Apparently the prospect of missing SUCCII was just too much for our mate Bart Jellema, founder of Start Up Camp Australia.  We are pleased to have Bart as a co-facilitator for our event with Liam O'Duibhir.  

Here's a bit more about Bart:

Bart Jellema is a born computer wizard: at age 6 he started with computer programming on a Commodore 64. At the age of 14 he developed and implemented a complete CRM system for a large company, and ever since he's been developing new software applications and websites. Bart was always determined to become an innovative entrepreneur and focused his career as technologist, developer, IT manager and leader to develop essential skills and experience to become a leading entrepreneur.

In 2007 Bart founded his first company together with his girlfriend Kim: Tjoos (pronounced ‘choose'). The website Tjoos.com started as price comparison engine, but then specialised in online discount coupons. The site grew by 400 percent year on year to well over 1 million unique visitors in February 2010; offering over 500,000 coupons from more than 180,000 merchants. In March 2010 Tjoos.com was acquired by US based Internet Brands (NASDAQ: INET).

Bart is also the founder of Startup Australia, which organises startup boot camps to inspire and support more people to start their own tech venture.

SUCCII is lucky to have such a supportive entreprenuer and investment community supporting this event.  Here are the entreprenuers and technology investors who have agreed to attend the final critique panel.  They will give the teams feedback on their business ideas and award the Business Establishment Prize Pack:

Alex Mair, CEO Lucy Media  http://www.lucymedia.com.au/

Nick McNaughton, CEO, Blue Cove Ventures, http://www.bluecoveventures.net/

Ben Hamey, CEO Bonobo Labs, http://bonobolabs.com/

Murray Rankin, Mentor, Advisor, Professional Director

I am pleased to annouce that Liam O'Duibhir will be my co-captain for this year's event.  Liam participated in the event last year and is a tech entreprenuer in his own right.  Liam's boundless energy, enthusiam and way-cool sunglasses were a real highlight for me last year. I'm very excited to have him back as a facilitator.

We did try to get Bart Jellema again from Start Up Australia, but he is flat chat with the recent sale of his start up, TJOOS.  We have Bart's well wishes and hope he will be involved in Start Up Camp Canberra events in the furture. 

Here is a bit more about Liam:

Liam O'Duibhir is an IT professional and entrepreneur. In 2006 he founded SoccerFit (www.soccerfit.com.au) which is a business that combines the benefits of social fun fitness with the world's most popular sport!

SoccerFit was inspired by StartupCamp Australia 2009 to develop a software platform to power the business venture across Australia. Liam has since received grant assistance from the ACT government and secured significant 'venture IT' investment from a leading Canberran software team to pursue development.

This year's SUCC schedule is now avaliable here.  For those who participated last year, they will be pleased to see less talking heads and more time for development.  We will still have plenty of experts on-hand to network with at the closing event on Sunday. 

The expert panel is yet to be confirmed, but plans are to get a number of successful local web entreprenuers along to the event to give you feedback.  Contact me to nominate your favourite.  Keep visiting this blog for more updates and please tell people about the event and encourage them to register!

Plans for this year's Start-Up Camp Canberra are well under way!

This year's event will be held as part of the Australian Science Festival, 'Business Fringe'.  We hope to attract good representation from both of ANU and UC as well as the general tech start-up business community.

Who is this event for?  SUCCII is for serious aspiring technology entrepreneurs and for those who want to network with them.   We provide the venue, food and guidance.  You provide the brilliant idea and the gear you need to build your killer app.   'Bench warmers' and sundry 'observers' are encouraged to scam free food and Wi-Fi elsewhere.

If you can build stuff, you will be like a god at SUCC, however, if you aren't a coder you are still welcome.  This exercise isn't just about building something cool (although that is a significant portion) it is also about complimenting that killer app with a business and marketing strategy that will work.  Yes, this is about making money.  Preferably, lots of it. 

Why give up your weekend?  Well, we all have great ideas, but who was the time to actually sit down with some other smart people and figure out if it can actually work?  SUCC is about creating an environment that allows you to do that.  Oh, and it is lots of fun too.

Of course, you don't have to take my word for it.  Read what some of last year's participants had to say about the event: