Founder spotlight: Sonja Markovic from Evitat
In our ongoing commitment to celebrating International Women's Day, we're shining a spotlight on some of our exceptional women founders as they make waves throughout the emerging tech industry.
We recently spoke with Sonja Markovic, Co-Founder of Evitat, about how she came to start her company, the challenges facing women in the emerging technology sector, and advice she'd pass along to women considering a career in the industry.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I'm many things and if I look at what has influenced who I am now I would probably say: I'm a system designer, a mum, an observer, a migrant, and an entrepreneur. I love the term earth citizen because it forces us to take responsibility for the issues we create globally - not just locally.
Can you tell us a bit about the company you founded, Evitat, and what made you decide to launch it?
A home is an essential need for any person. It gives you shelter, safety, and a place to thrive. Coming to Australia from Germany made me realise that Australian homes are incredibly underperforming. I never felt so cold during typical winter periods, and it kicked off a journey into research, interviewing renovators, architects, and builders to understand the breadth and depth of the issue. During the pandemic, I also joined a masterclass about Doughnut Economy, and that was the tipping point to founding Evitat. This platform solution empowers renovators to make healthy, energy-efficient, and climate-resilient home improvement choices and turn them into future property value.
What three words would you use to describe working at a startup, and why?
Exciting: Continuously learning new aspects, meeting new people, and that change is possible!
Opportunity: Every startup has the opportunity to create a sustainable business model that offers a new economy for change, something I'm particularly passionate about.
Impact: Creating a startup with a strong profit-for-purpose core sits at the heart of our business model and is the baseline of every conversation we have with stakeholders, partners, and investors.
What does your typical day look like?
It can be anything from internal team meetings, discussing the roadmap, and product development to client and partner meetings. Involves visits to client offices where we discuss innovative, healthy, energy-efficient material and product choices.
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced launching your company?
Being an impact startup and working on a platform solution, early-stage funding can be challenging. Particularly in the current risk-averse market, you will need to spend more effort/time to find the right partners who value impact and support your venture. In our case, we have fantastic investor support from the private sector and a family office who are as passionate about impact as we are.
What advice would you give to women considering a career in the emerging technology industry? What do you wish you had known?
There is a very strong supportive woman network in business, particularly in the startup scene and on the investor side. Tap into it, build relationships, and ask for mentoring and support. I have been introduced to exceptional women, who are now some of our most supportive advisors, business partners, and even investors.
As a piece of advice, start early and reach out, ask questions, and ask for help and mentorship - it will help you advance in business and person. And there is nothing better than an experienced mentor/advisor saying, "I love your idea, and I want to help you achieve it."
