Canberra​ ​based​ ​tech​ ​startup​ ​​QuestaGame​​ ​will​ ​be​ ​competing​ ​against​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​world’s​ ​most promising​ ​early​ ​stage​ ​companies​ ​in​ ​Shanghai​ ​in​ ​mid-October.​ ​The​ ​​Create@Alibaba​ ​Cloud Startup​ ​Contest​,​ ​will​ ​see​ ​competitors​ ​pitching​ ​their​ ​company​ ​to​ ​media​ ​and​ ​venture​ ​capital investors​ ​from​ ​around​ ​the​ ​world.

The​ ​local​ ​team​ ​won​ ​their​ ​place​ ​at​ ​the​ ​global​ ​finals​ ​through​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​performance​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Australia and​ ​New​ ​Zealand​ ​Division​ ​finals​ ​at​ ​Haymarket​ ​HQ​ ​in​ ​September.​ ​”We​ ​are​ ​excited​ ​to​ ​have​ ​had some​ ​of​ ​Australia​ ​and​ ​New​ ​Zealand’s​ ​best​ ​startups​ ​pitch,​ ​”​ ​says​ ​Duco​ ​van​ ​Breemen,​ ​Haymarket HQ​ ​general​ ​manager.​ ​”We​ ​can’t​ ​wait​ ​to​ ​see​ ​what​ ​the​ ​future​ ​beholds​ ​for​ ​the​ ​winners.

“The​ ​calibre​ ​of​ ​talent​ ​in​ ​Australia​ ​and​ ​New​ ​Zealand​ ​is​ ​both​ ​inspiring​ ​and​ ​impressive.​ ​It’s​ ​been​ ​a pleasure​ ​to​ ​expand​ ​the​ ​Create@Alibaba​ ​Cloud​ ​programme​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Australian and New Zealand​ ​region​ ​this​ ​year​ ​for​ ​the first​ ​time,”​ ​says​ ​Raymond​ ​Ma,​ ​Alibaba​ ​Cloud​ ​ASEAN​ ​and​ ​ANZ​ ​head.

QuestaGame​ ​is​ ​a​ ​mobile​ ​game​ ​that​ ​gets​ ​people​ ​engaging​ ​with,​ ​learning​ ​about,​ ​and​ ​protecting the​ ​environment.​ ​Players​ ​submit​ ​photos​ ​of​ ​plants​ ​and​ ​animals,​ ​receive​ ​fast​ ​and​ ​accurate identifications,​ ​and​ ​are​ ​rewarded​ ​so​ ​they​ ​are​ ​motivated​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​discovering​ ​more.​ ​The​ ​resulting biodiversity​ ​records​ ​are​ ​shared​ ​with​ ​biodiversity​ ​researchers.

“I​ ​can’t​ ​wait​ ​to​ ​share​ ​our​ ​vision​ ​with​ ​the​ ​world,”​ ​says​ ​David​ ​Haynes,​ ​Co-Founder​ ​of QuestaGame.”Rather​ ​than​ ​using​ ​technology​ ​to​ ​distract​ ​people​ ​from​ ​nature,​ ​we​ ​are​ ​empowering them​ ​to​ ​engage​ ​with​ ​it.​ ​It’s​ ​exactly​ ​what​ ​our​ ​world​ ​needs​ ​right​ ​now.​ ​Anyone​ ​can​ ​download​ ​and play​ ​the​ ​game​ ​for​ ​free.​ ​We​ ​make​ ​our​ ​money​ ​selling​ ​subscription​ ​packages​ ​to​ ​organisations​ ​that want​ ​their​ ​get​ ​their​ ​communities​ ​outdoors​ ​and​ ​helping​ ​to​ ​protect​ ​our​ ​environment.”

This​ ​week​ ​kids​ ​across​ ​Victoria​ ​are​ ​competing​ ​in​ ​QuestaGame’s​ ​​Junior​ ​Rangers​ ​Spring BioQuest​,​ ​sponsored​ ​by​ ​Parks​ ​Victoria.​ ​In​ ​its​ ​first​ ​week,​ ​the​ ​event​ ​has​ ​already​ ​mapped​ ​over​ ​140 species​ ​in​ ​15​ ​different​ ​national​ ​and​ ​state​ ​parks,​ ​with​ ​over​ ​3000​ ​sightings​ ​and​ ​expert identifications.

QuestaGame​ ​has​ ​grown​ ​out​ ​of​ ​a​ ​Canberra-based​ ​startup​ ​hub,​ ​​Entry29​,​ ​which​ ​offers​ ​co-working spaces​ ​in​ ​both​ ​Civic​ ​and​ ​Belconnen.