Student Highlights
Innovation to success

Liam Manning is a current Bachelor of Business (Marketing major) student who is juggling being a partner and Chief Commercial Officer at SAPHI Engineering. SAPHI Engineering is an expert software and electronics development company leveraging their expertise to develop robust systems to help companies combine the best-suited technology on the market and custom software to maximize performance. Liam speaks of his connection with his studies and professional role through his collaboration in the I2N innovation hub within the University of Newcastle.

Can you give us an overview of what your company does?

We deliver tech innovation as a service. Basically, clients secure our team to consultant, architect, design, build and manage the technical solutions they require to innovate.

How did you and your business partners come up with the idea?

We wanted to start a community-minded tech company that would be renowned for its ability to innovate. The exact market and services we would offer, we were not entirely sure. We are big advocates for just getting in a having a go. Getting started and figuring it out. So, we did! We landed some development gigs to pay the bills and experimented with various services and marketing materials until we started uncovering opportunities.

Soon we started noticing repeated problems appearing in the market. Large companies knew that they needed to innovate through automation, monitoring integration etc. but lacked the technical expertise to develop the systems they needed to do so. This was our opportunity to position ourselves and grow. We are now highly sought after for our ability to not just design solutions but to actively build and deliver them as well.

You are participating in I2N’s venture mentor service (VMS) program. What attracted you to this program?

Because we are a team of young founders, we felt we needed some experienced wisdom from leaders who have been in our shoes, who understand the grind and what it takes to take a company to the next level. When we came across VMS and saw the mentor panel we could have access to, it was a no-brainer for us.

What benefits have you experienced since being part of the program?

Words cannot describe- it has been truly invaluable.

It has enabled us to uncover potential we never knew existed. When you start a company, it can often feel like you are floating in a dark room with no clear path forward. The VMS (venture mentor service) program has given us that guiding light we needed to focus, mature as founders and develop a strong frame of reference related to structuring and growing a business.

What advice would you give to others who are thinking of taking part in this program?

I think it depends on where you are at with your journey and how much of a base you have to leverage going into the program. What I can recommend to others is to surround yourself with a diverse group of people succeeding in their respective fields, not just the sectors you are interested in. I have mentors who are plumbers, marine defense engineers, electrical engineers, creatives etc. It is hard to put into words the wide-sweeping benefits this will have on your career and direction in business and life so all I can say is do it and you will understand why.

The first step is reaching out to people. Remember, CEOs are just people, don’t put anyone on a pedestal, they are just as fallible as you. With that in mind, it becomes a lot less intimidating to ask people for a coffee so you can pick their brains. People in general love to give back.

Tell us Saphi Engineering’s greatest achievement to date and why?

Aside from working on several world firsts – such as the very first microclimate control system, it would have to be winning Lake Mac Business of the Year and the Hunter Region’s Leading Innovator. It enabled us to pause and reflect on what we are building, and we could not be prouder. As a small, young company full of University of Newcastle alumni, it was a special moment for us all to see how those hard yards in the early days paid dividends.

What does the future hold for Saphi Engineering?

We have some big ambitions. We see ourselves as Australia’s leading innovator in the long-term and are well on our way to achieving this.

Find out more about the I2N program here.

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Liam Manning

Liam Manning discusses his connection with his studies and professional role through his collaboration in the I2N innovation hub within the University of Newcastle.

We are a team of young founders, we felt we needed some experienced wisdom from leaders who have been in our shoes, who understand the grind and what it takes to take a company to the next level. When we came across I2N and saw the mentor panel we could have access to, it was a no-brainer for us.