‘Gumtree for Musos’ startup Shario takes out tech comp in QLD
A group of emerging tech entrepreneurs in Brisbane have won a QUT Creative Enterprise Australia (CEA) competition with their start-up Shario, the new ‘Gumtree for Musos.’
Co-founded by Ellen Hartwig, a member of QUT Starters pre-ccelerator program Startup Hatch, Shario allows musicians to trade, share, or swap musical gear.
Shario was born out of the frustration at how little musicians earn in Australia. According to a report by the Live Music Office (The Economic and Cultural Value of Live Music in Australia 2014), for 96% of local artists, a career in music is actually costing them money. Through Shario, musicians can opt to swap their musical equipment temporarily or permanently. The platform also enables users to network with fellow musicians and build broader musical communities.
The Shario team who beat out 14 teams at Startup Weekend Brisbane | Creative Tech last weekend is: Hartwig, Louise Evans, Sabrina Conwell, Ceri Atherton, Callum Feron-Farrell, Chelsea Phillips and Samuel Windall.
The team take home over $6,500 in prizes, including one-on-one business consultations and mentoring, a video presenting workshop with TV Training Academy, a marketing audit with Alpha Digital and wild card entry to a Bragger Pitching event.
Speaking to TMN Hartwig said: “Our prize pack from the Creative Tech Startup Weekend provides us with a lot of opportunities for mentorship, so we aim to take advantage of these to refine our product and generate a clear pathway for our business.”
The sold-out event was judged by entrepreneur and River City Labs founder Steve Baxter, who is also a judge on TV show Shark Tank. The judging panel also included Blue Sky Funds investment director Elaine Stead, The Beach People CEO Drew Koven, QUT CEA chairman Michael Smellie, and QUT senior deputy vice-chancellor Carol Dickenson.
Hartwig told TMN Baxter’s advice to the Shairo team was to understand and segment their market.
“The music industry is made up of many subgroups, each with different interests and financial situations,” she said. “Shario needs to be very aware of this to continue strongly.
“Another big issue for us is insurance,” Hartwig added. “We need to let our customer base know that they can trust us and their trading partners.”
Among the tech startups pitched to judges were Discovered, a music streaming service that lets users rate local artists in their area and connects them with local venues and Transactly, a platform which tracks your spending and gives you personalised financial advice.
Boardshorts manufacturer Splash Zero, which features a waterproof pocket, placed 2nd with and Discovered came in 3rd.
Brisbane-based competition judge and tech investor Steve Baxter sends 20 emerging entrepreneurs to California’s Silicon Valley twice a year to meet with employees at tech giants like Facebook, Google, Twitter and Instagram. Baxter told ABC investors are looking for people who take a global approach to their startups.
“I sort of say ’Yes, you are the exact same in technical capabilities as a person in Silicon Valley. But guess what? You just think so crazy silly, internal to Australia. Get out, expand your horizons’.”
Hartwig told TMN judge Michael Smellie also suggested the team consider international markets and using Brisbane as a grounds for validation. “Bigger musical markets may be available for Shario to work within the US or Asia,” she said.“It’s definitely a thought for us – we’ve just got a way to go yet!”
The Shario team will pitch their concept againtonightin Fortitude Valley at Bragger, an event held for entrepreneurs to practice pitching, and will use the opportunity to discuss further plans.
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