Grow your innovation into something bigger, bolder and built to scale.
Curtin Accelerate is a free 12-week program designed for individuals who want to grow their entrepreneurial capabilities and acquire tools to take their innovative product or service to market quickly and effectively.
Our facilitators and mentors are some of the world’s leading innovators and startup founders. Previous cohorts have had the opportunity to learn from high-profile individuals, including venture consultant Larry Lopez, Kanopy founder Olivia Humphrey and angel investor Bill Tai.
Benefits of participating include:
- Access to 40+ innovation and entrepreneurship experts, as well as resources through Curtin’s Venture Studio
- $5,000 equity-free grant funding to achieve your next milestone
- Up to $100,000 in AWS credits to use towards scaling your innovation
- A chance to be considered for a $50,000 Safe Note investment through our Kickstart+ Program
- Improved investor attractiveness – Accelerate is an ATO-recognised accelerator for early-stage innovation companies (ESIC)
- Companies can apply to be an ESIC, enabling investors a tax offset of 20%.
Curtin Accelerate 2026 starts Friday 30 January, with subsequent sessions taking place each Tuesday from 3 February to 31 March 2026, followed by two weeks of mentoring.
At the conclusion of the program, founders present their innovative idea to Western Australia’s business leadership community at the annual pitch night on 29 April 2026.
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Applications for Curtin Accelerate 2026 are now closed. Register your interest in future programs via the form below.
Program details
Meet our Accelerate alumni
VetChip
VetChip is a world-first smart technology providing accurate, real-time analytics and health monitoring for animal owners and veterinarians.
Curtin engineering graduates Ross Khambatta and Zyrus Khambatta participated in the Curtin Accelerate 2021 program along with co-founders Garnett Hall and Maxwell Hall to finetune their innovation. The team have since gone on to win the 2024 Purina Pet Care Innovation Grand Prize and formed a partnership with AgriPark, Charles Sturt University, to advance research trials and testing.
Hyprfire
Hyprfire is a cyber-security company developing software solutions to detect and mitigate malware transfer and denial of service attacks.
Its products are based on cybersecurity research at Curtin, which won the overall Curtinnovation Awards prize in 2017. Curtin PhD candidate, Stefan Prandl then participated in the Curtin Accelerate 2018 program to build the business model and go-to-market strategy. The company has now raised $2.25 million and is actively selling its software solution.
2026 Accelerate cohort
13 teams are participating in the 2026 Curtin Accelerate program, a diverse group of companies that are rapidly developing the next generation of innovative products and services to benefit society.
AchieveAble
FOUNDER: Christian BienA fun and engaging maths tutoring experience powered by coaching, micro-practice, and multiplayer game-show challenges to build confidence, engagement, and long-term learning.
aisembl
FOUNDER: Ben CaineAn intuitive design-to-documentation platform that streamlines material selection and project planning for homeowners, designers, and contractors.
Eikonic
FOUNDER: Ingrid RodriguezA pioneering oral care company developing the world’s first menopause-focused Advanced Oral Crème, powered by regenerative gold-calcium technology to support a smoother, more comfortable oral environment for women in the menopausal life stage.
Gawawater
FOUNDER: Salva KessyA whole-home water purification service delivering affordable, reliable access to safe drinking water for households across Africa through a simple monthly subscription model.
Minerva
FOUNDER: Michael OvensA virtual-reality imaging platform that transforms CT and MRI data into true-scale 3D anatomy, reducing cognitive load and improving diagnostic accuracy and surgical planning for complex paediatric cardiac conditions.
NeuroAnalyse
FOUNDER: Blossom StephanDelivering advanced data analytics, risk insights, and evidence-informed guidance that support healthy brain ageing and dementia risk reduction, helping to reduce the growing burden of dementia globally.
Next Generation Sensors
FOUNDER: Elena GorenskaiaPortable electrochemical sensors using ionic liquid-based film and gel technology to deliver fast, low-cost, lab-grade on-site detection of explosives and water pollutants for safer, more efficient field operations.
Respiradigm
FOUNDERS: Anya Jones and Ian BrownA First-Year Digital Health companion that predicts infant asthma risk through clinically validated assessment and provides parent-friendly guidance and clinician-ready insights to enable earlier, preventive intervention.
Safe Call Up
FOUNDER: Kristy GallagherA discreet safety-monitoring app for domestic violence survivors that uses timed check-ins, silent alerts and disguised interfaces to support wellbeing during high-risk situations without increasing danger or detection.
Sonowest Healthcare
FOUNDER: Narelle MorinAn integrated health service delivering Telehealth enabled primary care, 24/7 clinical support and local workforce development to improve healthcare access and outcomes for Western Australia’s most remote and underserved communities.
Sunfish Robotics
FOUNDERS: Nikki Staltari, Morgan McDermont and Taylor OdishooSolar ocean robot engineered for long-duration, low-cost ocean data collection, making large-scale marine research more accessible and scalable.
Suss Beauty
FOUNDER: Miah GardnerA waterless skincare brand creating powdered, refillable products that reduce environmental impact while delivering high-performance results, redefining sustainability as the new standard in beauty.
Yalkarang Consulting
FOUNDER: Tamara TuckerA Noongar-led organisation offering culturally grounded learning experiences that support the continuation of Noongar knowledge and strengthen cultural understanding within workplaces and communities.