This is how we celebrate innovation champions

The 2021 Pause Awards Night may have concluded months ago, but we’re still reeling high from that unforgettable evening.

And while some of you were there to share that experience, some of you missed out – but fret not – we’ve got the lowdown on the night, ready for recap.

In anticipation of this year’s celebrations, we thought it’d be best to run through the highlights of last year.

We’re so proud of the community we’re building, and it’s amazing to see the standard of innovation coming out of Australian businesses year after year. Pause Awards 2021 met some extraordinary milestones that show just how strong the Australian startup ecosystem is growing to become. We had our first ever quadruple award winner with Mr Yum getting the massive recognition they deserve, Ovira and Heaps Normal both managed to win three awards each, and there were six more companies that went home with double awards. Talk about having your hands full!

In addition to all of that, 2021 saw a mighty 167 entries, almost double that of the previous year, judged by 45 judges in round one, with 5 judges in the finals. These judges were experts in their field, and the decisions were driven by a judging board, including a chair, to ensure utmost fairness to nominees. This board included Lee Tonitto (Managing Director, Tonitto and Partners), Sonia Clarke (Director, Future of Work, PwC), Tom Leyden (Global Leader of IT, Woods Bagot), Christina Gerakiteys (Co-CEO, SingularityU Australia), and Ben Ford (Head of Growth, Frollo). And for the stellar job that they did, we’ve decided to bring them on for 2022 as well!

Coming to the company make-up that we witnessed at the awards last year – we nearly had an even gender split, with 59% being male and 41% being female. The average founder age was 37 and the average funding raised by our entrants was a whopping $17M. The top 5 industries of our entrants represented were computer tech (software), financial services, food & beverages, consumer goods, and education.

“Pause Awards is such a great celebration of entrepreneurship, creativity and business right here in Australia. We’re just really proud to be a part of it.”

David McLaughlin, Bodd Technologies

Presented by OVHcloud, our Hall of Fame award for 2021 was awarded to Prof. Martin Green. Prof. Green and his team created the solar energy cells that power nearly three-quarters of solar panels around the world today. So needless to say, this one was bound to happen.

Our last edition also witnessed the world’s first ever NFT certifications! These trophies were awarded to all 8 GRAND PRIX winners, with an option to purchase physical ones too. These beauties were created by 3D Artist Mohamed Bacosil, and were minted on Open Sea to hold future value for the winners. Designed by George Hedon and produced by United Make, the physical trophies for 2021 were moulded from fine grain eco-friendly concrete and came in charcoal, white, and grey, depending on which award was won.

As illustrious as all of this was, we can’t not talk about the venue where the show went down – the enthralling Miami tropical atmosphere of Bobby McGees – which saw finalists come together for a night of connection, comradery and some healthy competition, with 63 winners walking away crowned supreme from the evening.

The awards night could not have been made possible without the support of our major partners VicGov, Awards Night sponsor Blackmagic Design, and our Ecosystem Partner MYOB.

We’re thrilled to be bringing you the 2022 edition of Pause Awards soon, and you best believe we’ll be stepping out, all guns blazing.

For a full list of all our very worthy and amazing category recipients from the night, click here.

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