Bloom Celebrates 10 Years of Youth Innovation with Launch of The Ideas Hub
In 2024, Bloom marked a decade of youth-led innovation with a vibrant celebration at its St Catherine’s at UWA headquarters. The event honoured Bloom’s journey from a student-led initiative to a state-leading force in youth entrepreneurship and innovation.
Over the past 10 years, Bloom has supported more than 400 young founders, with alumni featured on Shark Tank Australia, Forbes Asia 30 Under 30, and The Australian’s Top 100 Innovators. Beyond startups, Bloom has delivered over 14,000 hours of hands-on innovation training to more than 4,000 students across 100 schools.
In 2024, Bloom recorded its most impactful year to date. Launchpad, its flagship incubator program, saw 100% of participants generate revenue, collectively earning $55,000 in just 12 weeks. Orbit, Bloom’s 12-month accelerator, helped early-stage startups grow revenue by 275%, from $80,000 to $300,000, within 10 months.
The highlight of the night was the official launch of The Ideas Hub, a new facility designed to inspire bold thinking and support the next wave of changemakers. This vibrant, collaborative space was made possible by generous support from Lotterywest, the Malka Foundation and St Catherine’s College, which has powered Bloom’s journey from day one.
“When the Malka Foundation was established almost five years ago, our goal was, and still is, to contribute to the growth and diversification of the WA by supporting the development of young entrepreneurs. Knowing the reputation of Bloom, it was only natural that we would approach Bloom and invite them to submit a proposal for the expansion of their programs.
We have been impressed by the results the leadership of Bloom has achieved in that time and are pleased to be able to make a further five-year commitment to continue their work, especially their outreach to schools in the metropolitan and regional area,” said Malcolm Steinberg, Founder of the Malka Foundation. “We hope this will help many young people to follow their dreams and ambitions in the field of entrepreneurship.”
Hannah Beazley MLA, WA Minister for Youth, joined the celebration alongside long-time Bloom supporters, including the Fogarty Foundation and GoSHackathon.
The Ideas Hub expands on the vision of St Catherine’s College and its commitment to empowering young Western Australians through real-world innovation opportunities.