Xceptional, a recruitment firm helping autistic people find jobs, recently won the St George Kick Start competition, receiving $40,000.
The competition, in partnership with TEDxSydney, saw 12 small business founders and entrepreneurs for a share of the program’s $100,000 grant pool prize across two categories – New Business Idea and New Idea for an Existing Business.
Businesses were judged on their ability to respond to a customer or societal problem in a unique or innovative way and create a positive impact. In keeping with 2020’s move online, Kick Start held its first-ever digital ‘fast pitch’ competition to select the winners.
Xceptional won the New Idea for an Existing Business category.
Founder and CEO Michael Tozer said it scaling a for-purpose business in any year is tough work and Covid-19 added an extra layer of challenges.
“We have focused on rejuvenating our team to help us think long term and adapting to our customer needs with the extraordinary growth in online talent assessment,” he said.
“The funding will help us to scale into two new industries, cyber and administration, so that we can continue to connect people with disabilities to meaningful careers.”
Since 2014, the St.George Kick Start program has provided $700,000 in grants to help small business owners and entrepreneurs take their business ideas to the next level.
Tozer recently spoke to Startup Daily about his business and how the St George Kick Start competition has helped her take it to the next level.
You can watch below:
More details about the annual competition and the 2020 finalists are available here.
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