Category winners in the 2024 Smart50 awards “truly wowed” the judging panel, earning plaudits for their “remarkable resilience” and “brilliant” innovation, through to “epic” commitment to their social causes.
Beyond the Smart50 list of Australia’s fastest-growing SMEs and startups, seven leading enterprises were honoured for their contributions to the broader community, resilience through difficult circumstances, retail prowess, ground-breaking innovation, and more.
They were recognised by an all-star judging panel, which included Alexandra Sloane, senior director of marketing, enterprise and business at Optus; Bruce Billson, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman; Sarah Mullen, chief operating officer at Adore Beauty; and a host of luminaries across the business, academic and marketing sectors.
Two nominees took dual honours on the night, with innovative apparel brand Paire collecting both the Rising Star and Retail awards.
The Melbourne-born business is no stranger to the Smart50 awards, and earned a commendable rank last year. This year, it moved up the list to place 13th overall.
But Paire is now becoming one of Australia’s favourite sock, underwear, and thermal brands, making it impossible to look past for the Rising Star award.
Its forward-thinking fabric blends are a hit with consumers – and the way Paire reaches those shoppers, both online and through bricks-and-mortar locations, also caught the judges’ attention.
Click here to learn more about Paire’s Rising Star Award and its retail prowess.
From socks to laundry, where Queensland-based business The Laundry Lady scooped up both the Marketing and People Power awards.
A compelling social media presence, canny influencer tie-ins, and carefully geotargeted ads are building the business’ network of contractors in Australia and New Zealand.
The brand also prides itself on treating its workforce – largely parents juggling work with care responsibilities at home – with respect.
It operates a Facebook knowledge hub, allowing contractors across the country to share experiences and build connections, while also presenting a ‘Contractor of the Month’ award.
Read here to learn more about The Laundry Lady’s success in marketing and empowering its workforce.
The Smart and Lasting Award – SmartCompany’s Hall of Fame honour, recognising the long-term success of previous Smart50 finalists – went to co-working operation Tank Stream Labs.
When COVID-19 disrupted in-person work, Tank Stream Labs pivoted to virtual events. Now, it has launched the annual Startup To Scaleup summit, connecting peers and industry leaders.
Read more here.
As summer fast approaches, it is fitting Coolzy.com, a dedicated retailer of low-energy air conditioners, secured the Smart50 Sustainability Award.
It says its portable units use 75% less energy than conventional cooling systems, while its packaging is fully recyclable and compostable, reducing waste through the product lifecycle.
Coolzy.com also plants a tree for each unit sold, boasting 30,000 saplings to date.
Read more here.
Since 2006, the First Nations Foundation has offered culturally-relevant financial education across the map, with the goal of boosting the financial literacy and economic success of First Nations people.
Efforts like its flagship My Money Dream training program have now reached more than 3,000 individuals both online and face-to-face.
Read more here.
Buying a used car is frequently stressful, with buyers either having to trust a total stranger – or a dealership full of them. Carma is trying to fix that.
It allows buyers to browse a large selection of pre-vetted used cards online, with 360-degree virtual tours and imperfection galleries giving users the full picture.
It also offers delivery within the greater Sydney area, making it even easier for buyers to secure a new set of wheels.
Read more here.
Demonstrating real resilience is Bridgit, the bridging finance provider, which lends short-term funding to homebuyers – and has endured its own set of challenges.
A long string of interest rate hikes rattled its clientele and shook the business itself, but decisive decision-making and a focus on the fundamentals means Bridgit is still prospering.
Six months after that upheaval, the business saw record quarter-on-quarter growth, speaking to its resiliency.
Read more here.
To read more about the full list of Smart50 winners, click here.
Smart50 is SmartCompany’s suite of award programs for Australian small to medium size businesses. The Smart50 Awards 2024 recognised the top 50 fastest growing companies in its Smart50 list, and celebrated exceptional achievements in community, innovation and more in the Smart50 category awards.
Senior Business Journalist
Focused on the small business sector, David’s work covers the political, regulatory, and economic issues facing Australian entrepreneurs. Prior to joining SmartCompany, he was a reporter for Business Insider Australia. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
