Accelerators

Our 10x Accelerator programs (Health, Biotech, Defence, Climate, and All Industries) help founders grow and become investment and impact-ready.

Startups will receive seed funding and 10 weeks of accelerated learning from experts and mentors. Express interest in the 2024 cohort below.

Join us for an info session on 4 April: Funding your Startup in 2024.

Or watch a recording here.

The Program

Our 10-week intensive program is tailored to equip founders with the essential skills required to build successful businesses. We go beyond the basics. We delve into the complexities of growing a business and becoming investment-ready. Our founders emerge not just with knowledge, but with a robust, actionable strategy for success.

UNSW Founders Portfolio

Program Details

The Founders 10x Accelerator is our flagship program, tailored for high-potential tech-enabled startups.

Our Accelerator has five streams:

  • All Industries (10x)*:  tailored for high-potential tech-enabled startups from any industry.

  • Health (H10x): run in partnership with The George Institute for Global Health (TGI), for teams developing affordable and scalable solutions to some of the most pressing unmet medical needs, globally.

  • Bio (B10x): accelerating the growth of Australian Biotech / Deeptech startups through access to the PC2 labs and shared scientific infrastructure of the RNA Institute and UNSW School of Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences.

  • Defence (D10x): for startups whose innovation addresses the defence needs of Australia and our allies.

  • Climate (C10x): if your startup helps Australia and the world transition to sustainable recycling and clean energy solutions and systems.

Health, Biotech, Defence & Foundry are open to ANY Australian startup

*10x open to startups with at least one founder who is a UNSW student, staff, or alumni.

We operate the program in two phases: Pre-Accelerator (4 weeks) and Accelerator (10 weeks). 15 teams per stream will be accepted into the Pre-Accelerator which is recommended but not compulsory for participation in the Accelerator. After the Pre-Accelerator, 6 teams per stream will be selected to advance to the 10-week Accelerator program.

Program Benefits

If you are accepted into the Accelerator, you’ll receive:

  • Seed funding as a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE)

  • An opportunity to pitch your startup to investors at Demo Night

  • 10 weeks of accelerated learning from industry and startup experts via workshops, mentoring, and collaborative activities

  • Weekly 1:1 meetings with our Entrepreneur-in-Residence

  • Access to a co-working space with UNSW Founders in Residence for 6 months after the program, ongoing coaching, networking, and educational events

  • Post Program ongoing support with capital raising, grant & funding applications, going global, media and PR support.

  • Westpac Accelerator Scholarships: Financial support for women and non-binary founders to go all-in. By application, with three scholarships awarded valued at $20,000 each.

Grow fast, raise capital, or go global

Founders 10x is our flagship industry-agnostic accelerator, tailored for high-potential tech-enabled startups that are founded by current UNSW students, staff, or alumni. Our program is specifically designed to get startups investment ready.

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Scale solutions to major health challenges

UNSW Founders and The George Institute for Global Health have partnered to deliver a unique national program accelerating the business growth of startups developing affordable and scalable solutions for major health challenges.

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Accelerate product development for impact

Bio 10x harnesses the experience of UNSW Founders and R&D capabilities of the RNA Institute and UNSW School of Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences to provide startups with access to education, networks, and shared infrastructure to accelerate product development and commercialisation.

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Westpac Accelerator Scholarships: Financial support for women and non-binary founders to go all-in

With proud support from Westpac, we’re offering three Westpac Accelerator Scholarships valued at $20,000 each to offer financial support to women and non-binary founders who are successful in joining UNSW Founders 10x Accelerator programs with their high-potential startup.

Applications open April 12. 

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Go from concept to sovereign capability

If you’re a startup whose innovation addresses the defence needs of Australia and our allies, Defence 10x is the program that can help you make it happen. Defence 10x provides startups with access to education, capital, networks, and shared infrastructure that accelerate product development and commercialisation. Defence 10x is a national program and is open to any registered Australian startup.

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High impact solutions decarbonising the planet

The Climate 10x Accelerator program is being established as part of the Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE), a federally funded program awarded to the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the University of Newcastle (UoN) to boost R&D and drive commercialisation outcomes, that will help Australia and the world transition to sustainable recycling and clean energy solutions and systems.

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THE LAST COHORT

THE LAST COHORT

Don’t just take it from us, go and meet the last cohort

  • “Compared to where we were, we refined our pitch, our network, and our capability to actually execute this technology.”

    Ismat Kabbara, Synbiote

  • “Health 10x has been a tremendous catalyst for our growth! The team helped us develop new connections, accelerated our development, and increased our exposure locally and abroad. This is definitely the program for med-tech entrepreneurs."

    BeacoHealth

  • “The UNSW Founders 10x Program and the ongoing support of the program and alumni network have, and continue to, accelerate Contactile towards bigger and bigger commercial milestones and success.“

    Heba Khamis, Contactile

  • “We absolutely feel much more investment-ready. We’ve received term sheets, and that’s thanks to the 10x program.”

    Jacob Lescove, UnicornShift

  • “During and following their involvement in Health 10x, MUVi has made key industry connections, acquired $20,000 in non-dilutive funding, and ensured the company was investment-ready.”

    MUVi

  • “The program helped us progress to the next level: built our professional network, changed the way we perceive things, taught us how to strategise and set up the business for long-term growth.”

    Docterio

  • “10x was a great experience and transformative for our company. The UNSW team did really well transferring to an online program. The content and speakers were spectacular.”

    Rian Finnegan, Amphora Data