A Murdoch University graduate who developed a designer fashion rental marketplace is among the eight finalists who were chosen at the Pitch@Palace Australia 3.0 On Tour Perth contest today on campus.

Dr Genevieve Hohnen, who developed The Volte, was one of the finalists chosen to go through to the Pitch@Palace Australia 3.0 Boot Camp and national final in early October – also to be hosted by Murdoch University.

Pitch@Palace was founded by His Royal Highness The Duke of York in 2014 to help accelerate the work of entrepreneurs, which in turn creates employment, wealth, and advances innovation across industry.

The Boot Camp will give the selected entrepreneurs from today’s event the rare opportunity to present to and hear feedback from His Royal Highness and prominent industry leaders to refine their pitch prior to the National Final on October 4.

The overall winner of the Australian competition will be invited to attend Pitch@Palace Global 4.0 to complete against the world’s best at St James Palace in London this December.

The Australian finalists were selected today from a total of 19 entrants by a judging panel of business and community leaders after pitching their ideas in just three minutes.

The successful pitches were:

• Gelavo Pty Ltd – for a dairy-free avocado based ice cream
• Assisting Your Life to Achieve AYLA Inc – who provide emergency accommodation, mental services, and food relief 7 days a week
• The Volte – for a designer fashion rental marketplace, market aggregator and technology platform
• KinChip Systems – for a consumer-centred, data solution which delivers health insights and connections to care
• Noisy Guts Pty Ltd – for a unique acoustic belt that non-invasively diagnoses and monitors common gut disorders
• Orthocell Ltd – who specialise in regenerative medicine which improves the lives of patients suffering from serious musculoskeletal conditions
• DiGii Pty Ltd – for an immersive, educational, AI moderated social media cyber-skills training platform for upper primary school students
• Exodus Space Systems – for their space debris clearing solution

Murdoch University Vice Chancellor Professor Eeva Leinonen said the Pitch@Palace competition would connect the entrepreneurs with local and international networks, along with potential investors and supporters.

“I am thrilled to see that alumni and staff members were selected to compete in the On Tour Perth final,” Professor Leinonen said.

“The Pitch@Palace program has helped to nurture and develop entrepreneurial talent globally, aligning strongly with Murdoch’s focus on equipping our students and staff with the knowledge, skills and confidence to find innovative solutions to real-world challenges.”

Speaking in a video address, HRH The Duke of York encouraged the audience members to consider how they each could contribute to the journeys of the entrepreneurs.

“In many cases the ask is about connections. It might be, what I would describe as a serendipitous opportunity, in which you know exactly who to introduce that entrepreneur to,” he said.

“The most important thing about Pitch@Palace is that we aim to grow businesses. We’re not here to pick winners, we want to help businesses grow, not just through Pitch but through our audiences.”

Pitch@Palace Australia 3.0 has a broad technology theme and has showcased and elevated the work of entrepreneurs who have identified opportunities across numerous industries including data management, agriculture, energy, cyber-security, robotics and health.