Fresh Front wins Emerging Giants Pitch Night
Exterior cleaning business Fresh Front has won BDC Partners’ inaugural Emerging Giants Pitch Night, which saw five brands compete for the chance of investment of up to $250,000.
The BDC event is designed to identify and support Australia’s most promising retail and franchise businesses in the critical three to 25 location growth phase.
Laundromat business Spinzone scooped second place. Other finalists were retail chains Banana Blossom and Nautical Bowls, and boxing fitness concept Spartans Boxing.
Fresh Front won $5,000 on the night and will now enter into due diligence on up to $250,000 in equity investment from BDC Investments and participate in a one-on-one coaching session with Boost Juice founder Janine Allis.
Fresh Front founder Marty Wilson said “I’m absolutely thrilled and humbled to have won Emerging Giants. Standing in front of those judges and presenting our vision was nerve-wracking, but it validated everything we’ve been building at FreshFront.
“Spending some time with Janine Allis is a great opportunity to learn from her experience scaling Boost Juice. And the potential investment from BDC Investments could be the catalyst that takes us to the next level. We’re ready to show Australia what’s possible for Fresh Front,” Wilson said.
The winners
Spinzone, founded by Christopher Hill, is a modern laundromat franchise offering a new level of convenience and technology-driven service. It also enters into due diligence on up to $250,000 in equity investment from BDC Investments. Hill walked away from the event with a cheque for $2,500.
The three additional finalists each received $1,000 in recognition of their impressive presentations.
All five finalists will receive comprehensive three-hour strategy workshops, valued at $5000, for their leadership teams from BDC Partners and Fordham Group, along with leadership coaching sessions from Paul Roos, AFL Hall of Fame inductee and the founder of Performance by Design.
Each finalist also receives $250 vouchers from Be Fit Food.
Expert judging panel
The five selected brands each presented to a panel of five judges representing diverse expertise across franchise operations, investment, media, and logistics:
- Amie Larter, CEO, Octomedia
- Marcel Lal, global COO, InXpress
- Kate Save, CEO, Be Fit Food and former contestant on Shark Tank
- Jon Sully, managing director, BDC Investments
- Michael Sutherland, lead partner, Fordham Business Advisors
The judges evaluated finalists based on innovation, scalability, operational strength, and brand purpose. Each finalist was selected for demonstrating strong potential in their respective sectors.
Sully praised the calibre of all participants. “What we witnessed last night was exceptional – five businesses that represent the future of Australian retail and franchising. Each finalist demonstrated not just strong business fundamentals, but the self awareness and collaborative spirit we look for in founders.
“Fresh Front and Spinzone stood out for their scalability and execution capability, and we’re excited to begin the due diligence process with both. But make no mistake, all five finalists are businesses worth watching. The passion, resilience, and strategic thinking on display gives us tremendous optimism for the emerging franchise sector in Australia.”
Supporting the future of Australian retail and franchising
Bruce McFarlane, CEO of BDC Partners, said “Watching these five founders present their visions with such clarity and conviction reminded us why we created this initiative in the first place. These are the businesses that will shape the future of Australian retail and franchising, and we’re honoured to support their journey.
“None of this would have been possible without our generous sponsors, whose commitment to nurturing emerging businesses reflects the collaborative spirit that defines our industry at its best,” McFarlane said.
McFarlane described the energy in the room as “electric” and the calibre of pitches “genuinely world-class”.
“This is just the beginning for Emerging Giants. We can’t wait to see where these founders take their businesses next,” he said.
The event, held last night at Level 29 of Melbourne’s iconic Rialto South Tower, was sponsored by BDC Law, Fordham Group, Associated Projects, Benjamin & Benjamin Insurance Group, BDC Property, GapMaps, Little Giant Finance, FranConnect, Judo Bank, Books365, and Octomedia.
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