Women in startups: Frank Lab 2021’s successful applicants

From gourmet food to healthcare, eco-friendly period products to renewable energy, and products designed for people with disability or to assist the neurodivergent community, Frank Lab 2021’s female-focused startup cohort illustrates the breadth and depth of the startup/scaleup community.

Ten female-led businesses were selected to participate in Frank Lab 2021 from an impressive 70 high-calibre applications. This year’s cohort has a focus on businesses majority owned or operated by women. This is part of Hall & Wilcox’s initiative to provide dedicated support and assistance to women working in startups and to reduce barriers to entry.

Off the back of the firm’s ‘Spotlight on women in startups‘ initiative, the Frank team at Hall & Wilcox has put together a program of masterclasses and support that specifically targets key concerns for women working in startups. As documented in the report, these include: overcoming imposter syndrome and unconscious bias, educating investors and becoming pitch ready.

Frank Lab has now partnered with One Roof, a network of female leaders and entrepreneurs led by Sheree Rubinstein, a former corporate lawyer turned founder. Sheree will offer her time as a mentor to the founders selected for Frank Lab 2021, and Hall & Wilcox will cover the cost for the founders to access One Roof’s digital membership and all benefits for one year.

As well as being able to participate in the program of masterclasses, Frank Lab 2021 businesses will:

• receive an initial $5,000 to spend on legal services and get to work with an experienced lawyer as their own trusted legal advisor for the duration of the program;
• have the opportunity to regularly meet with their Frank Lab Trusted Advisor who will assist them in identifying their legal needs and achieve their commercial objectives;
• be introduced to Hall & Wilcox networks, including accountants and investors;
• participate in a pitching competition; and
• be able to access Hall & Wilcox’s office space nationally and the firm’s Smarter Law technology solutions.

By participating in Frank Lab, companies will receive 50 points of the 100 points required to qualify as an Early Stage Innovation Company (ESIC). Investors in eligible startups receive significant tax incentives, such as an immediate tax offset or rebate equal to 20% of their investment, capped at $200,000 in each income year, and can access modified capital gains tax treatment for their shareholding.

Frank Lab 2021 follows the success of the 2020 and 2019 programs, which helped accelerate a broad range of businesses and their solutions, including agricultural technology, clinical hypnosis, crowdsourcing for volunteers, rocket engine technologies, new contraceptives, Neobanks and social enterprises.

Senior Associate Jasmine Koh, who heads up the firm’s Frank startup practice, said, ‘We are excited to be supporting women pushing against barriers which have no place today.’

Partner Jacqui Barrett, who leads the firm’s Women in Startups initiative, said: ‘It is incredibly exciting to see the female-led Frank Lab come to fruition! Creating more opportunities for women working in startups was a key objective of our ‘Women in startups‘ report, and our tailored Frank Lab program promises to do just that!’

The Frank Lab 2021 businesses are:

Adatree	A data-sharing technology platform for companies that want to access and leverage data through the Consumer Data Right. The CDR/Open Banking gives consumers the right to own and direct their own data. Sharing and receiving this data is incredibly complex between companies, and Adatree provides a turnkey technology solution so companies can leverage it easily.
Co-lab Pantry	Sourcing and delivering gourmet food to food lovers predominantly within Victoria and across Australia. Initially launched as a way to help support Victorian business, Co-lab Pantry and now brings ready-made meals, cocktails, pantry goods and produce to peoples’ homes across the nation.
The Daily Routine	Australia’s first water-soluble, plant-based pod, filled with personal care products such as hand wash, body wash and shampoo. Simply fill up the keeper bottle with hot water, drop in a pod, and shake it until it dissolves. And when you run out of pods, your refill pack will be waiting for you on your doorstep.
Find Aged Care	An online tool that helps people search and apply for residential aged care homes when they can no longer live independently in the community.
Geni.Energy	Partnering with renewable industry organisations to bring new solar, storage, wind and bio-energy projects to the northwest NSW region in homes, small businesses, commercials and farms.
JAM the label	An inclusive clothing brand designed with people with disability in mind. Products by JAM the label have design features that allow them to be put on or taken off more easily or worn more comfortably by people with disability.
Neurodiversity Media	A tech-enabled media company that creates evidence-based resources to equip the neurodivergent community, their support network and employers with accessible knowledge and learning opportunities to unleash their potential in the global workplace.
Pixii	A social enterprise bringing eco-friendly period products (pads and tampons) into bathrooms at schools, universities and businesses. A certified social enterprise that donates 50% of profits to One Girl to support girls’ education.
Pory	Pory is a no-code platform for building web applications using pre-made templates on top of a visual database called Airtable.
Telecare Australia	A virtual healthcare provider that makes seeing a medical specialist or allied health professional easier and more cost-effective than ever before via telehealth. Current focus: on under-served market segments in Australia. 90% of the patients Telehealth serves live in regional areas, aged care facilities or of Indigenous Australian descent.