Validate

Validate your idea and take the first steps to make it a reality.

Ventures Validate provides you the knowledge to validate key stages in your innovation project and help the development of a viable and sustainable business.

After the ten-week program, you will provide a compelling case for your business investment to potential key stakeholders by demonstrating short-term traction, coachability, and adjustment to feedback.

Teams will have the opportunity to pitch to a judging panel for a share in $10,000 in cash prizes to further test the viability of their ideas. 

Applications for Ventures Validate are now closed.


Join our newsletter to stay up-to-date for our next program dates

Validate is an in-person program designed to help you and your team develop a validated business model in an interactive learning space over a period of 10 weeks. In the workshops, you will focus on key skills and processes to enhance the likelihood of your startup's success. 

Phase 1 – Problem – solution.

Session 1. Tuesday 6 August 2024, 3:30-5pm
Team building.

Session 2. Tuesday 13 August 2024, 3:30-5pm. 
Problem, solution and market research.

Coaching session 1. Tuesday 20 August 2024, 3:30-5pm. 
Mentoring session: Problem, solution and market research.

Phase 2 – Market validation and value proposition.

Session 3. Tuesday 27 August 2024, 3:30-5pm. 
Market validation, value proposition, and business models.

Coaching session 2. Tuesday 3 September 2024, 3:30-5pm.
Mentoring session: Market validation, value proposition, and business models.

Session 4. Tuesday 10 September 2024, 3:30-5pm. 
Accelerator founders panel.

Coaching session 3. Tuesday 17 September 2024, 3:30-5pm.
Mentoring session: Market Validation and Value Proposition check-in to advance.

Phase 3 – Pitching and Demo days.

Session 5. Tuesday 1 October 2024, 3:30-5pm. 
Pitching and storytelling.

Session 6. Tuesday 8 October 2024, 3:30-5pm. 
Pitching semi-finals.

Session 8. Tuesday 15 October 2024, 3:30-5pm. 
Demo day.

Ventures Validate is an intermediate program and is open to all UQ students, staff, and recent alumni at UQ. The program requires prior experience or knowledge regarding entrepreneurship and innovation. 

To be eligible to apply, you must:

  • be a current UQ student, staff member or young alumni (graduated in the last 10 years)
  • commit to attending all sessions over ten weeks
  • agree to our Terms and Conditions
  • have prior experience or knowledge regarding design thinking, and entrepreneurship and innovation
  • have an idea for a venture and be ready to validate it through a research process or committed to joining a team to work on another student's idea
  • be committed to taking your idea to the next level

Semester 2 Program

Applications for Ventures Validate are now closed.


Join our newsletter to stay up-to-date for our next program dates

Download our Terms and Conditions

*The Ventures Validate pitching competition component will be subject to terms and conditions to be released soon.

Ventures Connect

Want some advice on where to get started? Ventures Connect is your chance to come together with Ventures staff, student innovators and industry experts. 

Join our community events