Local startups raised more than $100 million last month. Want to follow their footsteps?

There are plenty of reasons to feel positive about the Australian startup space. Last month alone, Melbourne luggage startup July was named Official Luggage Supplier for the Australian Commonwealth Games team, biodegradable product manufacturer Great Wrap locked in $24 million in funding, health tech startup Human successfully closed a $10.5 million seed funding round, casual staffing platform Sidekicker cemented its partnership with Seek thanks to a $20 million raise, and that’s just to name a few.

In fact, local startups raised more than $100 million in July.

In a chat with SmartCompany, AfterWork Ventures co-founder Alex Khor said he’s excited about what he calls a “self-sustaining cycle”, where great Australian startup stories like Canva and Atlassian, are “beginning to recycle their talent and knowledge into a second generation of iconic businesses”.

Mr Yum co-founder and COO Adrian Osman shared Khor’s enthusiasm around startups.

“There is never a good time to start a business”, he said.

“There is never a perfect time, so no matter where the market is at, just start. Because it takes longer to get there than most people anticipate.”

Khor and Osman will be members of SmartCompany‘s guest judging panel at the Pitch in September. Joining them on the panel will be Kylie Frazer, co-founder and partner at Flying Fox Ventures, John Kearney, head of startups at AWS, and Chris Dahl, co-CEO at Pin Payments. Judges will select one winner from our short list of 10 startups.

We’re also excited to announce our host for the event: Robyn Foyster, an award-winning journalist, media founder, speaker and consultant who helps entrepreneurs and executives build brand.

As ever, funding, office space and recognition are top items on the agenda for new startups looking to make their move. And that’s what the Pitch is all about.

We’ve extended our entries until the end of the week, so don’t miss the chance to secure $100,000 in AWS credits.

And those who can’t make it to Sydney need not miss out. The top 10 shortlisted candidates will be pre-recorded and played on the night, before a winner is selected.

More information about the eligibility criteria and specific pitching requirements of the Pitch is available here.