Australian government awards $4M in grants to two blockchain startups

The new investment aims to explore blockchain’s capability to expand the competitiveness of Australia’s critical minerals and food and beverage industries.

Australia’s Minister for Industry, Science and Technology announced 5.6 million Australian dollars ($4.2 million) in grants to two blockchain-focused companies including traceability firm Everledger and technology consulting startup Convergence.tech.

Everledger, a company focused on building a global registry for diamonds, has received 3 million AUD ($2.2 million) to investigate blockchain technology’s use cases for creating digital certifications for critical minerals through the extraction and movement phases. As previously reported, the firm was deploying blockchain tech by software giant IBM for a transparency platform for the diamond industry.

Covergence.tech received $2.6 AUD ($2 million) to apply blockchain technology for automatic reporting processes under a system for commodity-based tax on goods like beer and spirits. “This will help companies in the sector to reduce compliance costs associated with the creation, storage and transportation of their products,” the announcement reads.

Provided as part of Australia’s “Blockchain Pilot Grants” program funded by the Morrison Government, the new investment aims to explore blockchain’s capability to expand the competitiveness of Australia’s critical minerals and food and beverage industries. Minister Christian Porter said that the projects will accelerate the pace of blockchain adoption in Australia as well as assist businesses in solving real-world challenges.

Related: Aussie state government blockchain platform may prevent a tower block inferno

“The Blockchain Pilot Grants will demonstrate the potential for blockchain to help businesses to save money and cut red tape by improving processes such as tracking products throughout the supply chain and transferring customer information,” Porter noted. The new grants build on Australia’s national blockchain roadmap announced in 2019.