Young business leaders collaborate for success
As the 40 Under 40 awards launch for 2020, two of last year’s winners are pooling their talents to take South Australian products to the world.
Tim Angel and Anton Andreacchio met through InDaily's 40 Under 40 program and are now working together on global products. Photo: Kiara Tainton.
The chance to collaborate and network with high-achieving peers is helping Cortex Interactive managing director Timothy Angel expand his company into global markets.
The Adelaide-based immersive learning solution company was founded in 2016 and has enjoyed significant growth in the past two years. But the most recent success, which has helped the company expand into Asia, has been made possible through collaboration with a number of other local entrepreneurs.
Angel met Anton Andreacchio when they were both announced as InDaily 40 Under 40 winners last year. The 37-year-old took out the Creative Thinker Award for his innovative approach to business while Andreacchio was the recipient of Renewal SA’s 2019 Inspiring Future Collaboration Award for his work within the creative industries at the June event.
The pair quickly saw the potential synergy and began a trial collaboration developing virtual reality content for a project, which the pair hope will be the first of many as the companies grow.
“Often, you’ll find there’s a bit of a competitive overlap (between entrepreneurs), and, in terms of speed to market, a lot of people are generally apprehensive and think, ‘Oh well, we can do it ourselves’,” Angel said.
“But the reality is … you can’t do everything … you’ve got to then build up that capability, which you can do by partnering and just focusing on what you need to do. There’s obviously a lot of opportunities out there.
“So, one thing we sort of realised that we needed to focus on within our business … is what we’re good at … so what we’ve done is a lot of collaboration.”
In the 12-months since 40 Under 40, Cortex Interactive has been rolled out in Indonesia and is set to arrive Mongolia later this year.
Entrepreneur, producer and mathematician Andreacchio has founded a number of businesses, including maths consulting company GMTI, post-production service Artisan Post Group and Jumpgate, a virtual and audio reality business.
“We’d known about each other … he (Angel) was in Lot Fourteen and we were in Lot Fourteen but we’d never really met,” Andreacchio said.
“Just like with a lot of people we’re meeting through 40 Under 40, it’s a matter of time before we end up collaborating, either professionally or socially or personally. It’s a really great thing.”
In its third year, InDaily’s 40 Under 40 awards celebrate the creativity, passion, vision and achievements of South Australia’s leading business entrepreneurs under the age of 40.
Solstice Media, the publisher of InDaily, launched the 40 Under 40 Awards for 2020 at an alumni event at Piper Alderman’s city office last night.
The program recognises the personal determination and commercial drive of South Australia’s future business leaders, as well as the philanthropic pursuits that balance the individuals’ professional achievements.
Solstice Media managing director Paul Hamra said the awards were not only a testament to the achievements of the winners, but a breeding ground for further innovation.
Having begun his startup as an under-40, Hamra said he understood many of the challenges and the benefits a strong support network of colleagues could provide.
“In the past, it had been very difficult (to be a disruptor) because you needed a lot of money and very deep pockets,” Hamra said.
“You probably felt a bit alone with your ideas back then, because if you wanted to disrupt you were up against the establishment. Whereas I think now having a collegiate group, you can actually recognise how you’re doing things together and recognise the opportunities and strengths of other people trying to do the same thing, albeit in another sector.”
Speaking at last night’s 40 Under 40 launch, Piper Alderman deputy managing partner Tim O’Callaghan said he was proud to act for clients who started from “humble beginnings” and were now “at the big end of town”.
“InDaily’s 40 Under 40 brings tremendous business opportunity for each of the recipients both through exposure and networking amongst an elite alumni,” he said.
“Seeing businesses such as Sparkke Change or the Adelaide Hills Distillery to George the Farmer and Uniti Wireless – businesses who are making a mark in their fields – be recognised in this way, we know we are looking at South Australia’s future iconic brands.”
Nominations for this year’s InDaily’s 40 Under 40 open today.
An assessment panel representing the South Australian business community will judge the nominees against a selection criteria based on their impact within a business, industry or community and how they push the boundaries to go above and beyond the norm.