Aussie startups recognised with industry awards, with software startup taking home prize once won by Atlassian

Two Australian startups have seen major wins this week, with short-term rental manager MadeComfy recieving an award for innovation, and accounting software provider Rounded following in the footsteps of Atlassian and WiseTech Global to take home the 2018 Consensus Software Award.

Established in 2016 by co-founders Oliver Garside and Grant McCall, Rounded provides a cloud-based platform to provide tailored accounting technology for sole traders and freelancers, through a software-as-a-service package.

Earlier this year, the startup closed a Series A round, but was not able to disclose the value of the investment.

The 2018 Consensus Software Award, presented at the Consensus Innovation Awards on Wednesday by federal assistant minister for science, jobs and innovation Zed Seselja, has previously been taken home by some of Australia’s most successful startups.

Software startup Atlassian won the award in 2004, for it’s Jira issue tracking app. Co-founders Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar are now knocking on the door of the top 10 richest Australians, currently ranked at 11th and 12th in the AFR Rich List, worth $5.16 billion each.

Another prestigious previous winner is logistics software company WiseTech Global, which listed on the ASX in 2016, and currently has a market cap of about $5.15 billion.

“It really is an honour to be recognised with such a well-respected award, and we are blown away to join such digital luminaries as past winners Atlassian and WiseTech Global,” Garside said in a statement.

“It feels like all of our hard work is paying off,” he added.

Elsewhere, property management startup MadeComfy has taken home the excellence in innovation award at the New South Wales Business Chamber awards in Sydney.

MadeComfy manages properties on short-term leases, providing maintenance and organising guest bookings on sites like Airbnb.

The award follows a stellar six months for the startup, which announced a $6 million raise led by Investec Australia in May this year.

It now manages some 600 properties, worth a combined $6 million, across Sydney and Melbourne, and welcomes more than 4000 visitors every week.

Co-founders Quirin Schwaighofer and Sabrina Bethunin are now also looking at branching out to Brisbane, as well as international expansion.

In a statement on the award, Schwaighofer said he and Bethunin are “absolutely thrilled”.

“Innovation has helped MadeComfy grow exponentially, and helped us change from a low-traction key exchange startup, pivoting to become Australia’s first performance-based short-term rental management company,” he said.

“MadeComfy’s growth and the recognition of this award signals market and consumer confidence in a vital growing industry,” he added.

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