UQ Ventures x Hult Prize: Showcasing Social Innovation at UQ
The Hult Prize is the world’s biggest social entrepreneurship competition, awarding $1,000,000 to a venture tackling global challenges.
On 11 February, Ventures selected 1 standout team from 33 contestants to advance to the national stage—continuing the legacy of La Foundary’s Anh Van and David Sea, alumni of our Empower Accelerator, who reached the Top 16 globally last year.
A huge thank you to Anh Van for returning as a judge, sharing invaluable insights with this year’s finalists.
Meet the Winner: Kolmi
Founder: Angel Jauhari (BEL Faculty)
Kolmi is revolutionising English learning via WhatsApp, making language education affordable, accessible, and results-driven for 35M+ learners in Indonesia.
- Why? English proficiency is in high demand, with 650,000+ students in Australia needing IELTS scores. Kolmi taps into this market with a scalable, mobile-first solution.
- Vision? By 2025, serve 5,000+ learners, expand into TOEFL prep, and enter the Australian market.
- Long-term? The world’s #1 WhatsApp-based English learning platform.
Runner-Up: Fresh Forward
Founders: Ella Xaviera & Vanda Yanti (BEL Faculty)
Tackling food waste in Eastern Indonesia’s tourism industry by using black soldier fly larvae to upcycle waste into valuable byproducts.
Finalists
Food Foresters (David Cortes & Jordan Greguletz, SCI Faculty) – Regenerative farming meets blockchain for sustainable food systems.
Vital Voice (Anton Cush, PhD HMBS Faculty) – AI-powered patient engagement for better post-discharge care.
Pearpick (Sara Leung, EAIT Faculty) – A next-gen dating platform fostering stronger relationships & self-growth.
Bee Well Bio (James Butcher, HMBS Faculty) – Harnessing honey & propolis for natural, science-backed wound healing.
Fueling the Next Generation of Founders
UQ’s startup ecosystem is thriving, with bold founders tackling global challenges.
Ready to take your idea to the next level?
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Let’s create change - together.