Public Voting is now open!
Pause Awards 2024 is closed for entries but now you can vote for your favourite company or individual. You have 5 votes to give.
Vote nowPause Winners '23
WeMoney
Company Of The Year, Defiant Ones, Wildfire
ReSource
Circular Pioneer
InvestorHub
Great Pivot
Pretzel Australia
Prodigy
Macro Mike
Hammer, I Wish I’d Done That
Mel Stubbings
TopCoder
WithYouWithMe
Out Of The Garage
WeVolt
Culture Champion
Birchal
Hammer
Melinda Farley
Women In Business
Marcella Romero
Women In Business
Quad Lock
Work Sweet Work, Movement
Jasmine Batra
Future Builder
Brittany Garbutt
Women In Business
Chau Le
Women In Business
Music Health
B-Good
Michelle Duke
Angel
Tixel
Defiant Ones
Tanck
On The Rise
Kollektive
Out Of The Garage, Small Team Culture
Paz Pisarski
Ecosystem Star
Upstock
Design First, Down Under
inke Packaging
Design First
Origin Energy
Going Green, New Model
AirTree Ventures
Venture Cap
New in 2024
12 new categories, special offers and comprehensive support.
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12 New Categories
Introducing 12 innovative categories like ‘Next Level’, ‘Customer Obsessed’, ‘Collab’ and ‘Visionary’ under five organised tracks, tailored to highlight diverse innovations.
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NomiGPT™ Introduction
Meet NomiGPT™, your AI chatbot for quick and efficient entry drafting, providing detailed category info and eligibility with a paid OpenAI ChatGPT version 4 subscription.
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Fortnightly Info Sessions
Join our bi-weekly online sessions to get your questions answered and receive detailed guidance on successful entry submissions. Book here.
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Expanded 40+ Judging Panel
Our judging panel now includes leaders from Google, Dentsu Creative, Tech Council of Australia, Aussie Angels, and more, ensuring a diverse and expert evaluation of entries.
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Enhanced Entry Bundles
Take advantage of our new entry bundles: enter three categories, get one free; enter five, get two free; enter ten, receive three free. Automatically!
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Female Founder Discount
In celebration of Women’s International Day, female founders and leaders enjoy a 21.7% discount, supporting efforts to close the gender pay gap. Contact us for personalised code on info@pauseawards.com
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Increased Alumni Discount
Alumni now receive a 30% discount, rewarding past winners and judges for their continued participation and loyalty. We have sent everyone special codes, if you haven’t received it please get in touch.
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Extending Services
While we offer extensive support for all entrants, we can’t write your entries. However, we’ve partnered with Green Door to provide exclusive entry preparation assistance.
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New Partnerships
Welcoming back Blackmagic Design for a third year and new partner WeMoney. Our community partners include Social Change Central, Birchal, The Startup Network, The Community Collective and Fintech Australia to name a few. We’re always open to new partnerships — contact us.
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New Advisory Board
We’ve formed a new Advisory Board to strengthen our awards, including Co-Chairs joining Celia Harding from PR Shed and Brett de Neise from Aceik.
“Super-high energy, snappy networking and I loved Dancing-Walks.”
“Winning the ‘Company of Year’ award really put us on the map and was very unexpected!”
“Personally, the most important thing is community, not the awards.”
Top 10 ’23
Brittany Garbutt
Women In Business
WeMoney
Company Of The Year, Defiant Ones, Wildfire
InvestorHub
Great Pivot
Origin Energy
Going Green, New Model
ReSource
Circular Pioneer
Macro Mike
Hammer, I Wish I’d Done That
Music Health
B-Good
Chau Le
Women In Business
Mel Stubbings
TopCoder
Pretzel Australia
Prodigy
Ticker news at Pause Awards Night
The Ticker team will be conducting live interviews at the Pause Awards Night. This is an unmissable opportunity!
Learn morePast winners
“It’s super-high energy, snappy networking and I loved Dancing-Walks.”
“Winning the ‘Company of Year’ award really put us on the map and was very unexpected!”
“Entrepreneurship is all about the community. Otherwise it can be a very isolated experience. So being part of the ecosystem is everything.”
“Pause is the community of amazing innovators, and we are thrilled to be recognised for the third year running.”
“Being able to network with entrepreneurs, founders, learn and be part of that ecosystem has been fantastic for us.”
By the numbers
Top 5 industries
1. Health
2. Financial Services
3. Web/Internet Services
4. Marketing/Advertising
5. Computer Technology
The average age of the founder
38 years
Awards by states:
1.90% ACT
17.11%. NSW
0.38%. ROW
5.32%. QLD
1.52%. SA
0.38%. TAS
69.96% VIC
3.04%. WA
Awards by gender
Male 63%
Female 37%
Top 5 categories
1. Future builder
2. Company of the Year
3. Hammer
4. Women in Business
5. On the Rise
Average funding for a company entered
$18 million
Pause Index
Dive into the Pause Index, your gateway to the inspiring world of pioneering founders and standout companies who’ve graced our winners’ circle.
Vanessa Doake
Women In Business
Mark Brownlee
Do You Know Who I Am
Switch4Schools
Defiant Ones
Origin Energy
Going Green, New Model
WeMoney
Company Of The Year, Defiant Ones, Wildfire
Macro Mike
Hammer, I Wish I’d Done That
Kate Pollard
Women In Business
Providoor
I Wish I’d Done That
evee
Going Green
ReSource
Circular Pioneer
CorePlan
Defiant Ones
Safely
Out Of The Garage
Marcella Romero
Women In Business
Adventus
Out Of The Garage
Jasmine Batra
Future Builder
Linkmate
B-Good
Why enter
Entering the Pause Awards aligns you with a vibrant community of forward-thinkers, offering a platform for significant promotion, valuable networking, and extensive media exposure. The awards are more than a competition; they are an investment in your network’s worth, providing opportunities for mentorship, speaking engagements, and featuring your achievements across newsletters and meetups.
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Join the community
Dedicated to redefining business excellence.
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Together we break—through
The power of innovation beyond financial success.
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We set gold-standard
Our commitment to meritocracy and integrity.
Discover Pause Awards
From the tiers of award levels to the splendour of the trophy, this page offers a comprehensive view of what makes our Pause Awards a beacon of innovation. Discover the range of categories and learn how each contributes to a tapestry of extraordinary achievements.
Learn moreAcknowledgement
The Pause Awards honors the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung peoples, acknowledging their enduring connection to the Eastern Kulin lands. We pay our respects to their Elders, celebrating the wisdom and culture that inspire our pursuit of a better future.