Telematics Trust
Telematics Trust is a Victorian charitable trust, established in 1987, that distributes grants of up to A$50,000 to fund technology-driven education and training projects across Victoria, serving individuals, businesses, universities, NGOs, and government agencies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersMelbourne, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Telematics Trust does
Telematics Trust is a private charitable trust established on 18 December 1987 by the Hon. John Cain, then Premier of Victoria, with an initial A$3 million grant from the Victorian State Government. Its mandate is to fund innovative technology-driven education and training projects that benefit communities across Victoria, with grants capped at A$50,000 per project and a documented preference for seeding grants that conventional funders are unlikely to support. Since inception, the trust has funded close to 500 projects spanning mental health, accessibility, Indigenous heritage, STEM education, environmental education, and digital health.
The trust does not develop proprietary technology products. Its core operational asset is a grant distribution program administered through a partnership with the Australian Communities Foundation, whose Grants Portal handles registration, application submission (including a 1-2 minute video and two independent referee reports), and ongoing reporting. Recipients are categorized across six applicant types: individuals, businesses, education institutions, not-for-profits, government agencies, and community organizations. The trust is governed by a board of trustees with deep technology operating and investing experience (including former Hitwise CTO and Square Peg VC partner Gavin Appel, and AI-SaaS operator Nikki Brown).
The trust's revenue model is not commercial. It operates as an endowment vehicle, generating returns from the original A$3M corpus and distributing grants on an annual cycle. The pricing structure is a fixed A$50,000 grant ceiling with a partnership co-funding requirement (cash or in-kind). The organization runs a lean 1-10 person operation headquartered in East Melbourne, with annual reviews published consistently since 2016 as its primary accountability mechanism.
Telematics Trust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Telematics Trust
- Legal name
- Telematics Course Development Fund (Telematics Trust)
- Website
- https://telematics.org.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Telematics Trust is a Victorian charitable trust, established in 1987, that distributes grants of up to A$50,000 to fund technology-driven education and training projects across Victoria, serving individuals, businesses, universities, NGOs, and government agencies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Telematics Trust industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Grants / Charitable Foundation
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Trust Administration & Fiduciary Accounting Services (FSAAANAF)
Keywords
Where Telematics Trust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Melbourne
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Telematics Trust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Grant Funding: Telematics Trust is a charitable trust that provides grants to innovative technology-driven education projects. The trust was established with a $3,000,000 grant from the Victorian State Government in 1987-1988 and has since funded close to 500 educational technology projects. Revenue is generated from endowment returns and managed through the Australian Communities Foundation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Standard Grant - Up to $50,000 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Telematics Trust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Telematics Trust is a charitable trust that distributes seeding grants of up to $50,000 per project to support innovative technology-driven education and training initiatives in Victoria, Australia. Funding is provided to a diverse range of applicants including individuals, businesses, educational institutions, not-for-profits, government agencies, and community organizations, with projects required to benefit Victorian communities.
Product overview
Telematics Trust is a public charitable trust established in 1987 that funds innovative technology-driven education and training projects benefiting communities across Victoria, Australia. The organization does not develop or sell its own proprietary technology products; instead, it provides grant funding (typically up to $50,000 per grant) to individuals, educational institutions, businesses, non-profits, and government agencies for technology-based education initiatives. The organization's core service is its grant funding program, which supports projects across diverse areas including digital health, STEM education, accessibility technology, mental health support platforms, and cultural preservation tools. Funded projects are created and operated by the grantees, not by Telematics Trust itself.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Telematics Trust Grant Funding Program Annual grant funding program providing up to $50,000 per project to individuals, businesses, education institutions, not-for-profits, government agencies, and community organizations in Victoria, Australia for innovative technology-driven education and training projects.
Quantifiable outcome
- Close to 500 educational technology projects funded since inception in 1987
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Telematics Trust
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Telematics Trust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Telematics Trust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Australian Communities FoundationcoreTelematics Trust is administered through the Australian Communities Foundation, which manages the grants portal used for application submission, review, and administration. All grant applications must be submitted through the Australian Communities Foundation Grants Portal.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Telematics Trust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Australian Communities Foundation: Australian grantmaking intermediary that administers sub-funds and charitable trusts, including Telematics Trust itself. Directly comparable as a grantmaking platform for Australian philanthropists and a key operational partner.
- Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation: Melbourne-based charitable foundation supporting education, health, and social inclusion. Comparable as a Victoria-focused grantmaking foundation with comparable ticket sizes and community grant programs.
- Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation: Australian family foundation focused on education and young people. Comparable in scale, grantmaking approach, and education-focused thematic priorities.
- Ian Potter Foundation: One of Australia's largest private grantmaking foundations, funding education, science, and the arts. Comparable as a major Australian grantmaking foundation with a multi-decade endowment and structured grant rounds.
- Reichstein Foundation: Australian foundation focused on social justice, environmental sustainability, and education. Comparable as a smaller-scale Australian grantmaking foundation with thematic alignment to Telematics Trust's social impact projects.
- Sidney Myer Fund: Australian philanthropic foundation focused on education, the arts, and poverty. Comparable in scale, Victorian roots, and grantmaking programs targeting education and social outcomes.
- Myer Foundation: Melbourne-based family foundation supporting education, the arts, and the environment. Comparable as a Victoria-headquartered grantmaking foundation with thematic focus areas overlapping Telematics Trust's portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- Paul Ramsay Foundation: Large Australian philanthropic foundation funding health, education, and Indigenous-led initiatives. Broader in scope and scale than Telematics Trust but overlapping in education and social-issue grantmaking.
- Equity Trustees: Australian trustee company that manages charitable trusts and foundations. Compares to Telematics Trust as part of the broader trust administration and charitable asset management ecosystem.
- Macquarie Group Foundation: Corporate foundation of Macquarie Group supporting education and social enterprises across Australia. Comparable in supporting EdTech and education-focused grantmaking, though at much larger scale and tied to a corporate sponsor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Telematics Trust social profiles
Digital presenceTelematics Trust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Telematics Trust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Telematics Trust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Telematics Trust M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Telematics Trust
What does Telematics Trust do?
Telematics Trust is a charitable trust that distributes seeding grants of up to $50,000 per project to support innovative technology-driven education and training initiatives in Victoria, Australia. Funding is provided to a diverse range of applicants including individuals, businesses, educational institutions, not-for-profits, government agencies, and community organizations, with projects required to benefit Victorian communities.
Is Telematics Trust a public or private company?
Telematics Trust is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Telematics Trust founded?
Telematics Trust was founded in 1987. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Telematics Trust based?
Telematics Trust is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Telematics Trust make money?
One revenue line is on record: grant Funding.
Who are Telematics Trust's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Australian Communities Foundation, Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation, Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation, Ian Potter Foundation, Reichstein Foundation, Sidney Myer Fund and Myer Foundation. Broad incumbents are Paul Ramsay Foundation, Equity Trustees and Macquarie Group Foundation.
Does Telematics Trust have an API?
No public API is recorded for Telematics Trust.
What industry is Telematics Trust in?
Telematics Trust's product category is Education Grants / Charitable Foundation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries, with a secondary code of EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8300.