Hospitality ordering app Mr Yum has been named startup of the 12 months within the annual Governor of Victoria Startup Awards.

The fintech, presently in talks with rival Me&u over a attainable merger, was recognised for its function in serving to the state’s restaurant sector persevering with to function throughout pandemic restrictions and now serving to the hospitality sector because it recovers from Covid lockdowns.

The inaugural awards final 12 months noticed sustainable power retailer Amber Electrical and medtech Seer Medical named joint winners of Victorian startup of the 12 months.

The 2023 awards spanned six classes starting from scaleup of the 12 months for corporations lower than 10-years-old to finest newcomer for a startup lower than three-years-old, was effectively as investor, ecosystem hero and regional hero.

Fintech Zeller was named scaleup of the 12 months for setting an Australian document for the quickest time an area firm has hit a $1 billion valuation, greater than doubling its workers to over 220 and rising its buyer base to 35,000 companies in its first three years of operation.

Greatest Newcomer went to “deathtech” startup Willed, based in 2019, earlier than launching in 2020. It’s an property administration platform that permits folks to create a authorized will in lower than 20 minutes on-line. The corporate raised $6 million final 12 months.

GippsTech CEO Dr Elena Kelareva was named Regional Ecosystem Hero of the 12 months for bringing digital innovation to Gippsland by means of applications equivalent to Startup Gippsland and for establishing a co-working house for regional innovators and entrepreneurs.

Well being tech champion and Aspect Stage Ventures investor Emily Casey was named Ecosystem Hero of the 12 months for her work to reinforce the Australian well being tech group, and whereas Blackbird companion Nick Crocker shared the Investor of the 12 months award with Rachael Neumann for his or her help for early-stage founders.

The Governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau, introduced the awards to the winners at Authorities Home.

The awards come within the wake of the Victorian authorities allocating a further $5 million in final week’s state price range for the Alice Anderson fund, its feminine founders-focused co-investment fund.