Validate

Make You Idea Real!

Validate is the next step for those progressing from the Ventures Curiosity program or for students already deeply engaged with a project. This program provides the tools and guidance to refine, test, and prove your ideas.

You won’t do it alone. Join a diverse community from every UQ faculty, creating a dynamic network where insights are shared, challenges are overcome, and successes are celebrated together.

Each week, you'll engage directly with successful founders, investors, and industry experts. They're here to share stories, insights, and provide candid feedback to help you strengthen and validate your venture.

All Validate sessions are in-person at UQ for direct engagement and meaningful connections.

Apply to Ventures Validate

Key Dates and Times:

Kick-off Wednesday 27 August (3 - 5pm)

Session 1. Introduction and Team Formation
The first step towards your success is to connect with like-minded individuals and find your co-founders. Build the foundation of your team to continue building your product.

Event: Find your Team! Mixer
Experience the Ventures core program community firsthand! Meet potential teammates, Validate alum, and recruit talented individuals to strengthen your team.

Session 2. Market Validation & Competitors
Identify the players in your industry, uncover gaps, and learn how to make what you're building useful, and stand out from the rest. Find your competitive edge and define your unique value.

Session 3. Go to Market
Define your ideal first customer and chart the path to get your solution into their hands. Build the foundational blueprint of your Go-to-Market strategy and turn your idea into a targeted plan.

Session 4. Sales
Every founder is the first salesperson. Learn the art of the conversation, how to handle objections, and the tactics to close your first customers.

Session 5. GO or NO GO
Convince the judges in an investor conversation and earn the 'Go' to unlock the next phase and a share of the $10,000 prize pool.

Session 6. Invest
Learn the world of early-stage funding, from bootstrapping to angel investors and VCs. Understand what investors look for at your stage and map out the right capital strategy to fuel your growth.

Session 7. Accountability
In this structured check-in, share your wins, roadblocks, and what's next with the cohort to get honest feedback and clarity.

Session 8. Finance
Master the fundamentals of startup finance. Learn to speak the language of investors and prove your business model is not just an idea, but a viable opportunity.

Session 9. End of Program Commitment Ceremony
This final roundtable session is about committing to what comes next. You will define and declare your single most important goal you will hit by the time the next Validate cohort starts.

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
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 2025

Apply to Ventures Validate

Semester 1 2026

Applications for Ventures Validate 2026 are not open at this time.

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Validate

Key Dates and Times:

Ventures Connect