Queensland startup JESI closes $1 million seed round led by the state government

A Queensland mobile workforce software startup has closed a $1 million seed round led by a state government co-investment, the first funding dished out to a regional company.

Townsville-based JESI, which offers B2B software to track workers movements between sites, secured $500,000 in funding from the Queensland government’s Business Development Fund along with a co-investment of the same amount from Future Now Ventures.

JESI founder and CEO Joe Hoolahan says he applied to Advance Queensland for the funding in December, and the “long” process has provided several lessons.

“Just be patient and prepared to be very clear about what the business is about,” Hoolahan tells StartupSmart.