Start-ups reaching new markets at CeBIT

The tech trade fair CeBIT may be a platform for pollies and salesmen to spruik their wares to respective constituents, but start-ups are also getting in on the act with a little help from government and the community.

The NSW Government and start-up community group PushStart has stepped in to help start-ups secure booths to promote their wares.

PushStart has taken out a pod at the Webciety pavilion — exhibiting commercially viable web and mobile applications — and has made it available to start-ups for a rate of $25 for a two-hour block.

It normally costs $4500 to hire out a pod for the event, but this cost has been absorbed by the start-up community group, founded by local movers and shakers Kim Heras, Roger Kermode and John Haining.

Seven businesses signed up for the pod, including TaskArmy.com, GetFlight.com.au, FactNexus, RecruitLoop, Sumwise, QuickTimesheets.com and MOD Productions.

The offer was open to all start-ups and the only criteria were that the business was a web-based or mobile web-based start-up, and that its product was live.

The NSW Government also sponsored a range of start-ups to demonstrate at a stall for the duration of the conference, an offer taken up by a range of businesses including emerging infrastructure cloud player OrionVM.

Both are welcome initiatives to help start-ups take advantage of platforms like CeBIT to promote their products and services to new customers.