The Melt is a hardware accelerator that provides programs, services, facilities, and investment attraction to help clean technology and manufacturing start-ups - from idea to global scale. Based in Muswellbrook, their latest industrial prototyping hub helps businesses fast-track great ideas into ready-to-market products.
The Melt's vision is to transform the Hunter into a clean energy super precinct to help secure the future of the environment and local jobs. They are creating a pipeline of NSW tried-and-tested hardware technologies to help the industry sector across our state work towards net zero. This will enable these new technologies to be piloted in real-world environments. It will also help to identify barriers to commercial success and connect emerging businesses with investor and finance opportunities.
Partner and Chief Operating Officer, Brett Thomas said, “We need to be future-proofing our economy and diversifying as quickly as possible to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that clean technology present for us.”
Brett believes all start-ups need business help, but hardware start-ups need extra support because hardware is complex to create. To do this, start-ups need tailored technical support from experienced people and affordable access to equipment, machinery, and tools. “They don't have all the skills and all of the team members that they require to make those products and to bring them to market,” Brett said.
With the help of a $1.785 million grant from the NSW Government, The Melt is delivering clean technology accelerator and pilot enabler programs to fast-track growth. This gives ambitious clean technology and advanced manufacturing start-ups access to The Melt’s experienced advisors, technical skills and capability, prototyping facilities, investors, and networks of trusted service providers and partners.
The Melt’s 4P process will help NSW’s early-stage emerging hardware businesses to prove, prototype, pilot and produce – setting them up for long-term success in Australia and throughout the world.
The Melt is committed to helping the Hunter region remain leaders in energy production and export.
Brett said “The vision for this region is for it to remain the energy heartland of New South Wales. In order to do that, we need to create the next generation of start-ups and scale-ups.”
“Funding support from the NSW Government has given us the opportunity to be able to offer this unique accelerator and pilot enabler program. Without this funding, it would be years before we could develop such a program in this region.”
Emerging businesses that develop and build new and innovative products and devices that are not already widely in use.
Organisations that help start-up and scale-up businesses with access to experienced advisors, technical skills and capability, investors, networks of trusted service providers and partners, and a place to build and further test their products.
If you enjoyed this story, read our story about CSIRO's Data Clearing House software project - helping industry get the most out of their on-site renewable energy. You can also sign up for our newsletter to receive updates including our round 2 grants.