Welcome to the 2025 StartUP Showcase!
Get ready to immerse yourself in the world of entrepreneurship at UQ.
Today is all about connecting, exploring, and learning.
Make the most of your experience by:
- Starting conversations with fellow attendees and speakers
- Connecting on LinkedIn with founders and startups
- Actively participating in breakout sessions and competitions
- Asking questions in our Q&A sessions with Keynote Speakers
Use the tabs below to navigate the event and discover everything happening today.
Let’s make it a day of bold ideas and new connections!
| Time | Session | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30 | Welcome | GHD Auditorium |
| 9:45 | What does it take to get to the Pitch Night stage? Panel session with ilab alumni | |
| 10:05 | How to pick a winning pitch Panel session with our pitch judges | |
| 10:20 | Pitch Round 1. The pitch battle commences as the first group of ilab x Momentum Accelerator Founders take to the stage | |
| 11:00 | Morning tea Take a quick break and grab a coffee or refreshment catered by UQ founders | Foyer & outside |
| 11:20 | Keynote with Luke Anear Luke Anear, Founder of SafetyCulture, shares his journey from garage startup to $2.5bn global tech company. | GHD Auditorium |
| 12:00 | Pitch Round 2. The second group of ilab x Momentum Accelerator Founders pitch their startups | |
| 12:40 | Lunch & Startup Mixer Enjoy lunch and live music, as you connect with startup founders promoting opportunities with their companies | Outdoor Auditorium |
| 13:20 | Breakout sessions Select from one of the three sessions below to attend: | |
Breakout session 1: Finding a Co-Founder | Room 316 | |
Breakout session 2: Show me the money! | Room 313 | |
Breakout session 3: Shark Tank Simulator | Room 301 | |
| 14:10 | Pitch Round 3. The competition heats up as the third group of ilab x Momentum Accelerator Founders pitch their startups | GHD Auditorium |
| 14:50 | Afternoon tea Take a quick break and a coffee or refreshment catered by UQ founders | Foyer & outside |
| 15:10 | Pitch Round 4. The final group of ilab x Momentum Accelerator Founders vie for a place in the Pitch Finals | GHD Auditorium |
| 15:50 | Founder Story with Vanessa Murillo Vanessa will reveal how she took I Am Grounded from her kitchen bench to supermarket shelves nationwide. | |
| 16:20 | The Final Countdown Our judges will announce the top 10 teams moving to the Pitch Night Finals as we wrap up the day | |
| 17:00 | Event concludes |
Meet the incredible speakers and judges joining us across the day.
Keynote Speaker: Luke Anear, Founder and Executive Chair of SafetyCulture
Luke set out to revolutionise safety and quality management in 2004 when he created SafetyCulture, which developed the world’s most used safety and quality inspection app, iAuditor.
Today, SafetyCulture is a $2.5bn global technology company with over 2 million users worldwide relying on the mobile-first platform to power their improvement.
Founder Story: Vanessa Murillo, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of I Am Grounded
Vanessa is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur, marketer, and founder. With a background in communications and over a decade of experience in brand building, Vanessa co-founded I Am Grounded, a sport nutrition and sustainability-driven FMCG brand stocked in retailers Australia-wide and overseas including Woolworths, Canva HQ and more.She is a Coralus Venture recipient and a passionate advocate for upcycling and innovation. Vanessa also consults across marketing, product strategy, and startup growth, supporting brands to scale with purpose.
Pitch Judge: Sonja Bernhardt OAM, Founder & CEO of ThoughtWare Australia
Sonja is a trailblazing technology entrepreneur and one of Australia’s most prominent women in IT. As Founder, CEO and Director of the award-winning software company ThoughtWare, Sonja leads the development of innovative governance, risk, and compliance solutions through the ionMY platform.
A passionate advocate for women in STEM, Sonja is the founder of Women in Technology (WiT) and co-founder of AWISE (Australian Women in IT, Science and Engineering).
Sonja has received several accolades, including an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to the IT industry and for promoting women in technology.
Pitch Judge: Dr Leigh Ford, Investment Manager at UniQuest Extension Fund
As an Investment Manger at the UniQuest Extension Fund, Leigh supports investments into UQ linked tech-based companies from Early Stage (Pre-seed) through to late stage (Series C+). His role involves deal sourcing, due diligence, portfolio support and community engagement. His background is in drug discovery and development and project management in early biotech companies.
Pitch Judge & Breakout Session Faciltator: Stefan Knight, Director of Qld at Antler
Stefan leads Antler in Australia's expansion into Queensland as Director of the state.
He has a proven track record of leadership, innovation and results at companies such as ClimateSalad, AWS, GorillaStack, Telstra's accelerator, muru-D, and Dimension Data.
Stefan has been in tech startups since the 90s, holding roles in development, systems engineering, product management, product marketing, business development, corporate development and sales. He has built customer facing teams, partner programs and channels globally for startups and enterprises.
Breakout Session Facilitator: Vanessa Garrard, Ventures Entrepreneur in Residence, serial entrepreneur, and Chair & Non Executive Director
Over the course of her career Vanessa has founded 25 companies, trading in excess of $1Billion in annual revenues, raised over $200million in capital, acquired more than 20 businesses and successfully exited her companies.
She is currently a Non-Executive Director of 5 boards and is the Chairman of 4 of those and has recently founded Landran Ventures, a venture capital fund backing women-led businesses with growth funding, mentoring and networks to scale their businesses globally.
With over 25 years experience in building companies, Vanessa understands what it takes to build and grow a global business and is passionate about helping other Founders scale and grow their businesses.
Breakout Session Facilitator: Yazz Krishna, Ventures Entrepreneur in Residence, Co-Founder & Director of Fusion Growth Labs, and Co-Founder & Director of AICarer
Yasharth “Yazz” Krishna is an accomplished entrepreneur and venture builder with a track record of scaling companies from inception to national impact, notably delivering digital health solutions for Australia’s vaccination program in his last venture, which he exited in 2021.
He has since delivered accelerator programs for high-growth ventures, supporting founders across diverse sectors to access capital and scale effectively.
Yazz is also the founder of AICarer which is in its early stages of growth, and is the Co-Founder of Fusion Growth Labs, where he focuses on industry lead commercialisation, venture capital engagement, and strengthening Australia’s innovation ecosystem.
ilab Alumni Panellist: Adeep Mitra, Co-Founder of Polinate
Adeep participated in ilab earlier this year with his startup Polinate.
Polinate simplifies supplier ordering for restaurateurs through an easy-to-use SaaS platform that streamlines the process and reduces back-office administration. Using AI-driven automation, Polinate tackles time-consuming tasks like managing inventory, reconciling invoices, and coordinating with multiple suppliers.
Adeep and the Polinate team, are dedicated to helping local businesses focus less on admin and more on delivering great food and service.
ilab Alumni Panellist: Giselle Torres Pabon, Co-Founder of Rise
Giselle participated in ilab earlier this year with her startup Rise, and is currently participating in the Momentum Accelerator.
Rise is a person-centred digital operating system that helps NDIS providers get registered and stay compliant from day one.
Rise streamlines registration, automates real-time audits, and simplifies legislation using AI—so providers can focus on delivering exceptional care, not paperwork.
Meet the ilab x Momentum Accelerator teams who will be competing for a place in the Pitch Night final.
There will be four pitch rounds across the day.
Pitch Round 1.
Neurov AI/Arena: AI CRM for health insurance SMS marketing utilising AI-powered agents that turn your cold, aged leads into booked appointments - 24/7, without manual outreach or compliance headaches.
Tripzy: Turn reels and TikToks into travel plans and itineraries. Discover, map, and share trips with friends — smarter, faster, and all in one place.
Mealistik: Meal planning app for people who experience chronic conditions.
PillFlow: A secure, real-time platform that connects GPs, pharmacies, and care teams to ensure medication changes are validated, tracked, and error-free across care settings.
Streaks: Unifies café loyalty cards for online stores.
Pitch Round 2.
activATAR: A high-performance study platform that helps students maximise their ATAR with expert-designed resources, smart analytics, and motivation systems that work.
EchoCare: A seamless ecosystem designed to enhance efficiency, expand reach, and elevate the quality of ultrasound services with a focus on musculoskeletal disorder prevention in sonography.
Custodia Labs: A search engine for your digital identity, empowering AI to understand you and act as a personalised assistant, not just a source of generic answers.
Quokka Games: Award-winning indie studio crafting simple games.
Healthtrition: A premium supplement range with science-backed, practitioner-designed highly bioavailable ingredients to optimise fertility and pregnancy for both men and women.
Pitch Round 3.
Sepal: A digital platform that connects organisers, stallholders, and customers to simplify market bookings, increase visibility, automate admin tasks, and bring local markets into the digital age.
Algeåe: An algae-based dermatological start up.
Accurment: A behavioural decision engine that helps marketers craft research-backed strategies and earn stakeholder trust through a proprietary, expert-curated behavioural science database.
Mouthful: Restaurant logging app, reinventing star ratings
Rise Health: Simplifies NDIS compliance for care providers.
Pitch Round 4.
Quantive: A platform to help technical jobseekers get truly ready for the interview process.
Ventriko: A professional platform built to accelerate the growth of startups by combining community insight and investor access.
Kurnell: Understand how students use AI on campus.
Oven AI: Intelligent automation at scale.
Meet the startups fuelling your day!
We are excited to showcase UQ connected businesses as suppliers of food and beverages across the day.
DriBag Coffee
DriBag coffee will keep you well caffineated throughout the day with their drip bag coffee available at our drinks station.
DriBag Coffee was founded by 4 UQ students as part of the 2024 Ventures Hustle program.
Morlivly
For a relaxing beverage, sample Morlively's Detox & Destress tea at our drinks station.
Co-founded by UQ staff member, Grace Sim, Morlivly is a social enterprise supporting B40 Orang Asli communities in Malaysia with meaningful employment and providing fair trade opportunities.
Morlivly combines traditional natural ingredients—like organic herbal teas and pure honey—with a strong focus on sustainability and community empowerment, giving customers wellness they can feel good about inside and out.
Morlivly are currently participating in the 2025 Ventures Empower Pre-Accelerator program.
Tea Industries
Thirsty? Grab a delicious & healthy iced tea from Tea Industries.
Tea Industries' mission is to make the world a healthier place by delivering clean, delicious beverages that inspire global wellness.
Crafted with premium, natural ingredients, Tea Industries offer a taste that delights while nourishing both body & mind.
Tea Industries are currently participating in the FaBA Growth Hub delivered by UQ Ventures.
I Am Grounded
Looking for an energy kick? Grab an I Am Grounded SUPR bar in the morning or afternoon tea break.
I Am Grounded bars are made from coffee fruit, which is traditionally thrown away in the coffee-making process. Each bite supports Colombian coffee farmers and helps reduce food waste, all while delivering the clean, lasting energy you need to perform at your best.
Learn about I Am Grounded, from the ground up, when co-founder and UQ alumna, Vanessa Murillo takes to the stage to share her founder's story as part of today's program.
Door Prize
One lucky winner will receive a new game curtesy of Quokka Games!
Pitch Pick Competition
Throughout the StartUP Showcase you'll have the opportunity to learn from our pitch judges and to try and see if you can pick the winning startup teams for yourself.
As the startups pitch throughout the day, take note of which team you would choose to invest in if you had $100,000 to invest. At the end of the last pitch, we will put up a QR code for you to enter your top team.
Following the announcement of our 10 finalists we will ask each judge who they would personally invest in if they had $100k to invest. The first 3 participants to have entered their answers and who have the same answer as the judge’s picks will receive a $100 Amazon gift voucher.
StartUP Showcase Bingo
During the breaks we have a fun game of StartUP Showcase bingo which you’ll find on the back of your name tags.
We encourage you to have conversations with different people throughout the day and to fill in the bingo grid with the names of people you meet. You can only count a person once, so you need to find 9 different people to complete the grid. Once you have filled in all 9 squares speak to a Ventures staff member for a prize!
Mealistik
Mealistik is a meal-planning app for people with chronic conditions such as PCOS, thyroid issues and diabetes. We’re a non-restrictive platform that helps users stay healthy and build a sustainable lifestyle. Our app makes eating well simple and stress-free. Flexible meal plans and smart grocery lists adapt to busy schedules, cravings, and eating out — so nothing goes to waste.
Our Vision
To empower people with chronic conditions to build a healthy, sustainable lifestyle by making nutritious eating simple, flexible and free from guilt.
Mealistik is looking for:
- Nutritionist (part-time/intern)
- Research assistant with knowledge of chronic conditions
- App developers
- Graphic design interns
Bloom Cycle
About:
Bloom Cycle is a Brisbane-born social enterprise turning reclaimed timber into the coolest trophies you’ve ever seen. We take offcuts headed for landfill and transform them into handcrafted recognition pieces that celebrate achievement and spark conversation.
Vision:
From Brisbane to the world, our vision is a future where every award tells a story of sustainability, inclusion, and impact. We’re starting in Brisbane with a big vision: creating a global movement where recognition is sustainable, inclusive, and unforgettable.
Looking for:
- Students who want to do work that actually matters
- Creators into design, branding, and impact storytelling
- Future teammates keen to help scale a purpose-driven startup
Opportunities (talent pipeline, contract, part-time):
- Part-time and casual roles in production roles
- Internships for hands-on startup experience (social media, marketing, content)
Healthtrition
Socials:
About:
Premium range of fertility & pregnancy supplements for women & men, that are highly bioavailable, science-backed & practitioner designed.
Vision:
Fertility is a big issue affecting 1 in 6 couples in the world. It also has an enormous emotional & financial toll. There are a lot of products on the market which are poorly absorbed and cheaply made. Our mission is to empower women & men with trusted & effective quality products that maximise their chances of fertility success and support every step of their fertility & pregnancy journey.
Looking For:
I would love help with social media, marketing, design, website (Shopify) & just anyone who's techie because I'm not.
Tendl
About:
Tendl helps businesses find and win contracts to sell to the Government.
Vision:
Be the central place for end-to-end evidence-based sales - think proposals, RFPs, tenders and grants - helping suppliers to build sustainable and consistent revenue with less effort.
Looking For:
Graduate roles, part-time, summer internships / professional engineering experience.
Ventriko
Socials:
About:
Ventriko is a platform designed to help founders build faster and better by providing community feedback and support. Entrepreneurs can share their ideas, receive real-time feedback, and track how their ventures improve over time.
For founders, Ventriko means faster validation, sharper insights, and stronger pitches. For investors, it offers a transparent window into startup progress, showcasing not just the product, but how teams adapt, grow, and respond to challenges.
With over 100 sign-ups and dozens of pitches, Ventriko is proving that the future of startup investing is more open, data-driven, and collaborative. Our mission is simple: connect bold ideas with the right feedback and the right backers, so innovation can scale without barriers.
Vision:
At Ventriko, our vision is to democratise access to early-stage entrepreneurship by building a platform where bold ideas and ambitious founders can seamlessly connect with investors, mentors, and communities for support and feedback . We aspire to become the go-to launchpad for startups worldwide, lowering barriers to entry and ensuring that great ventures are not limited by geography, network, or initial resources.
We envision a future where every promising founder has a fair shot at pitching, and growing their ideas. Where investors can discover and back innovation with transparency, trust, and data-driven insights. By combining intuitive technology, community engagement, and measurable traction, Ventriko aims to reshape the pitch process from a gatekept event into an accessible ecosystem.
Type of Opportunities:
Marketing Interns
activATAR
About:
From laptops to notebooks to stone tablets, studying has never been fun; until now. activATAR combines high-yield learning and practise with gamified mechanics and competitive collaboration to make study more engaging (and effective) than ever. With extremely efficient notes, thousands of unique practice questions, and intelligent analytics, we curriculum-map directly to exam and essay objectives. But most importantly, we unlock motivation, even in utterly uninterested students, by targeting the critical human desire to look cool in front of your mates. Gamified loops like earning XP, winning leaderboards, climbing ranks, keeping streaks, and customising avatars all ensure that learning is habitual and students are happy. With hundreds of students already on board, we are sprinting to scale content and launch school pilots.
Vision:
We're redefining the EdTech game.
To bring a love of learning back into classrooms, empowering every student to reach their full academic potential and re-motivating them to pursue dreams they thought were unachievable.
Looking For:
We are looking for talented and passionate students to join our mission, especially anyone with connections/experience with education or software development.
Type of Opportunities:
We offer internships and potential part-time roles in software development, data entry, marketing, and educational content creation.
Rise
About Rise:
Rise is a compliance operating system helping providers in the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) get registered, stay compliant, and deliver better care. We base all of our work on design-led research, bringing clarity and usability to complex systems. Our philosophy is simple: high-quality design and robust systems make compliance not just easier, but transformative for organisations and the people they serve.
Rise Vision:
Our vision is to become the global compliance operating system for healthcare settings. From NDIS providers in Australia to aged care, hospitals, and international health systems, we’re building scalable infrastructure that unites providers, auditors, and regulators. By putting design and usability at the centre, we aim to make compliance seamless and human-centred worldwide.
Rise is looking For:
- Engineering → building resilient, scalable systems
- Design & Interface Research → translating complexity into intuitive user experiences
- Compliance Research → simplifying legislation into practical tools
- Business Development → sales, marketing, and growth strategies in health tech
Flexible on arrangements full time or part time.
