Innovators recognised at the 2025 Governor of Victoria Startup Awards

Last Updated: Friday 6 June 

Victoria’s top startup founders, investors, and ecosystem builders have been recognised at the annual Governor of Victoria Startup Awards, held last night at Government House.

Proudly supported by Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria, the awards celebrate outstanding contributions to the state’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Travel technology startup TRAVLR was named Startup of the Year for its “travel-as-a-service” platform, which enables tourism operators to launch and market their own booking sites and experiences. The startup is the latest venture from Simon te Hennepe, co-founder of popular travel app The Bali Bible.

Scaleup of the Year went to Kismet, a healthcare platform improving access to NDIS services. Founded by entrepreneur Mark Woodland in 2023, Kismet connects people to healthcare and support providers – such as cleaners, occupational therapists and physiotherapists – in their local area.

The Best Newcomer award was given to Andromeda Robotics, creators of Abi-an AI-powered robot companion built to combat loneliness in aged care. The startup recently signed a major deal with aged care provider mecwacare to roll out Abi across 22 facilities nationwide.

Ecosystem Hero of the Year was awarded jointly to Dickie Currer and Megan Luttrell for their grassroots work building community among early-stage founders.

Meanwhile, Investor of the Year went to Ben Armstrong, Founder and Managing Partner at Archangel Ventures, a long-time supporter of Victoria’s startup ecosystem as both an investor and mentor.

LaunchVic CEO Dr Kate Cornick said the awards provide a platform to recognise the innovators behind the scenes of startup success.

“Victoria’s startup ecosystem has undergone remarkable expansion with more than 3,500 startups now valued at $132 billion,” she said.

“The annual Governor of Victoria Startup Awards recognise the people behind these growth statistics and the incredible startups and networks they are building.”

For more information about the awards, visit: https://launchvic.org/governor-of-victoria-startup-awards/