Here are the winners of the YBF Lift Off awards

Startup founders know how to face adversity head on, so after cancelling last year’s YBF Lift Off Awards, a fresh pandemic outbreak that has three states in lockdown wasn’t going to stop the 2021 event going ahead.

The Lift Off Awards are part of YBF’s overarching drive for diversity.

Shifting online for a YouTube-streamed virtual gathering on Thursday night, the annual event recognisedstartups, scaleups and individual leaders in the tech ecosystem, also embracing new categories such as Diversity & Inclusion Tech Leader of the Year and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Tech Startup or Scaleup of the Year.

The ceremony even went global with CultureAmp’s Aubrey Blanche presenting from California and venture partner Preeti Chaudhary from India.

YBF CEO Farley Blackman said that while they wanted to embrace awards guests with YBF hospitality, holding the digital event allowed them to celebrate the most important aspect: recognising people and companies that have shown that diversity is core to sustainable success.

“Well done to all of the finalists and to all of the winners, and thanks to everyone who tuned in and celebrated diversity in tech with us,” he said.

“I would also like to extend a special thank you to Lander & Rogers, OVHcloud and Tyro for supporting this year’s awards helping to make them special no matter the format.”

Mikaela Jade, founder and CEO of Indigital, winner of the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Tech Startup or Scaleup of the Year award said she was “absolutely delighted” to be recognised.

“I’d like to acknowledge our brothers and sisters in this tech award category also: Binary Security and Indigitek. We’re all doing incredible work, not just for ourselves but for our mobs too. Thank you so much,” she said.

The winners are:

1. Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Tech Startup or Scaleup of the Year: Indigital, represented by Mikaela Jade

Presented by Lander & Rogers

Nominees: Binary Security, Indigital and Indigitek

2. Agtech Startup or Scaleup of the Year: Goterra represented by Olympia Yarger

Nominees: 8Corners, AgriDigital, Goterra and The Leaf Protein Co.

3. Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning Startup or Scaleup of the Year: Clipboard Hospitality, represented by Tipu Sultan

Presented by OVHcloud

Nominees: Aiculus, Clipboard Hospitality, Kido Paint and Plaetos Group

4. Cybersecurity Startup or Scaleup or Scaleup of the Year: Aiculus represented by Dr Omaru Maruatona

Nominees: Aiculus, Archimigo, Binary Security and HackHunter

5. Diversity & Inclusion Tech Leader of the Year: Karen Cohen

Nominees: Jill Berry, CEO & Co-founder of Adatree; Karen Cohen, Founder & Director of Women in Blockchain and Women in Emerging Tech; Lynda Coker, Director and investor, creator of the Support for Female Tech Founders Map and Dr Omaru Maruatona, CEO & Founder, Aiculus

6. Fintech Startup or Scaleup of the Year: Upstreet, represented by Sabine Tejerina

Presented by Tyro

Nominees: Flo2Cash, Longevity App, Tractor Ventures and Upstreet

7. Healthtech or Medtech Startup or Scaleup of the Year: Ovira represented by Alice Williams

Nominees: Diag-Nose, loop+, Ovira and NeedleCalm

8. International Tech Startup or Scaleup of the Year: Stack Finance, represented by Smriti Tomar (India)

Nominees: Distichain (United Arab Emirates), Lucid Software (USA), Stack Finance (India) and Switch Automation (US)

9. Legaltech or Regtech Startup or Scaleup of the Year: triSearch, represented by Taylah Allen

Presented by Lander & Rogers

Nominees: Adatree, FamilyProperty, Legal Tech Helper and triSearch

10. Proptech Startup or Scaleup of the Year: Place Intelligence, represented by Bonnie Shaw

Nominees: Bricks + Agent, :Different, MadeComfy and Place Intelligence