Startup Mixer: Real Startups, Real Opportunities
As part of the 2025 UQ Ventures StartUP Showcase in October, we introduced a new addition to the program - we presented our Semester 2 Startup Mixer.
The event created space for students to meet founders face-to-face, hear what it’s really like to work in a startup, and explore roles that make a genuine impact. From health and sustainability to AI and education, the diversity of ventures reflected the growing breadth of Queensland’s innovation community.
Below are the startups that joined us and the roles they’re offering for students ready to get hands-on experience in the world of startups:
Mealistik
Mealistik is a meal-planning app designed for people with chronic conditions such as PCOS, thyroid issues, and diabetes. The platform helps users eat well without restriction — offering flexible plans and smart grocery lists that fit busy lives.
Vision: Empowering people with chronic conditions to live healthier, sustainable lives by making nutritious eating simple and guilt-free.
Looking for:
- Nutritionist (part-time/intern)
- Research assistant (chronic conditions)
- App developers
- Graphic design interns
Bloom Cycle
Brisbane-born and sustainability-driven, Bloom Cycle transforms reclaimed timber offcuts into handcrafted trophies and awards that tell powerful stories of impact and inclusion.
Vision: To create a global movement where recognition is sustainable, inclusive, and unforgettable.
Looking for:
- Creators passionate about design, branding, and storytelling
- Students ready to do work that matters
Opportunities: Part-time production, social media, marketing, and content internships
Healthtrition
A premium fertility and pregnancy supplement brand for women and men, Healthtrition combines science-backed, practitioner-designed formulas that support couples through every stage of their fertility journey.
Vision: To empower couples with trusted, effective, and bioavailable products that maximise fertility success and wellbeing.
Looking for:
- Students skilled in social media, marketing, design, or Shopify development
Tendl
Tendl helps businesses find and win government contracts through data-driven tools that simplify proposals, RFPs, tenders, and grants.
Vision: To become the central hub for end-to-end, evidence-based sales — helping suppliers build sustainable, consistent revenue with less effort.
Looking for:
- Graduate roles, part-time positions, and summer internships in engineering, product, and business
Ventriko
Ventriko is building a platform for founders to share ideas, receive feedback, and connect with investors and mentors — all in one community. With over 100 sign-ups and dozens of pitches, the platform is already proving how open, data-driven collaboration can reshape early-stage entrepreneurship.
Vision: To democratise access to entrepreneurship and make startup growth transparent, measurable, and inclusive.
Looking for:
- Marketing interns passionate about startups, community, and storytelling
activATAR
activATAR is gamifying education by combining curriculum-mapped learning with competitive, social features. With leaderboards, streaks, and XP points, it makes studying engaging, collaborative, and fun again.
Vision: To bring a love of learning back into classrooms and empower students to reach their potential.
Looking for:
- Interns and part-time roles in software development, data entry, marketing, and educational content creation
Rise
Rise is a compliance operating system helping NDIS providers stay compliant while improving care delivery. By combining design-led research with practical tools, Rise transforms compliance into a driver for quality and innovation.
Vision: To become the global compliance operating system for healthcare, from NDIS to aged care and beyond.
Looking for:
- Engineering (systems & infrastructure)
- Design & interface research
- Compliance research
- Business development and marketing
Opportunities: Full-time or part-time
A Community of Builders
The Startup Mixer is a reminder of what’s possible when students and founders connect — ideas spark, collaborations begin, and innovation becomes tangible.
If you’re a startup looking to connect with UQ students or a student wanting to join our next Startup Mixer, reach out to the Ventures team to find out how you can be involved.