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Launch Pad and our technology partner Virbela teamed up to host the second Venture Makers’ Innovation Challenge held 17 and 19 May 2022.
Venture Makers is Launch Pad’s entrepreneurship training and development program for students, researchers and staff designed to build and support an entrepreneurial culture & ecosystem.
Working in teams, participants proposed new ideas and solutions for building the Metaverse with a focus on “technology for good”. Teams explored how the development of the Metaverse can be developed to ensure technologies are developed with a human-centric approach that delivers the most benefit to society focusing on the following sectors:
Partnering in this Innovation Challenge is Virbela an international leader in the Metaverse space that brings people together to work, learn, meet, and train in an immersive virtual world – from anywhere.
Through the challenge, Virbela provided guest speakers and facilitators building opportunities for students to connect with industry leaders.
Virbela also provided a range of prizes for challenge winners including tickets to major events and personalised career mentoring opportunities.
The teams worked to conceptualise metaverse solutions in areas such as mental health, diagnostic tools for dementia, therapeutic approaches for treating lower back pain, innovation in retail, marine conservation, immersion, social good, fitness through human-machine integration, and sustainability, with six teams – AquaMeta, Virtualizon, NASA, MemoVerse, The Good Team, and The Three Musketeers – progressing to the final.
Read media release: Venture Makers Innovation Challenge embraces the Metaverse.
Nguyen Nguyen, Giang Le, Nhu Nguyen
The Good Place – A virtual world where people can have their own virtual pet companions.
Nikola Peric-Djordjevic, Jeremy Booth
Virtualizon improves the retail experience for those who are discriminated against because of their appearance or disability.
‘Welcome to the Metaverse’ Innovation Challenge was delivered over a series of key events providing students with opportunities to build industry contacts and practice key skills including ideation, teamwork and pitching.
Launch Event
9 May 12pm-1.30pm AEST
Innovation Hack
Online: 17 May 5.30pm – 11pm AEST (GMT+10)
In-person: 19 May, 9am-5pm AEST
Innovation Pitch
Hybrid: 19 May 5pm – 8pm AEST (GMT+10)
Showcase Event
Hybrid: 14th June 12-1pm AEST (GMT+10)
