The idea for Binary crate was established from when the founder of Binary Crate, Hasib and Mark, spent a considerable amount of time assisting people to set up Python, a computer programming language, so that students could start learning to code. Students found the set up process itself daunting and time consuming, and Hasib and Mark could see more and more students losing interest and giving up on coding. Seeing the students disconnect from learning a skill that would be essential for the jobs of the future was the spark that led to the establishment of Binary Crate.
Winning the Start IT Up Challenge in 2016 gave the Binary Crate team the opportunity to build their proof of concept and begin to address the gap in uptake of STEM amongst students. The money and opportunity to develop their cloud-based in browser solution with a State Government agency provided Binary Crate close insight into the education system to allow them to develop their proof of concept with potential customers in mind. As Silicon Valley entrepreneur Steve Blank remarked,
“a startup is not just about the idea: it's about testing and then implementing the idea. A founding team without these skills is likely dead on arrival."
With a better understanding of the learning environment and how their product aligns with the national curriculum, Binary Crate was able to be develop an environment that helps students and teachers to learn and teach programming with ease. Allowing them to build games and web applications directly in the browser has the potential to save important funding and time on installing, updating and maintaining software.
In addition to support from State Government agencies involved in the Challenge, Binary Crate has benefited from the collaborative co-working spaces Vic Park Mini Lab and Sixty27 Joondalup as a place to share ideas, validate them and find likeminded people. Business Foundation and Edith Cowan University’s The LINK space (ECU) also provided mentoring and networking opportunities.
Binary Crate are now making content for teachers and students to get them started with their coding journey. They are designing and building the next version Binary crate to be launched in WA schools and to target overseas markets like Asia and America.
Advice and resources
Awards and recognition
In the media
- Business News article: Start IT Up Winners get funding
- The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer's Twitter page: WA startup Hacker Pals take out $30,000 for 'Binary Crate' kids coding app in Start IT Up 2016
