Three Australian startups are visiting Chengdu in western China this week to help improve bilateral trade and innovation exchange between Australia and China.
The companies are SonderDesign, the creators of a dynamic E-ink keyboard which adapts to the user, based on the application being used; CancerAid, creators of a smartphone app which aims to empower cancer patients and their caregivers; and Elanation, a lifestyle technology company for 8-12 year old children which merges outdoor play with online play to address digital addiction and obesity.
The companies will meet with local innovation networks in Chengdu as well as participate in the 14th China International Software Cooperation Conference organised by the Chengdu Software Industry Association.
They were selected from a field of six finalists after winning a pitch competition at the successful Chengdu Innovate program held in Sydney last month.
Chengdu Innovate is jointly managed by UNSW Innovations, the technology transfer arm of the University of New South Wales and China Ambition, a business consultancy that helps Australian firms engage with the Chinese market. The initiative was organised with the support of Austrade and the Australian Consulate in Chengdu and was supported by an Australia-China Council grant.
China Ambition CEO Melissa Ran said increasing disposable income, a desire for high-quality products and the number of multinational firms establishing operations in the city means increasing opportunities for Australian businesses.
“Chengdu Innovate is just the first step in introducing Australian entrepreneurs to the Chengdu market. I look forward to much more collaboration to come in the future,” she said.
SonderDesign founder Francisco Serra-Martins said the information on the keys of their keyboard changes according to the application using the same E-ink technology as a Kindle e-reader or Pebble watch.
While the idea came from a desire to help people using software such as Photoshop with lots of keyboard shortcuts that can be difficult to memorise, around half of its sales were coming from international markets where it can easily convert between an English keyboard or a different script.
"We have been overwhelmed by the love the creative and international community has shown us," he said.
[The SonderDesign keyboard can switch to Chinese characters quickly. Photo: SonderDesign]