b rning heroes
AUstralia awards
GLOBAL Reach
SOCIAL IMPACT
TECH IN THE ARTS
EQUITY IN INNOVATION
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ABOUT
Burning Heroes is the first start-up awards created by founders for founders!
Since its founding in 2022, Burning Heroes has run numerous events across the world (with more currently in development right now!), hosting over 2000 participants and highlighting the work of 50 start-ups globally.
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After the success of the African chapter in 2023, Burning Heroes is now coming to Australia to help early-stage startups showcase their potential.
We know how hard it is to start from scratch: idea validation, team building, seeking product market fit, go-to-market strategy, wait lists, early adoptersâ communities... itâs tough. This is why we want to network with the best teams and share our experiences.
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WHO SHOULD APPLY
Pre-seed start-ups
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âDo you have an idea that youâve worked hard on? Do you have confirmation from your early adopters? Have you developed your MVP or prototype? Apply and gain access to investors and top advisors with Burning Heroes!
âSeed start-ups
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âHave you developed a product or service? Have you validated the product-market fit and can demonstrate some traction? Apply and open the door to new opportunities with Burning Heroes!
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(Itâs super simple, we promise!)
NOMINATE A SUPERSTAR STARTUP
Thanks in part to Australian âtall-poppy-syndromeâ, we know some start-up founders might be hesitant to put their hand up for an award. They might also be so busy building, they donât know the Burning Heroes Awards exist!
If you know a start-up worthy of recognition - take 30 seconds to give them a nudge by completing our nomination form here. Theyâll get an automated email letting them know you think theyâve got what it takes, along with some information on the awards.
Note: They will only officially enter the competition if they submit a formal application.
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WHO SHOULD APPLY
â
Pre-seed start-ups
â
âDo you have an idea that youâve worked hard on? Do you have confirmation from your early adopters? Have you developed your MVP or prototype? Apply and gain access to investors and top advisors with Burning Heroes!
âSeed start-ups
â
âHave you developed a product or service? Have you validated the product-market fit and can demonstrate some traction? Apply and open the door to new opportunities with Burning Heroes!
â
NOMINATE A SUPERSTAR STARTUP
Thanks in part to Australian âtall-poppy-syndromeâ, we know some start-up founders might be hesitant to put their hand up for an award. They might also be so busy building, they donât know the Burning Heroes Awards exist!
If you know a start-up worthy of recognition - take 30 seconds to give them a nudge by completing our nomination form here. Theyâll get an automated email letting them know you think theyâve got what it takes, along with some information on the awards.
Note: They will only officially enter the competition if they submit a formal application.
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APPLYÂ NOW
(Itâs super simple, we promise!)
AWARD CATEGORIES
There are three main categories our judging panel will use to award prizes.
GLOBAL REACH
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Has a scalable, sustainable, and defensible model that has successfully expanded its presence and impact on the global stage.
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Criteria:
⢠Global Market Size
⢠Market Validation
⢠Maturity
Judges:
⢠VCs
⢠Global Founders
⢠Experienced operators
Social Impact
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Is driving positive change by combining business acumen to address social, environmental, and governance challenges for a better world.
Criteria:
⢠ESG Aligned
⢠Demonstrated Impact
⢠Domain knowledge
Judges:
Leaders & founders in
⢠Environment
⢠Social
⢠Governance
AUSSIE MARKET MOVER
Tackles challenges unique to Australia, propelling innovation and progress within the local market.
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Criteria:
⢠Originality
⢠Market Disruption
⢠Market Impact
Judges:
⢠Accelerator Programs
⢠Aussie Founders
⢠Angel Investors
BURNING HEROES RECOGNITION CATEGORIES
Judges will also be on the lookout for start-ups that have the below special, often undervalued, characteristics. Start-ups can self-nominate for these categories if they think they fit the bill, but all start-ups that enter the competition will be considered for a Burning Heroes Recognition award.
EQUITY IN INNOVATION
Champions diversity and inclusivity, leading the way in driving innovation with equal opportunities for all. Empowering change, one breakthrough at a time.
SPEEDY START-UP
Embraces agility, making remarkable strides in innovation and market responsiveness. A true accelerator of success.
TECH IN THE ARTS
Fuses technology with art, enriching creative experiences and pushing the boundaries of artistic expression.
Start-ups can only receive one award, from one category. All award recipients across all six categories will receive access to the same amazing prize pool.Â
KEYÂ DATES
Sep 25, 2023
Applications and nominations open for the competition.
Start-ups can enter by submitting an application which will include a current pitch deck, brief explanation of the problem youâre solving and why your solution fulfills the criteria for the category / categories youâve selected.
See: Award Categories
oCt 16, 2023
Applications & nominations close.
The Burning Heroes team alongside a number of experienced founders (making up the âJuryâ) will carefully evaluate the applications submitted and select a shortlist of 15. The top 15 start-ups selected will be invited to pitch at our Live Online Pitch session.
nov 1, 2023
Live online pitch in front of our panel of Judges, made up of fellow founders, investors and ecosystem contributors.
nov 2, 2023
Winners are announced!
There will be 3 winners in the following categories: Global Reach, Social Impact, and Aussie Market Mover. Weâll also announce the winners for our 3 recognition awards: Equity in Innovation, Speedy Start-up, Tech in the Arts
If you werenât selected for an award, donât worry, you will still get valuable feedback.
TEAM & JURY
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TEAM
Co-founder & Head of Growth, Overnight Success & Co-founder & Head of Marketing, Stella Startups
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Pitch JUDGES
Head of Investments & Growth at the Regional Angel Investor Network (RAIN), Co-founder of Overnight Success
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join the competition
APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED
APPLY
Enter your start-up into the competition by completing our application form. If you have an existing pitch deck, it should only take you around 10 mins to complete. Simple!
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NOMINATE
If you know a start-up doing amazing things - take 30 seconds to send them a nudge by nominating them below.
Note: They will only officially enter the competition if they submit a formal application.Â
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Have questions?
Get in touch!
australia@burningheroes.com
FAQ
What is the Burning Heroes definition of a startup?Â
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We define start-ups as any new business that has the potential to scale fast, is agile and often has a characteristic driven by technology or innovation.
Can any startup participate regardless of the industry?
Yes, we welcome start-ups from any industry to participate in our contest and present us the problems youâre solving with your solutions.
Iâm a busy start-up founder - whatâs the total time it will take to participate?
The process to participate as a start-up is really simple and designed to only take the minimum time required, but give you maximum benefit for your input.
All youâll need to do is:
 1.  Submit an application form. If you have a pitch deck ready, this should take you no more than 10 minutes.
 2.  If youâre shortlisted in the top 15 companies selected to pitch at our online event, aside from the time to practice your killer pitch, the event will take 2 hours with 3 minutes allocated to each pitch and 2 minutes for Q&A.
Thatâs it!
What will participation in this contest give me?
The top 15 start-ups selected will receive valuable feedback from investors and experts from leading Australian companies. Winners across each category will be awarded with individual consultations with the experts from the panel of judges, access to a closed community of The Burning Heroes Association, perks from our partners, as well as mentions in the media!
If my company is not registered yet, can I still participate?
To participate in this contest it is not mandatory to have a registered company. We want to see ideas that have vast potential.
If my pitch deck is raw or under-developed, should I still participate?
We recommend applying even if you are not confident in your deck. We pay much more attention to your ability to grow based on market fit, business model, product design, innovative technology and ability to execute as a team.
How long will it take to apply?
Weâve intentionally kept the application process short and shiny so itâs easy for busy founders to participate. If you have a pitch deck ready to upload, your application should only take around 10 minutes to complete. Weâre looking for quality over quantity in answers.
Will there be certificates for participants and winners?
In addition to the experience, the Top 15 participants will receive a unique certificate stating that you took part in the Burning Heroes Australia Startup Awards. Winners will also receive an electronic badge that they can share on their website or social media.
How much does it cost to enter the competition?
It is completely free to enter in the competition and there are no hidden costs. Burning Heroes is a not-for-profit organisation focused purely on positive impact. The organising team is made up 100% by volunteers who are just passionate about seeing start-ups thrive! We also keep our costs low by hosting the pitch event online, which also makes it more accessible to participants from across the country.
What will happen at the live online pitch event?
The pitch event will invite all top 15 start-ups shortlisted to pitch to our panel of judges. Each start-up will have a maximum of 3 minutes to pitch, and then 2 minutes will be allocated for Q&A from the judging panel.
At the end of the event, the judgesâ scores will be tallied live and the winners announced for all 6 categories!