ONYAPRENEUR: CARA APRILE, FOUNDER OF LILLY’S LITTLE LUNCHBOX

CLIENT: LILLY’S LITTLE LUNCHBOX

OUTLET: THE AUSTRALIAN, ONYAPRENEUR

Have you ever wanted to ask how an entrepreneur organises her day or business? The Australian Onya section has profiled Australia’s queen of the lunchbox, Cara Aprile  

Tell us about Lilly’s Little Lunchbox.

Lilly’s Little Lunchbox is more than just a meal delivery service. Our mission is to be the world’s largest and healthiest tuckshop, delivered that not only delivers dietitian-designed, fresh and healthy lunches made for kids, with the incorporation of the 5 core food groups in every meal but is also instilling healthy eating habits in the next generation. Families order their meal options online, using a subscription model. We provide a carefully curated menu to ensure it meets the highest nutritional standards, offering a wide variety of options, exposing families to a variety of different meal options. We deliver across the whole of the east coast of Australia (QLD, NSW, ACT and VIC), with soon to be announcing our launch into South Australia.

EUGENE CHENG, FOUNDER OF THE SNEAKER LAUNDRY

CLIENT: THE SNEAKER LAUNDRY

OUTLET: THE AUSTRALIAN, ONYAPRENEUR

Have you ever wanted to ask how an entrepreneur organises his day or business? The Australian Onya section has profile Australia sneaker cleaning legend Eugene Chang from The Sneaker Laundry.

Here is a taste:

What inspired you to start The Sneaker Laundry?

I just got so tired of throwing shoes away that I really loved. There was always this nagging feeling as I threw away dirty used shoes that perhaps they could be saved or rescued. When I looked into it six years ago, there were only cobblers and none of them ever really knew what to do with sneakers. Not today’s sneakers anyway that cost anywhere from $300 to thousands of dollars.

Australia’s ‘hot sauce queen’ banks $3.9 million, breaks equity crowdfunding records

CLIENT: BUNSTERS

OUTLET: FORBES

Renae Bunster’s Bunsters Shit the Bed Hot Sauce is a crowd-pleaser – particularly among equity investors, who were reportedly buoyed by sales data from the product’s Woolworths debut.

Bunsters Shit the Bed banked a total of $3.9 million across three raises via Australian equity crowdfunding platform, Birchal. Bunster, a Perth mum and self-proclaimed ‘hot sauce queen’, broke equity crowdfunding records for the total amount of return investors – she reported 46% of investors in her third campaign were previous investors, compared to Birchal’s average of 6%.

“This extraordinary level of investor confidence not only underscores the compelling appeal of Bunsters but also cements their status as one of only seven companies in Australia to successfully complete three CSF offers raising $3.9million,” Birchal’s Emily Macfarlane said.

SYDNEY PAIR'S PLAN TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST AI AND FAKE TRAVEL REVIEWS

CLIENT: EXCEPTIONAL ALIEN

OUTLET: NEWS.COM.AU

With many fearing the rise of artificial intelligence is going to negatively affect their jobs and threaten their businesses, two men from Sydney see disdain for AI as exactly what their business needs to thrive.

Michael Canning and Justin Drape thought they may have been crazy when they launched a travel app during Covid and are thrilled they made it to the other side.

Now, they believe the rise in AI and ChatGPT will actually have travellers turning to them just at the right time.

SCIENCE CRACKS THE CODE THAT TRICKS KIDS INTO EATING VEGETABLES

CLIENT: WELLY

OUTLET: 9 NEWS

A Melbourne entrepreneur has tackled the perennial parenting problem of how to get children to eat vegetables! He’s created a new instant vegetable smoothie, but as medical reporter Emily Rice asks, does it get the tick from dieticians?

Children can be picky about what vegetables they like and dislike… so 31 year old entrepreneur, Jarahad Valeri, has developed a new product, which he believes will get more goodness into little bellies. Watch the report on Welly and see if this smoothie powder is the answer for parents.

HOT STUFF

CLIENT: BUNSTERS

OUTLET: 9 NEWS PERTH

This business news is HOT! She’s the Perth mother of two whose hot sauce empire has made it onto the shelves of one of the biggest supermarkets in Australia. But Renae Bunsters’ break did not come without sacrifice.

Watch the report from 9 News Perth’s Emma Griffiths via the button below.

AUSTRALIAN 'POD' HOTEL STARTUP WANDER SECURES INVESTMENT FROM EX-AIRBNB CHIEF

CLIENT: WANDER

OUTLET: SMARTCOMPANY

Upmarket ‘pod’ hotel startup Wander has secured investment from former Airbnb country manager Sam McDonagh, as the accommodation innovator eyes expansion across regional and rural Australia.

Wander designs, installs, and manages WanderPods — miniature, boutique hotel suites built to bring the luxury hotel experience to some of Australia’s most scenic locales.

TRAVELLERS TRICKED

CLIENT: EXCEPTIONAL ALIEN

OUTLET: 7 NEWS

When you work hard to go on holiday, the last thing you want is to be caught off guard by a sham-online review. AI bots are now making the problem worse, able to bypass technology designed to weave out the genuine from the fake.

Justin Drape and Michale Canning (the co-founders of Exceptional Alien) and Maurice Terzini (from Bondi Icebergs) are interviewed by 7 News on how they’re partnering to combat such shams. Watch the report from Amy Clements via the link below.

LIVEN GOES HEAD TO HEAD WITH SQUARE AFTER ITS $152M ACQUISITION SPREE

CLIENT: LIVEN

OUTLET: THE AUSTRALIAN

Fintech and loyalty marketing platform Liven is going after Jack Dorsey’s Square with the launch of its own free payment terminal following a $152m acquisition spree over the past few months.

The Bill Tai-backed start-up on Thursday announced the launch of a terminal which has been embedded with the company’s loyalty marketing and “brand dollar” tools. It can automatically track customer credit card numbers and spending and give rewards to users.

Liven co-founder Grace Wong told The Australian she believed it was time an Australian homegrown alternative to Square – a popular US fintech supplying payment terminals nationwide – with lower fees landed in the market.

ACCOMMODATION POD CHAIN BOOKS REGIONAL SA EXPANSION

CLIENT: WANDER

OUTLET: INDAILY

The founder of luxury accommodation pod scaleup Wander wants to expand its presence in South Australia after capturing demand on Kangaroo Island for its Adelaide-made solution.

Wander founder Cassandra Sasso has embarked on a crowdfunding trip to facilitate the expansion of her luxury accommodation alternative.