Entries open for Rackspace’s Small Teams, Big Impact start-up competition; deadline is Aug 28

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rs-thumb-400x89-119907.jpgRackspace Hosting is calling on start-ups across Australia and New Zealand to enter the second annual Small Teams Big Impact awards.

Starting out as a ten-person start-up 16 years ago, Rackspace is passionate about supporting small businesses with big potential, and is inviting innovative companies with disruptive business models to enter the competition.

Blogger, author, technology evangelist and Rackpace Startup liaison officer Robert Scoble will once again be joining the judging panel, alongside Ruslan Kogan of Kogan.com, Ben Chong at Sydney Seed Fund and Founder Institute, Mark Carnegie from M.H. Carnegie & Co. and Chris Ridd from Xero.

 

The 2014 Small Teams Big Impact winner will receive the coveted Small Teams Big Impact 2014 winner’s trophy, a return ticket from Australia to San Francisco with four nights’ accommodation and a visit to Silicon Valley. They’ll also get a video interview in Robert Scoble’s recording studio, featuring on the Scobleizer.com blog and broadcast to an audience of 335,000 Twitter users and 500,000 Facebook fans.

 

Says Hugh Geiger, CEO of Ollo Mobile: “Since winning the award last year, we have been given exposure to so many opportunities we would have previously only dreamed about. We see our business as being completely disruptive to the telehealth industry, and critical in making healthcare technology affordable to the many.

 

“Being selected as the winner last year has given us an incredible launching pad in which to showcase just how innovative we are, and has opened up so many doors for us to give our business the best opportunity for success we could hope for.” 

 

Small registered digital or online businesses with ten or less employees can submit their entries by 28 August 2014 through the Rackspace website (http://www.rackspace.com.au/small-teams).

 

Says Angus Dorney, Rackspace director and general manager ANZ: “As part of Rackspace’s ongoing commitment to startups, we are thrilled to host the Small Teams Big Impact awards again this year. We can’t wait to see what this year’s entries have in store for us, and how we can help them bring to out the full potential in their business plans.”

 

After entries close, six finalists will be selected to pitch their ideas to 200 members of the startup community, investors and the media on Thursday 11 September at Cell Block Theatre, National Arts School, in Sydney. Each finalist will have five minutes to present to the judges, followed by a three minute Q&A.

 

The judging panel will select the winner based on key criteria:

1. Scope of the innovation

2. Shows the highest potential to change or disrupt an industry

3. Demonstrates the greatest impact to the largest number of people or businesses

 

Full eligibility guidelines and prize details are available at: http://www.rackspace.com.au/small-teams.