the IDEATOR

the IDEATOR is an immersive 27 hours where you can tap into the essentials to build your start-up: mentorship, cofounders, training, resources and funding. Come one come all – whether you want to spark a new idea or refine an existing one – whether you want to lead or join a team – whether you’re a ‘hacker’ or not – there is a valuable role for you to play!

There is no cost to participate - the ticket fee is a deposit, and will automatically be fully refunded when you collect your badge from the registration table.

TRACKS

We welcome any project that is a) awesome and b) fits into one of our tracks…

• Life Science: Any life science-related project, including things like regenerative medicine, therapeutics, bionics, devices, diagnostics, and instrumentation
• Small Business & Social Entrepreneurship: Any small business (e.g. fashion line, consultancy, food truck, app) or social enterprise (goal of improving human and environmental well-being)
• Monash Challenge: Any IT-based solution to help Monash administration support and engage students, faculty and staff. Projects with relevance to eSolutions, Student Education Business Services and Monash Connect will get priority.

You don’t need to have ideas coming in. We welcome participants regardless of sector or technical knowledge – just bring enthusiasm and energy. You can only participate in one track, so when applying, select the track most relevant to you and your goals. If you have questions about which track is best for you, reach out (hyperlink to Contact Us page).

ELIGIBILITY

• People: Any current Monash students (undergrad, postgrad), faculty and staff are welcome to participate. Whether you’ve got an idea you’re currently working on, are looking for inspiration, or have skills and elbow grease you want to contribute, this event is for you! Get access to awesome mentors, connect with other emerging entrepreneurs and take your startup to the next level. 
• Ideas: Projects need to be in one of our three core tracks: Life Science, Small Business & Social Entrepreneurship or Monash Challenge. It doesn’t matter if your idea is a niggling in the back of your brain, a napkin sketch or a rough prototype. If you’ve made significant strides to reducing your idea to practice, you can still participate, but you’ll need to pitch a new component of your project that has not yet received significant time and financial resources. This keeps it a level playing field for all.

If your project doesn’t fit within one of these tracks or is at a different stage, reach out to find out about other programs to help you.

PROCESS

• Ideate: We’ll kick off with seasoned experts to help clarify current pain points, identify white spaces, and give insights and lessons learned into how to start-up. Then there is a casual facilitated ideation session where anyone willing to lead a team puts up as many ideas as they want.
• Form Teams: Good teams are what makes startups successful… a good idea can only get you so far. The experts will work together to narrow down the list of ideas to those that are workable within the hackathon framework, selecting 10 from each track. If your idea didn’t get through, join up with any of the 30 projects that will be hacked over the next 24 hours.
• Hack: There will be coaches and mentors circling. There will be stations with specific elbow grease to help bring your idea to life – from rapid prototyping (physical and IT) to legal, and market intelligence to business model. There will be workshops to help teams understand how to position their idea within the market landscape and refine their pitch.
• Pitch: Each team has 60 seconds to pitch their idea to a panel of seasoned angel investors. The top three teams from each track will get $500*, 6 months free office space in the GENERATOR’s incubator, INNOVATION ALLEY, automatic entry into Round 2 of the GENERATOR’s PITCH ORIGINATOR competition, and eligibility to apply for an additional $500 follow-on funding within 12 months of the hackathon.

FAQs

What is a hackathon?

• A hackathon is an event where people with a wide range of skill sets and diverse backgrounds come together to generate ideas, form teams and collaborate on a project for a short, intense period of time. The goal is to foster out-of-box thinking that leads to innovative and disruptive ideas and solutions.

What if I don’t know how to program or code?

• No dramas! The IDEATOR isn’t only for IT projects. If you don’t know the difference between C++ and assembly, you won’t be the only one. We welcome all skill sets and perspectives, and we believe everyone has something to contribute. We need people with ideas and knowledge of lots of different industries. We need creatives and sideways thinkers. We need project managers. We need a cheer squad. Whatever your skills, you’re welcome and invited!

What if I’ve never participated in a hackathon before?

• Even better! This is a low-pressure event meant to foster collaboration and help provide resources to promising emerging ideas.

What if I don’t have my own start-up idea to pitch?

• Come anyway! The ideation session is meant to help percolate new ideas. There will also be some projects suggested by experts that can be picked up by eager teams looking for a project to run with. Or, if you don’t see yourself leading a team, you can always try to join other teams at the event. If you are interested in innovation and entrepreneurship, we want you there!

Are there other ways to get involved?

• Absolutely! If you don’t want to pitch a project or join a team but still want to be involved in the energy of the event, we could always use an extra pair of hands volunteering to make sure it goes smoothly for the participants.

Which stream should I participate in?

• You can only be effective on one project at a time in a hackathon, so you’ll need to pick one track (Life Science, Small Biz/Social Entrepreneurship, Monash Challenge), whichever is most relevant to your project or interests. We have a limited number of seats per track, so if you are applicable across more than one but your primary stream is full, then sign up for another.

What if I have a project that doesn’t fit one of the streams?

• Don’t despair! Your project won’t be able to run through the IDEATOR this time, but you can still apply to come along and join a team. You don’t have to have an ongoing relationship or commitment to a team after the hackathon, just discuss what you want upfront before joining a team so expectations are clear.

What should I bring with me?

• You’ll need to bring your own laptop and charger. Having a mobile handy will help you coordinate with your team if you work in shifts or don’t work through the night. If you have specific things that you think will be useful to bring, you’re welcome to bring them.Bring some money and/or debit card to buy your dinner on day 1, and just in case you want to buy additional food or have a specific dietary requirement that we haven’t catered for.

Where is the venue? How do I get there? If I drive, where do I park?

• 271 Collins Street, Level 7. There is reduced fee parking ($11 all day) at Collins Place (must be validated at Conference Center then take a tram down). Otherwise, there are lots of paid parking options around.

Do I have to stay on-site to hack? Is this an overnight hackathon? Will it be safe?

• You don’t have to stay on-site overnight, and you are free to come and go as you please. You do need to check in on-site at kick-off, and no later than one hour before the pitches are to begin on day 2. You are responsible for making all deadlines regardless of where you choose to hack. The venue will be open at all times during this event and you are welcome to bring your pillows and sleeping bags for overnight hacking. Security will be present throughout the evening to ensure participant safety.