ANZA Technology Network Taps Buzka and Silenceair for Guy Manson Hottest Technology Award
Web 2.0 and Clean Tech Companies from Australia Stand Out at Annual Gateway to the US Summit
Sunnyvale, CA, October 27, 2007 --(PR.com)-- ANZA Technology Network (http://www.anzatechnet.com/) capped off its 6th annual Gateway to the US Summit at last night’s Austrade-sponsored closing ceremony by naming two companies winners of its coveted Guy Manson Hottest Technology Award for innovative Australian and New Zealand companies. The winners were Buzka, a product designed to let people share the web and create social communities in a dynamic and easy-to-use format and Silenceair, a revolutionary passive acoustic ventilation system that adds fresh air to buildings while keeping out noise that requires no energy to operate.
“There’s intense activity and competition in Web 2.0 and clean tech in Silicon Valley and worldwide,” said Viki Forrest, CEO of ANZA Technology Network. “These two areas are very hot, and here are two standout companies from Australia that are attacking these huge markets with unique solutions.”
Every year, ANZA invites innovative technology startup or expanding companies from Australia and New Zealand to take part in its Gateway to the US program. The program is an intensive three-month journey from Down Under to Silicon Valley, in which company executives receive presentation coaching, market analysis and business development input and mentoring with a US-based executive with applicable experience in a company’s particular industry niche. The plan is to take companies who are truly destined to capture their local market (some 25 million consumers) and parlay that into success in the US market (300 million and growing).
“This year’s group of companies was particularly strong,” said Forrest, “We had a wider range of products than ever before, including monetization of consumer videos, intelligent software sensor technology for broadband networks, collaboration solutions for today’s web communities, a software communication aid for autism and more. The judging for the Guy Manson Hottest Technology Award was lively and intense.”
This year’s panel of judges featured three renowned VCs—Larry Marshall and John Scull from Southern Cross Venture Partners and Simon Anderson of Ocean Avenue Ventures.
“Both Buzka and Silenceair are focused on solving significant problems with elegant solutions that their target customers will be very interested in,” said Anderson. “With Buzka, we liked their aggregation of Web 2.0 technology including bookmarking and content management to provide Web publishers with a much ‘stickier’ community experience.”
Regarding Silenceair and their green building products, Anderson said, “They have identified a very significant problem and developed a technology that addresses that problem in a very simple way.”
“Taking part in the Gateway to the US and winning this award has given me renewed confidence,” said Raphe Patmore, CEO of Perth-based Buzka. “Meeting the people from the other companies that came over here for the Summit, talking to the ANZA network of people based here in Silicon Valley and having the chance to present to and talk with the VCs at the Summit has made me start to think in new ways again, which is what you need very regularly.”
Sydney-based Silenceair is led by Christopher Matthews and Margaret Black, who both took part in the Gateway to the US program and attended the Summit.
“We’ve had a lot of coaching, a lot of really good direction and a lot of encouragement,” said Black. “We’re now very aware of what we need to do to come into the US marketplace. We’re pleased with the fantastic support of the ANZA network to help us make inroads here. To win this prize tonight, well, that’s just the icing on the cake.”
For more information:
ANZA Technology Network, http://www.anzatechnet.com/
Austrade, www.austrade.gov.au
Buzka, www.buzka.com
Silenceair, www.silenceair.com
Simon Anderson, Ocean Avenue Ventures, www.oaventures.com
Southern Cross Venture Partners, http://www.sxvp.com/
###
“There’s intense activity and competition in Web 2.0 and clean tech in Silicon Valley and worldwide,” said Viki Forrest, CEO of ANZA Technology Network. “These two areas are very hot, and here are two standout companies from Australia that are attacking these huge markets with unique solutions.”
Every year, ANZA invites innovative technology startup or expanding companies from Australia and New Zealand to take part in its Gateway to the US program. The program is an intensive three-month journey from Down Under to Silicon Valley, in which company executives receive presentation coaching, market analysis and business development input and mentoring with a US-based executive with applicable experience in a company’s particular industry niche. The plan is to take companies who are truly destined to capture their local market (some 25 million consumers) and parlay that into success in the US market (300 million and growing).
“This year’s group of companies was particularly strong,” said Forrest, “We had a wider range of products than ever before, including monetization of consumer videos, intelligent software sensor technology for broadband networks, collaboration solutions for today’s web communities, a software communication aid for autism and more. The judging for the Guy Manson Hottest Technology Award was lively and intense.”
This year’s panel of judges featured three renowned VCs—Larry Marshall and John Scull from Southern Cross Venture Partners and Simon Anderson of Ocean Avenue Ventures.
“Both Buzka and Silenceair are focused on solving significant problems with elegant solutions that their target customers will be very interested in,” said Anderson. “With Buzka, we liked their aggregation of Web 2.0 technology including bookmarking and content management to provide Web publishers with a much ‘stickier’ community experience.”
Regarding Silenceair and their green building products, Anderson said, “They have identified a very significant problem and developed a technology that addresses that problem in a very simple way.”
“Taking part in the Gateway to the US and winning this award has given me renewed confidence,” said Raphe Patmore, CEO of Perth-based Buzka. “Meeting the people from the other companies that came over here for the Summit, talking to the ANZA network of people based here in Silicon Valley and having the chance to present to and talk with the VCs at the Summit has made me start to think in new ways again, which is what you need very regularly.”
Sydney-based Silenceair is led by Christopher Matthews and Margaret Black, who both took part in the Gateway to the US program and attended the Summit.
“We’ve had a lot of coaching, a lot of really good direction and a lot of encouragement,” said Black. “We’re now very aware of what we need to do to come into the US marketplace. We’re pleased with the fantastic support of the ANZA network to help us make inroads here. To win this prize tonight, well, that’s just the icing on the cake.”
For more information:
ANZA Technology Network, http://www.anzatechnet.com/
Austrade, www.austrade.gov.au
Buzka, www.buzka.com
Silenceair, www.silenceair.com
Simon Anderson, Ocean Avenue Ventures, www.oaventures.com
Southern Cross Venture Partners, http://www.sxvp.com/
###
Contact
ANZA Technology Network
Kathy Drasky
415-606-2085
www.anzatechnet.com/
Kathy Drasky
415-606-2085
www.anzatechnet.com/
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