Events and Hackathons

Celebrate Women's Entrepreneurship Day at LeadHers Rise! Join us for a morning of inspiration, connections, and celebration with Hannah Spilva, award-winning entrepreneur, and co-founder of LVLY, a $35M success story. Hear her journey from startup challenges to a major exit, and gain insights to boost your own entrepreneurial path.

Join the one-day Inclusive Design Day (9 November) and challenge yourself to create solutions that address key issues faced by people with disabilities. Open to all UQ students, partners, staff and alumni who want to create solutions for the disabled community.

UQ Ventures, in partnership with Angel Loop, hosts the monthly Morning with Angels. This monthly meetup gives you the opportunity to meet with local Angel Investors for a coffee and a chat.

Join us for the exciting conclusion of the 2024 Empower pre-accelerator! Meet 10 dynamic, women-led startups that are turning bold ideas into real-world impact. From reinventing the way we give gifts to advancing radiology with AI and tackling fast fashion waste, these founders are breaking boundaries and making a difference.

Dive into the future of Ocean Innovation as our top teams from our 2024 Industry Challenge pitch their solutions to pressing ocean problems.

Get ready for Hack for Health (11-14 Oct), the ultimate university student hackathon where innovation meets sustainability! Over 48 electrifying hours, you’ll team up to transform healthcare through cutting-edge solutions that prioritise people and the planet.

Delivered by UQ Ventures and the UQ Indigenous Business Hub this event is a must for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business founders and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Network with some of Brisbane's best local startups. Ventures Startup Mixer includes a reverse pitch where our startups pitch their business to you! Startups range from health tech, fintech, and sustainability. UQ students from all disciplines are welcome to attend. Join us 17 September and register today.

Join our startup founders as they showcase their cutting-edge innovations 12 September at The Tivoli. This diverse cohort of founders range from artificial intelligence and social media to period care and delicious snacks.

Get ready to celebrate World Entrepreneur's Day at UQ! Get involved for a day of festivities including: startup and side-hustle stalls, food trucks, entertainment, competitions and more! Drop by 11am-3pm, 21 August at the Great Court.

Want to compete for a share in $10,000 in cash prizes? Join the Food Innovation Challenge to develop a food and beverage innovation project towards a viable business. Open to students from UQ, QUT and UniSQ. Register by 6 August.

Calling all UQ students—become a catalyst for change! Join the Challenge to tackle complex issues affecting our oceans and compete for multiple prizes worth $11,000. Open to UQ students across all disciplines. Join the info session 30 July and get your team together before 2 Aug.

Are you looking to grow your leadership capabilities? The Ventures LeadHers Staff Day, 26 July, seeks to support emerging women leaders in the university to reach their potential. Open to all staff at UQ.

Ventures are throwing open the doors of their Ventures Studio. Join us for a Ventures in-house celebration to mark the conclusion of our Empower pre-accelerator program and to see our refreshed incubator space.

Join our startup founders as they showcase their cutting-edge innovations 21 March at The Princess Theatre. This diverse cohort of founders range from social entrepreneurs to trailblazers in AI-driven platforms and digital cameras to the future of the electrical grid.

This event and round table discussion will explore the importance of economic investment in women and girls to achieving gender equality and enjoying an innovative, inclusive and thriving society as part of International Women's Day.

Network with some of Brisbane's best local startups. Ventures Startup Mixer includes a reverse pitch where our startups pitch their business to you! Startups range from health tech, fintech, and sustainability. UQ students from all disciplines are welcome to attend. Join us 5 March and register today.

Are you looking to grow your leadership capabilities? The Ventures LeadHers Staff Day, 13 February, seeks to support emerging women leaders in the university to reach their potential. Open to all staff at UQ.

Are you a leader looking to create and develop impactful strategies? UQ Ventures in partnership with Strategic Doing is hosting a one-day Strategic Doing Practitioner Training course. The course will give you the knowledge and tools to tackle your biggest problems by mastering the management of complex collaborations, open innovation, and ecosystems.

The 2023 Ventures Empower Women's Accelerator Pitch Night will showcase cutting-edge innovations from UQ’s women and gender diverse startup entrepreneurs. This diverse cohort of founders range from social entrepreneurs to trailblazers in health, cold-brew beverages, decomposable packaging, and more. Don’t miss this flagship event on the Ventures calendar.

Join UQ Ventures, 17 November, as we bring together and support emerging and established women entrepreneurs, and leaders from the UQ community. Connect over a coffee, gain insights from our panel of women leaders, and celebrate Women's Entrepreneurship Day as well as the winners of the LeadHers Awards.

The University of Queensland will be hosting the Australian regional for the Startup World Cup competition. Pitch your startup as part of the regional competition here in St Lucia and the winner will be sent to San Francisco for the Grand Finale in December 2023. Submit your application today and register to attend the event.

Are you looking to grow your leadership capabilities? The Ventures LeadHers Staff Day, 24 October, seeks to support emerging women leaders in the university to reach their potential. Open to all staff at UQ.

Join us to watch the latest Ventures Validate cohort pitch for a share in $10,000 in cash prizes. These early-stage founders have spent the past 10-weeks developing and validating their startups into sustainable businesses.

Join us, 9 October at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, for the Ventures Industry Challenge Showcase where our final five teams will present their ideas for multiple prizes worth up to $11,000. This year's challenge focuses on the complex issue of housing and homelessness in Queensland.

How do entrepreneurs harness the self-belief needed to make the impossible possible? UQ ChangeMakers brings together a panel of impressive players from the startup space to talk about how they succeeded against the odds, and to share their advice for unlocking the productivity and drive to achieve ambitious goals.

Join The Technical University of Munich (TUM) and The University of Queensland (UQ), 28 September, for an honest conversation with women entrepreneurs from opposite sides of the globe. You will have the opportunity to connect with fellow founders, and discuss challenges and best practice.

Do you want to guide and shape the next generation of innovators? Put your entrepreneurial skills to the test at the Weekend of Startups event and be a part of a thrilling journey of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial discovery. In 48 hours create your business in the 'Future of Work' space with a chance to win a part of $10,000.

Network with some of Brisbane's best local startups. Ventures Startup Mixer includes a reverse pitch where our startups pitch their business to you! Startups range from health tech, fintech, and sustainability. UQ students from all disciplines are welcome to attend. Join us 12 September and register today.

Accelerating Athletes towards the Brisbane 2023 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond. During the one-day program, you will network and learn from athletes and subject matter experts leading in their fields and develop the skills needed to strengthen your financial literacy and entrepreneurial mindset as an athlete.

Interested in learning more about our interconnected future? With a central theme of ‘interconnections’, Something Digital 2023 will have a special focus on the unique connections we can make with digital innovation. Grab your tickets today.

Celebrate entrepreneurship at UQ on World Entrepreneurs’ Day! We are proud to showcase our innovative community, so celebrate the year that has been, join in on the fun, and learn more about startups who are accelerating ideas to impact. Drop by between 11am-3pm, 21 August 2023.

The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Awards showcase and celebrate the breadth of UQ entrepreneurship. From student entrepreneurs to research-based startups that offer solutions to local and global challenges to create positive change. The awards will celebrate the great success stories of entrepreneurship across the university.

Are you a budding entrepreneur? Do you love AI and tech? How would you like to win $10,000? UQ Law School and UQ Ventures, in partnership with King & Wood Mallesons, are calling on UQ undergraduate students from all disciplines to team up to develop innovative proposals that use technology to solve a problem in legal practice. Register before 10 August.

Don't miss Ideas Anonymous, an open mic pitch night where participants share their wildest ideas in 30 seconds and find potential collaborators. Celebrate creativity and unleash your wildest concepts, whether they're ground-breaking inventions, social change initiatives or artistic endeavours. Engage in discussions, offer feedback and explore partnerships to bring ideas to life.

The top applicants for Falling Walls Lab Brisbane will be given the opportunity to participate in a pitch competition and present their work to peers, an expert panel from academia and business, and the general public. Register today to attend.

Are you looking to grow your leadership capabilities? The Ventures LeadHers Staff Day seeks to support emerging women leaders in the university to reach their potential. Open to all staff at UQ.

Our guest speakers will share their stories of failure including the lessons they learned and how their failures ultimately led to success. Join us for an evening of uncensored discussions, catering, and networking.

Join us to watch the latest Ventures Validate cohort pitch for a share in $10,000 in cash prizes. These early-stage founders have spent the past 10-weeks developing and validating their startups into sustainable businesses.

Join the UQIES Sustainability Innovation Challenge to discover the most innovative university students in Queensland who are passionate about the environment. Open to all university students.

​For Cicada x Tech23, Australia's largest deep tech festival, we are travelling the country to celebrate radical innovators by bringing back alumni to hear their journey from Tech23 to today.

Join our startup founders as they showcase their cutting-edge innovations 23 March at The Tivoli. This diverse cohort of founders range from social entrepreneurs to trailblazers in nutrition, FinTech, augmented reality, and space.

Compelling communication is a key skill for the future of work. Whether we are pitching a business idea, presenting a project to our colleagues, or talking to customers, we need to be able to interest, convince and influence with our words. This workshop is available to all UQ students, staff, and alumni.

Are you wanting to learn more about gender equity in the workplace and how organisations and individuals are making an impact? Be inspired by a range of individuals who have boldly navigated diverse career pathways and advocated for, and supported, others in the workplace to reach their full potential. Hear from individuals who have navigated and flourished in non-traditional occupations and have harnessed technology and education to make an impact to gender equity.

Network with some of Brisbane's best local startups. Ventures Startup Mixer includes a reverse pitch where our startups pitch their business to you! Startups range from health tech, fintech, and sustainability. UQ students from all disciplines are welcome to attend. Join us 7 March and register today.

What toppings can you add to your university experience? Join this event to learn more about the employability and enrichment experiences you can get involved with whilst studying at UQ and enjoy some FREE ICE-CREAM!

The Ventures LeadHers Staff Day has been designed specially to foster a tighter network of women UQ professionals. You'll be a part of a community of UQ staff that lift each other beyond the program and support each other through peer mentoring. Open to all women who are professional staff at UQ.

Join UQ Ventures, 18 November, as we bring together and support emerging and established women entrepreneurs, and leaders from the UQ community. Connect over a coffee, gain insights from our panel of female leaders, and celebrate Women's Entrepreneurship Day as well as the winners of the LeadHers Awards.

On the 17th of November, four student-led university communities, including UQ's very own UQIES, will be coming together to launch QUIN – the Queensland Universities Innovation Network. Join us at the launch to celebrate this incredible moment in time and get your tickets today.

UQ Ventures, in partnership with Angel Loop, is hosting its monthly Breakfast with Angels. Meet with local Angel Loop Investors for breakfast at UQ's new venue and get feedback on your startup or learn about investing.

The LeadHers Awards will showcase and celebrate outstanding leadership capabilities demonstrated by women in entrepreneurship. From female founders and student leaders to those making a positive impact in their community, these awards are open to women who are leading to create positive change. Nominations close 4 November.

Celebrating an extraordinary year of entrepreneurship at UQ! Join us as we showcase and celebrate our community of innovators and leaders, while also recognising our amazing industry mentors, volunteers, and partners at the Ventures Annual Showcase.

Join us to watch the latest Ventures Validate cohort pitch for a share in $10,000 in cash prizes. These early-stage founders have spent the past 10-weeks developing and validating their startups into sustainable businesses.

Compelling communication is a key skill for the future of work. Whether we are pitching a business idea, presenting a project to our colleagues, or talking to customers, we need to be able to interest, convince and influence with our words. This workshop is available to all UQ students, staff, and alumni.

The UQIES Weekend of Startups is back this year - are you ready to take on the challenge? In partnership with UQ Ventures and UQLIT, with 100+ students present, it's your chance to get excited for a weekend of entrepreneurship and learning whilst you and your team develop an innovative business solution. Get tickets today!

Managing complex projects simultaneously is a must-have skill. Whether managing university assessments, different jobs, or deadlines, agile tools can help you to work efficiently and strategically, as individuals and in teams. This workshop is available to all UQ students, staff, and alumni.

UQ Ventures, in partnership with Angel Loop, is hosting its monthly Breakfast with Angels. Meet with local Angel Loop Investors for breakfast at UQ's new venue and get feedback on your startup or learn about investing.

Are you looking to grow your leadership capabilities? The Ventures LeadHers Staff Day seeks to support emerging women leaders in the university to reach their potential. Open to all women who are staff at UQ.

Learn to sell yourself by crafting a personal brand. This workshop will give you practical steps to package and communicate your unique skills, strengths, and value. This workshop is available to all UQ students, staff, and alumni.

The Global Development Design Challenge: Health Equity Hackathon is a weekend-long event where we challenge you to team up and create solutions for inequities in global health. Pitch your ideas to compete for prizes and opportunities to develop your ideas! Get your tickets today.

Compelling communication is a key skill for the future of work. Whether we are pitching a business idea, presenting a project to our colleagues, or talking to customers, we need to be able to interest, convince and influence with our words. This workshop is available to all UQ students, staff, and alumni.

The Ventures Strong Spirit program is a two-day confidence building workshop for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to build their entrepreneurial and leadership skills and connect with strong leaders across sectors. Women from the wider community are welcome!

Use the collaborative and interactive ‘Business Model Canvas’ framework to quickly and easily define and communicate a business idea or concept. This workshop is available to all UQ students, staff, and alumni.

Are you a budding entrepreneur? Do you love AI and tech? How would you like to win $10,000? UQ Law School and UQ Ventures, in partnership with King & Wood Mallesons, are calling on UQ undergraduate students from all disciplines to team up to develop innovative proposals that use technology to solve a problem in legal practice. Register before 10 August.

Learn the process of Design Thinking to solve complex problems in a creative, user-centric, and curious manner. This workshop is available to all UQ students, staff, and alumni.

The UQIES Innovation Challenge is BACK and BIGGER than ever! In partnership with UQ School of Chemical Engineering and UQ Ventures, 120+ students will spend three days formulating, refining, and pitching a new business idea – supported by UQ alumni and members of the local entrepreneurship community.

UQ Ventures, in partnership with Angel Loop, is hosting it's monthly Breakfast with Angels. Meet with local Angel Loop Investors for breakfast at UQ's new venue and get feedback on your startup or learn about investing.

Make your nomination today! Celebrate UQ’s amazing and talented entrepreneurs and nominate someone you know for Startup of the Year, Student Entrepreneur of the Year or Mentor of the Year. Nominations close 12 June.

UQ Ventures, in partnership with Angel Loop, is hosting an Angel Loop breakfast.
Learn what Angel investing is all about and what it is Angel loop is looking for in you and your business. Take this opportunity to receive advice and feedback on your startup idea.

Our guest speakers will share their stories of failure including the lessons they learned and how their failures ultimately led to success. Join us for an evening of uncensored discussions, catering, and networking.

Meet with local Angel Loop Investors for breakfast on the UQ St Lucia campus and learn more about Angel investing.

Network with some of Brisbane's best local startups. Our event includes a reverse pitch where our startups pitch their business to you! Startups range from health tech, fintech, and sustainability.

Join the Community Health Hackathon (24-25 March) supported by leading health technology company Philips, and create innovative solutions to help improve healthcare access and wellbeing for culturally, geographically and economically diverse groups.

Join our startup founders as they showcase their cutting-edge innovations from 5.30pm 23 March at The Tivoli. This diverse cohort of founders range from social entrepreneurs to trailblazers in community building, nutrition, eco-packaging, and STEM education.

Are you looking to grow your leadership capabilities?
The inaugural Ventures LeadHers Staff Day seeks to support emerging female leaders in the university to reach their potential. Open to all female-identifying staff at UQ.

Join Ventures as we bring together and support emerging and established women entrepreneurs, and leaders from the UQ community. Connect over a coffee, gain insights from our panel of female leaders, snap a new headshot and stop by for a free consult with a female-led Brisbane business.

Please join us at the 2021 Ventures Annual Showcase to celebrate the year that has been and to learn more about the startups who are accelerating ideas to impact.

This year our Ventures Giving Day campaign is supporting the ilab Accelerator program - with your support, we can boost the entrepreneurial spirit of our students and help young founders participate in the program.

This pitching workshop will help students understand the fundamentals of narrative patterns and tools; learn how to communicate their message in a simple and concise way; learn how to build a compelling story and how to persuade their audience and practice and master the art of storytelling.

Challenge yourself to create and pitch a business in just one weekend! Together UQIES, UQ EWH and Ventures have partnered to support 100+ students formulate, refine and pitch a new business idea for prizes. Get your ticket to join the UQIES Weekend of Startups 8-10 October.

Join the Ventures Industry Challenge Co-work and check-in session with your team to answer questions and test your ideas with Ventures mentors.

Are you looking to grow your leadership capabilities?
The inaugural Ventures LeadHers Staff Day seeks to support emerging female leaders in the university to reach their potential. Open to all female-identifying staff at UQ.

Network with some of Brisbane's best local startups. Our event includes a reverse pitch where our startups pitch their business to you! Startups range from health tech, fintech, and sustainability.

Join the Ventures Industry Challenge Co-work and check-in session with your team to answer questions and test your ideas with Ventures mentors.

Join the four-day Quantum Hackathon (24-27 August) and discover how quantum technologies can help solve complex challenges and supercharge your industry.

Join the Ventures Industry Challenge Co-work and check-in session with your team to answer questions and test your ideas with Ventures mentors.

Are you a budding entrepreneur? Do you love AI and tech? How would you like to win $10,000? UQ Law School and UQ Ventures, in partnership with King & Wood Mallesons, are calling on UQ undergraduate students from all disciplines to team up to develop innovative proposals that use technology to solve a problem in legal practice.

Watch the top 10 teams present at the Falling Walls Lab Queensland pitch final.

Musician, producer, tech entrepreneur and philanthropist will.i.am will address UQ students - live from LA. UQ will host a conversation about ‘How global business cooperation drives innovation.’ Limited tickets are available.

Which are the next walls to fall?
Calling all postdocs, students, innovators and entrepreneurs to represent Queensland at the 2021 Falling Walls conference in Berlin.

Our guest speakers will share their stories of failure including the lessons they learnt and how their failures ultimately led to success. Join us for an evening of uncensored discussions, catering and networking.

Early-stage investment is a critical part of the commercialisation and a powerful source of financing for high growth companies.

Tickets are on sale now for the UQIES & UQBA - Innovation Challenge (28 June - 1 July). This year’s theme is 'Proactive vs. Reactive Action.' 100+ students with the support of alumni and interested members of the entrepreneurial and business communities will spend 4 days formulating, refining, and pitching a new business idea.

UQ Ventures, in partnership with Angel Loop, is presenting potential investors with case studies, expert presentations and facilitated discussions designed to help you learn how to successfully identify, evaluate and manage your own personal early-stage investment portfolio.

Postgraduate students are invited to enter and represent UQ for the U21 PwC Innovation Challenge!

We are bringing back Mentor Blaze! Join us Thurs 27 May 2021, 4–6pm for Mentor Blaze - our speed networking style event. Connect and get support from entrepreneurs, industry mentors and experienced founders. Tickets on sale now

Postgraduate students are invited to enter and represent UQ for the U21 PwC Innovation Challenge! Join the mentoring session to gain further information and your questions answered.

Three new murals by Australian street artists in collaboration with The University of Queensland (UQ) researchers will add colour to Brisbane’s streets in a globally unique art initiative as part of the Brisbane Street Art Festival (BSAF).

The University of Queensland is proud to support this year's Brisbane Street Art Festival (BSAF) program (1-16 May 2021) to deliver the ‘Visualising AI – Science Meets Street Art Co-Lab’.

Postgraduate students are invited to enter and represent UQ for the U21 PwC Innovation Challenge! Join the mentoring session to gain further information and your questions answered.

The United Nations: Environment Programme and Hackmakers are hosting the World Creativity and Innovation Day as part of the United Nations initiative. This hackathon is dedicated to collaborating and encouraging people to creatively use their skills in generating new ideas and solutions for health and wellbeing, economic growth, decent work and quality education.

Join us in-person for Pitch Night, Wednesday 14 April, where our ilab Accelerator founders will present their cutting-edge innovations - from mining and fintech to medtech and sustainability.

The gen[in] student innovation challenge helps globally-minded students aged 14-24 years to build real-world skills, make lifelong connections and give students the chance to win a share in a $15,000 prize pool.

Network with some of Brisbane's best local startups. Our event includes a reverse pitch where our startups pitch their business to you! Startups range from health tech, fintech, and sustainability.

To celebrate International Women's Day we have an open Ventures LeadHers session for the greater UQ community!

To celebrate Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, UQ is bringing together an online panel of female founders and leaders to discuss their successes, some of the challenges they have faced, as well as ideas, strategies and policies that could be implemented to close the gender gap within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The Global Business Challenge finals will be held in Brisbane in November 2020. It is a graduate business case competition to design sustainable solutions to global problems.

Join us at the 2020 Ventures Annual Showcase to celebrate the year that has been and to learn more about the startups who are accelerating ideas to impact. This event coincides with the culmination of the Ventures Industry Challenge where the finalists will pitch their solution to a real-world problem.

Venturing from startups to beyond. In 1969 humans first walked on the moon, 50 years later we're beginning to run. Renewed interest in space exploration in recent years can partly be credited to the driven by the falling costs of launch and rapid technology development.

Practise your pitch for the Challenge pitch submission.

Chat to our experts to test your thoughts and ideas. Come with questions that will help you really understand the problem you are trying to solve, who you are solving it for and what constraints you need to overcome.

Our startup founders selected for UQ's ilab Accelerator program are ready to pitch their businesses. The online event will include Q&A from an experienced panel of entrepreneurial experts.

We are bringing together entrepreneurs across the world to help overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19.

Queensland's largest Innovation and Technology gathering for entrepreneurs, investors, business executives, researchers, startups and government in Brisbane.

Watch our finalists present their solutions to the 2019 Global Business Challenge of FinTech.

Create a final product, validate your business model and present your product to industry judges and investors in three days.

Calling all problem solvers. Excited about the possibilities of stem cell research? Love data & analytics? Like to use brain power and creative solutions? Sign up for the Stem Cell Hackathon.

Do you have a business idea that has the potential to transform legal practice? We are giving students the chance of winning a share of a $10,000 cash prize. The competition is open to all UQ undergraduate students. Applications close 31 July.

This is a fantastic opportunity to extend your networks by establishing connections with Peruvian and Australian companies while gaining valuable insights and knowledge in entrepreneurship and diversifying your skillsets.

Demonstrating the latest trends, hardware and tools from across the region and globe, the 2019 Tech in Sport event will also celebrate the HYPE UQ SPIN Accelerator program, graduates.

Join us for a Sports Technology Masterclass with ex-Reebok CEO Uli Becker and meet the startups participating in the 2019 HYPE UQ SPIN Accelerator.

Speed mentoring for budding entrepreneurs