The University of Queensland's 2026 Ventures ilab Accelerator Chapter 2 cohort has awarded 10 startups with $15,000 in funding each to help launch their early-stage ventures.
As one of Australia's longest-running accelerator programs, ilab has a strong track record of backing ambitious founders and high-potential startups. Entry into the Accelerator program is highly competitive, with teams selected through a multi-stage interview process involving experienced industry experts and entrepreneurs. The 10 successful teams began the intensive 12-week accelerator in August, and will spend the coming months learning directly from past founders, industry leaders and investors through hands-on workshops, panels and discussions. Each startup will receive $15,000 in funding from the UniQuest Extension Fund (UEF).
The program will wrap up with the ilab Pitch Night event combining with UQ's Entrepreneurship and Innovation Awards at The Tivoli on Tuesday 10 November 2026.
“It's only the beginning, but this cohort has already brought a level of energy that tells me we're in for a strong 12 weeks. From cyber risk platforms to AI executive assistants, these founders are building tools that solve real, immediate problems for the people who'll use them." - Tyson Jennings, ilab Manager
Meet the Entrepreneurs-in-Residence for Chapter 2 2026
For the Chapter 2 cohort, we are glad to have 2 Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EiRs) supporting the teams; serial entrepreneurs Brett Geoghegan and Vanessa Garrard.
It's early days for this cohort, but the EiRs are already getting a sense of what makes this group tick. Brett Geoghegan says the founders have arrived with a strong grasp of their problem areas, and he's looking forward to helping them stress test their ideas over the weeks ahead.
"What I've noticed already is how specific these founders are about the problem they're solving. That's rare this early in a program, and it usually means the 12 weeks get spent refining rather than searching."
Vanessa Garrard shares a similar read on the group, noting the range of industries represented and the different paths each founder is likely to take to get in front of their first customers, saying
"No two teams in this cohort are solving the same kind of problem, which makes for a genuinely interesting group to work with. I'm looking forward to seeing how each of them tests their assumptions over the coming weeks."
Meet Chapter 2 2026
For this cohort in 2026, we welcome 16 founders across 10 teams, working across cybersecurity, AI automation, workplace compliance and more.
Boundary Line
Elizabeth Jimmieson
Boundary Line manages client-initiated sexual harassment in the workplace.
Clippar
Henry Coward
Clippar turns a 5-hour round of golf into a highlight reel.
Cognisance
Alexander Anderson and Benjamin Sander
Cognisance handles employment compliance for small business owners.
Conflite
Donovan Hossy
Conflite streamlines conference content management.
GenGRC
Farah Chamsseddine
GenGRC is a cyber risk management platform built for executives.
Mine Approvals and Closure Hub
Ramith Samayamanthree and Jason Dunlop
Mine Approvals and Closure Hub is a platform to manage mine approvals and closures.
Qualia
Mriganka (Minka) Iyer, Sebastian Maldonado, and Abdul Qadir Kallatra
Qualia helps students think for themselves, and keeps the receipts.
Quigo
PS Bhati
Quigo lets you create, analyse and manage interactive content in minutes without technical constraints.
Swipe Swap
Marizal Fanani and Andika Wardana
Swipe Swap is an AI-powered decluttering app that values your items and speeds up the cleanup.
Tempo
Axel Ferreira and Nikita Svetlov
Tempo is an AI executive assistant built for busy people.
All startups which participate in the Ventures ilab Accelerator program will receive $15,000 in funding alongside access to UQ’s extensive entrepreneurial ecosystem and networks.
Save the date for ilab Pitch Night and UQ's Entrepreneurship and Innovation Awards on Tuesday 10 November 2026. Tickets will be on sale soon.
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