Victorian Company Wins Australian Export Award

AUSTRADE MEDIA RELEASE 20 November 2009

Embargoed until 10pm, 20 November

Firemint Wins Australian Export Award

Victorian company Firemint, the creator of two of the most popular iPhone games, was honoured as one of Australia's most successful exporters at the Australian Export Awards this evening, hosted by the Minister for Trade, the Hon Simon Crean MP.

Winning the Arts and Entertainment Award, Firemint was recognised for its outstanding export achievement. This Award is sponsored by Australia Post.

Firemint's Flight Control and Real Racing games continue to rate highly on the Apple Apps store. Flight Control sold more than one million copies in the first three months whilst Real Racing was downloaded over one million times in one week.

Facing strong competition from five other companies around Australia, Firemint was commended by the Australian Export Award judges for its strong risk management as well as its highly responsive and innovative marketing strategies.

Firemint's initial export revenue was from the USA and Europe, but self-publishing on Apple's App store now means world-wide sales, with particular growth in Japan and Canada.

Congratulating the 12 National Winners, Minister Crean said that collectively, these companies have generated more than $1.5 billion in export earnings and employed more than 2,400 people.

The Australian Export Awards are co-presented by Austrade and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Now in its 47th year of recognising export excellence, the Awards are one of the longest running and most prestigious business awards.

The Awards are run in collaboration with the States and Territories, who each conduct their own Export Awards program. State and Territory winners progress to the Australian Export Awards as finalists.

NOTE TO TV NEWS ROOMS: Full live multi-camera feed available from Tieline 5 from the Press Gallery at Parliament House, Canberra.

For more information, visit www.exportawards.gov.au

Media contacts:

Firemint
Alexandra Peters
0400 024 012 or 03 9421 2292

Australian Export Awards
Emma Bailey
0414 969 348 or 02 9390 2077


SOURCE: AUSTRADE