“Being a startup founder certainly has its challenges and at times, can feel like a lonely journey that’s hard for others to relate to,” shares Nic Blair, 40 Under 40 Awards finalist and Entrepreneurial Award winner.”Sharing a room (and stage) with like-minded people and being recognised for what I’ve achieved means so much to me.”

Nic is a self-proclaimed “serialprenteur”, whose latest venture has made an permanent mark on the future of Queensland and beyond. Since it first launched in 2021, Midnight Health has provided more than 280,000 consultations to Australians across the country. Designed with the digital age in mind, the healthcare provider operates solely online, offering a wide range of services from telehealth consultations to delivery prescriptions.

“[We’re] on a mission to provide healthcare that is accessible when, where and how you need it,” explains Nic. “Our vision is to provide access to a complete healthcare ecosystem, with a patient-centred approach that connects you to the healthcare products and services you need.”

Last month, Nic’s contribution to healthcare was recognised at the 40 Under 40 Gala Awards. The startup founder also took home the Entrepreneurial Award, sponsored by Queensland Futures Institute.

“The 40 Under 40 list has so many amazing founders on it that it was truly an honour to be recognised amongst them in the first place,” adds Nic.

“Just making the list and being a finalist felt like a great achievement in its own right, so you can imagine how surprised and excited I was to receive the Entrepreneurial Award.”

Such an award was designed to celebrate an outstanding lateral business thinker and bold risk taker. A criteria which the judging panel agreed perfectly embodied Nic and his work with Midnight Health.

After receiving $40 million in capital from nib in 2021, the healthcare provider delivered $26.8 million revenue in FY24, up 171 percent on the prior year. These record numbers have allowed Midnight Health to impact the lives of hundreds and thousands of Australians. In just three years, Midnight Health has helped more than 180,000 customers and shipped more than 250,000 medications to 2164 postcodes. The business also made headlines in 2021 when it unveiled Australia’s first emergency contraception delivery service.

“I think it’s important to take time to reflect on your journey, meet like-minded people and in the case that you win, celebrate what you’ve achieved. The 40 Under 40 Awards provided a great platform to do that and an opportunity to share some champagne with friends,” says Nic.

“It also gave me an opportunity to publicly thank my wife, who’s been by my side since I launched my first startup many years ago, and give her the recognition that she deserves for believing in my crazy ideas and sticking by me when times are tough. It gave us an opportunity to celebrate how far we’ve come together!”

Beyond the celebration, the 40 Under 40 Gala Awards offered Nic the opportunity to connect with his fellow Queensland entrepreneurs.

“My biggest highlight was the new people that I met. We spent hours at the party, after party and after-after party chatting to some really cool people that we’d met for the first time. To me, that’s what it’s all about!”

The award win coincided with the launch of Midnight Health’s latest offshoot, an Australian-first corporate health product called hubPass for Business. The new brand provides employers with the opportunity to give their employees access to unlimited telehealth consultations, prescriptions, exclusive discounts on pharmacy products and free shipping to their door.

“We believe this is a game changer for employee health and wellness. [We’re] very excited to bring this to thousands of employees across Australia and have a real impact on their health outcomes.”

For next year’s hopefuls, Nic has some helpful advice.

“Go for it, without a doubt. Whether you make the list, win an award or not, there is nothing to lose and only something to gain … if you don’t become a finalist, I still recommend going along to the event and surrounding yourself with like-minded people that will motivate you to make it next year!”

To see the full list of this year’s 40 Under 40 winners, head here.