Past winners:
where are they now?

24 June, 2021

George Hedon

24 June, 2021

Here is a short timeline of successful past Pause Awards winners who are still making waves in the ecosystem.

These companies are not only hungry for success but are delivering exceptional value to their users and investors as well. We congratulate, cheer and celebrate them for building their businesses, withstanding the pressure and continuously innovating.

HungryHungry – 2020 winner of Hammer Award

20 Oct 2020 – Aussie online ordering platform HungryHungry scored $2 million in Series A funding – after the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated innovation in the hospitality sector – leading to a six-fold increase in orders through the platform. Read more on SmartCompany.

IsoKings – 2020 winner of I Wish I’d Done That and Unexpected Twist Award

7 May 2021 – Sydney furniture company IsoKing made $3.6 million after a COVID-19 launch and has now rolled out the full range of permanent furniture. Read more on News.

Airwallex – 2019 winner of Out of the Garage Award

24 Mar 2021 – Melbourne fintech Airwallex has topped up its Series D round by 50%, raising an extra US$100 million (A$130m) for a total of US$300m. Read more via StartupDaily.

Linktree – 2019 winner of I Wish I’d Done That Award

26 Mar 2021 – Aussie social media startup Linktree has raised a massive US$45 million ($59.3 million) in Series B funding as it continues its growth trajectory following the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more via SmartCompany.

Envato – 2018 winner of the Unexpected Twist Award

29 Mar 2021 – Melbourne startup Envato has been named Australia’s top marketplace by Silicon Valley VC firm Andreessen Horowitz and the 32nd best in the world — putting the Aussie business 12 spots above its ranking in the inaugural list last year. Reward more via SmartCompany.

Single Use Ain’t Sexy – 2020 winner of I Wish I’d Done That Award

28 Jun 2021 – Aussie add-water soap company, SINGLE USE AIN’T SEXY, opened its doors to investors last week – who have already pledged EOI for over a million dollars. Read move via Ekko.

Up Bank – 2019 winner of Big Noise Award

While other neobanks have been making a show and dance about their deposit growth, Up founder Dom Pym told Business Insider Australia that his bank has been quietly raising the bar in the banking sector. Read more via BusinessInsider.

F45 Training – 2019 winner for the Out of the Garage Award

16 Jul 2021 – After a rocky road to public trading, Aussie-born fitness empire F45 has finally listed, closing its first day trading on the New York Stock Exchange with a valuation of almost $2 billion. Read more via SmartCompany.

Go1 – 2019 winner of the Out of the Garage Award

20 Jul 2021 – Brisbane-based online corporate training marketplace Go1 is Australia’s newest unicorn startup after raising a whopping US$200 million (A$273m) series D, led by SoftBank. Read more on StartupDaily.

Afterpay – 2020 winner of the Out of the Garage Award

20 Jul 2021 – Afterpay will launch a new banking app for its three million-plus Australian users in October. The payments juggernaut attempts to pinch young customers from the major banks by creating a more engaging experience around savings. Read more via AFR.

Birchal – 2020 winner of Hammer Award

Birchal, Australia’s leading crowdfunding platform, reports on sector progress in 2020, with Q4 being the biggest ever. Read more via CrowdfundInsider.