Neuphoria, a neuro-technology startup specializing in brain-sensing headwear, emerged as the victor at the prestigious River Rival startup competition, which marked the grand finale of the Something Tech conference held in Brisbane, Australia.
The company, renowned for its groundbreaking Focusband wearable headwear capable of sensing brain frequencies, clinched not one but two major awards: the coveted Best Product award and the prestigious Best of the Best award. Neuphoria’s Founder and CEO, Henry Boulton, expressed his elation, saying, “It was such an honor for Neuphoria to win River Rival’s Best Product and Best of the Best. Being selected as one of the 7 businesses to participate in the River Rival Pitch at the final event of the Something Tech ’23 conference was a remarkable achievement. River City Labs, especially Pauline and Peter, along with the entire team, put together an amazing conference every year”.
The Focusband headwear offers real-time performance feedback and analysis to athletes and coaches through a mobile application. Notably, champion golfer Jason Day is among the many athletes who have benefitted from this innovative technology.
Yas Grigaliunas, the driving force behind the circular economy venture Circonomy, secured the People’s Choice award, earning the highest number of votes from the 250 attendees at Brisbane’s Howard Smith Wharves.
Originally founded as the “World’s Biggest Garage Sale” in 2013, Circonomy is dedicated to providing Australians with access to reused products, including office furniture, renewed technology, and home furnishings. This mission aligns with the company’s vision of “creating a world where nothing goes to waste”.
Neuphoria and Circonomy were among the seven startups that pitched their ideas to a panel of esteemed judges, including Craig Scroggie, CEO and Managing Director of Next DC; Siobhan Casey, Chief Growth Officer of ACS; Shahirah Gardner, Venture Partner and Startup Founder; and Steve Baxter of Ten13.
The culmination of Friday’s event marked the end of the two-day Something Fest conference, where River City Labs unveiled the Elevating Female Founders program. This program seeks to support up to 20 women entrepreneurs on their journey to elevate their businesses to the next level. It offers an impressive eight months of support, including structured mentoring, coaching, educational skills workshops, industry connections, and a dedicated Entrepreneur in Residence. Participants also receive a 12-month digital membership to River City Labs. Currently, the program is open for applications.
Pauline Fetaui, Director of ACS Innovation Labs, expressed her pride in the burgeoning technology companies emerging from Queensland. She commended the winners of River Rival and extended her gratitude to all the speakers who contributed to the success of Something Tech and Something Fest. Fetaui noted, “We’ve been blown away by the support and enthusiasm of the Brisbane tech scene, and we’re looking forward to an even bigger event next year”.
