entrepreneurship,” Mr Healy said.

As part of the signing ceremony, some of Launch Pad’s talented start-ups took part in a three-minute pitch, including:

  • Sarang & Jatin Vengurlekar: FutureIQ, which drives energy efficiency through home automation;
  • Rob Khamas: ByteIQ, which plans to change the face of healthcare through data science;
  • Lana Mohammad: Metaflo, which will support young people understand anxiety and depression;
  • John Glover: InstantPay, which fast-tracks contractor payments through an innovative Saas solution;
  • Isabella Sykes: EarthAI, which transforms mineral exploration through geology and advanced data science.

ENDS

1 March 2019

Clare Patience, Senior Media Officer