Celebrating Australia’s fastest-growing companies at the AFR Fast 100 & Fast Starters Awards
The lights were up and the energy was high as we recently co-hosted the AFR Fast 100 and Fast Starters Awards with our partners, Ord Minnett – a night dedicated to Australia’s fastest-growing companies and the ambitious founders and teams behind them.
The Awards brought together a powerful mix of founders, operators, advisers and investors. It was a chance to connect, compare notes on growth, and celebrate the momentum building across Australia’s mid-market.
On stage, our own Katrina Engelbert joined Mark Di Stefano, Blanco Norton, Matt Storey and Mark Woodland on a panel exploring what really underpins sustainable growth. Three themes kept surfacing:
People first, always
Talent, culture and leadership showed up as the enduring edge – no matter the sector.
Clarity of strategy
The standout companies have a clear, communicable ambition, stay focused on their core markets, understand their right to win and align capital and resources to a tight set of priorities.
Customer obsession
Deep product–market fit, strong retention and genuine advocacy remain the earliest – and most reliable – indicators of momentum.
The discussion also explored the moment founders know it’s time to raise growth capital: when the opportunity ahead is clear, but the ability to pursue it is constrained by balance sheets, succession or evolving capability needs.
One reflection that stayed with us came from Mark Woodland, who shared the advice he’d give his younger self – to praise both himself and his team more often. A timely reminder in a world that moves quickly and rarely stops to recognise progress.
From all of us at Pemba, a huge congratulations to all the winners and finalists – including Fast 100 winner Wickton, Fast Starters winner Kismet, and the Pemba Growth Champion Award winners below.
Pemba Growth Champion Awards
The Pemba Growth Champion Award for Technology – EatClub
This year’s Technology winner is transforming hospitality with dynamic, data-driven tools that fill empty tables, grow revenue, and help diners discover and support the venues they love – keeping our cities vibrant and our operators resilient.
The Pemba Growth Champion Award for Healthcare – Choice Chemist
Our Healthcare winner is disrupting traditional pharmacy models and pursuing growth that isn’t reliant on dispensing services, gaining a first-mover advantage in providing on-site professional pharmacy services in residential aged care homes – now supporting 675 care facilities and 58,000 recipients, with an impressive 42% market share.
The Pemba Growth Champion Award for Manufacturing & Consumer Goods – York St Brands
This year’s Manufacturing & Consumer Goods winner scales challenger beauty brands built around customer needs – pairing evidence-led R&D with high-velocity retail growth through both Direct-to-Consumer and partner channels, including Priceline, Woolworths, Coles and Boots UK. Its portfolio includes tbh Skincare, BOOST LAB and Bouf.
The Pemba Growth Champion Award for Property, Construction & Transport – Wickton
Our Property, Construction & Transport winner brings a tried-and-tested, fully integrated development model – industry experts delivering a smooth, end-to-end service where every step is managed for quality, speed and certainty – producing outstanding outcomes for clients.
An inspiring cohort pushing boundaries and lifting the bar for growth in Australia.
