ScaleUP Showcase - Speakers - Ventures - University of Queensland

Discover the best of UQ’s innovation community at our upcoming ScaleUP Showcase. This flagship event brings together Queensland scaleups, UQ alumni ventures, investors, and industry executives for a full day of innovation and connection, and will culminate in the ilab x Momentum Accelerator Pitch Night.

At Ventures we aim to spotlight the voices shaping Queensland’s innovation economy. Our speaker lineup features a curated mix of local and global founders, investors, industry leaders, and ecosystem builders who bring deep insight into startup growth, investment trends, and scaling ventures.

From expert panels to breakout sessions, you’ll hear from those driving real impact across technology, sustainability, health, and beyond.

Keynote Speaker

Vinnie Lauria

Founding Partner, Golden Gate Ventures

We are excited to welcome Vinnie Lauria to Brisbane to share their insights and perspective about Scaling Queensland to the World.

Vinnie is a two-time Silicon Valley entrepreneur turned venture capitalist. He is the Founding Partner of Golden Gate Ventures, a global early-stage VC firm launched in 2011 with US$300M in assets under management and 100+ investments. Over the past 14 years, Vinnie has served on more than a dozen startup boards, including unicorns like Carro and Carousell. He was an early investor in Stripe and AngelList, and helped take startups like Lomotif public on the NYSE.

Before founding Golden Gate Ventures, Vinnie built two startups in Silicon Valley: Meetro, a pioneering location-based chat app (shut down with many lessons learned in 2007); and Lefora, a social network platform acquired by a public media company in 2010. He also founded Silicon Valley NewTech, one of the Bay Area’s largest startup demo events at the time.

Vinnie has been a guest lecturer at Stanford, Berkeley, and the National University of Singapore, and is a Kauffman Fellow. Earlier in his career, he spent four years at IBM, helping shape the company’s strategy around social software for the enterprise. A lifelong technologist, Vinnie is deeply passionate about building startup ecosystems worldwide and joined his first startup as a developer while still in high school.

Welcome & Morning Speakers

Rongyu Li

Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Global Engagement), The University of Queensland

With a track record leading global strategy and partnerships at major universities across Australia and New Zealand,brings deep expertise in international education and higher ed administration. His work has shaped federal and institutional innovation policy, strengthened sector-wide advisory groups, and advanced UQ’s leadership in rankings, global mobility, and entrepreneurship.

Rongyu Li brings extensive leadership experience in global engagement and international education across major universities in Australia and New Zealand. He has played a key role in shaping innovation and entrepreneurship policy at federal and institutional levels, strengthening sector-wide advisory groups, and advancing UQ’s profile in global rankings, international partnerships, and entrepreneurial initiatives. Rongyu leads strategic programs that expand UQ’s global reach through student mobility, industry engagement, and entrepreneurship development.

Jasmine Vreugdenburg

Deputy Director-General Innovation, Department of Environment, Tourism, Science, and Innovation

Jasmine is a passionate leader with more than 20 years’ experience helping innovation ecosystems thrive - across government, universities, and the startup world. Her work has focused on everything from research commercialisation and startup acceleration to building innovation hubs and attracting investment, all with the goal of turning big ideas into real-world impact.

She’s currently the Deputy Director of Innovation at Queensland’s Department of Environment, Tourism, Science, and Innovation, where she helps shape the state’s innovation economy. In this role, she leads programs and policy that support deep tech, research commercialisation, and future-focused industries.

Nicola Wightman

Ventures Relations Manager, QIC Ventures

Nicola Wightman is Venture Relations Manager at QIC Ventures, a venture capital investor in Queensland startups and scaleups. She brings experience across accelerator programs, government innovation initiatives, corporate IT, and small business. At QIC Ventures, Nicola leads engagement across the innovation ecosystem—working with founders, investors, universities, and government to foster collaboration and support the growth of emerging companies. QIC Ventures is a leading investor in Queensland’s startup ecosystem, supporting companies from seed to Series C+.

Ben Phillis

Head of Investment Fund, UniQuest Extension Fund

Ben is a senior leader in pharmaceutical innovation and commercialisation, bringing deep expertise in drug development, business development, and research translation. He has held senior roles with UniQuest since 2009, helping drive the commercialisation of research discoveries into impactful innovations.

Previously, Ben worked with Mayne Pharma, specialising in pharmaceutics, modified-release formulations, “super-generics,” and product life-cycle management. He holds a PhD in Medicine from The University of Adelaide, where his research focused on cardiotoxicity linked to drugs of abuse, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in neuropharmacology at the Hanson Institute on an AstraZeneca-funded drug discovery program.

Julien Taylor

Investment Director, QIC

Julien joined the QIC Ventures team in 2025 and is focused on identifying and investing in the next generation of tech founders to come out of Queensland. Prior to QIC, Julien was a founding member of Antler VC's Netherlands fund where he sat on the investment committee and set up the portfolio management function. Julien is also a former startup operator, having held several leadership roles at scale-ups Go1 and Sonder. Julien started his career in investment banking at BNP Paribas in New York and Brussels.

Maja Sliwinski

Investment Director, Kilara Capital

Maja has over 20 years of global investing experience in the public and private markets focusing on deal sourcing, structuring and portfolio management. Maja holds an MBA from The Wharton Business School and a Dual Degree in Finance and Computer Science Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Maja was the head of PE at Tannara Capital and previously a co-founder of a $700m hedge fund in New York prior to joining Kilara Capital.

Ryan James

Founder and CEO, Indigenous Innovation Ventures | CEO, BSKT Wholefoods

With a 14-year career in the NRL, including captaincy of the Gold Coast Titans, Ryan James brings seasoned leadership and a deep commitment to community engagement as a founder and CEO of Indigenous Innovation Ventures. Holding a Bachelor of Business from Griffith University and an MBA from Bond University, he has seamlessly transitioned into the business world, contributing to Indigenous business engagement and leading ventures as CEO of BSKT Wholefoods and Director/CEO of JBK Group. A multi-award recipient (including NRL Entrepreneur of the Year and the Ken Stephen Medal), Ryan also serves on several boards, notably as co-founder of the upcoming First Nation Frontier Foundation (DGR). Passionate about creating impact across business, education, and community, Ryan continues to champion innovation and inclusion.

Sinead Singh

Founder and Director, First Nation Startup

Sinead Singh is a proud Wiradjuri woman with connections to the Bundjalung people. Sinead has become a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur, running multiple ventures. She is the founder and director of First Nation Startup and Wangharra Indigenous Consulting. Sinead earned her master's degree in International Relations from Bond University and subsequently worked in Canberra at defence intelligence. Her time at Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) in Brisbane ignited her passion for economic development opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This experience fuelled her dedication to supporting First Nations businesses and helping her community thrive in the business world.

Mitchell Heron

Managing Director, Scrub Hill Industries

Mitchell Heron is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Scrub Hill Industries (SHI), a 100% Indigenous-owned enterprise based on Butchulla Country in Hervey Bay. SHI operates at the intersection of land care, cultural services, and environmental innovation, with emerging commercial ventures in native plant recovery and essential oil production. Drawing on over 14 years of military leadership (including service in Special Forces), Mitchell prioritiese scalable, values-led growth. His work spans bushfoods, biochar, sustainable agriculture, and cultural consultancy, underpinned by a strong Indigenous workforce model and governance structures that balance commercial resilience with cultural accountability. Mitchell is actively positioning SHI for long-term partnerships, co-funded projects, and future impact investment.

Ian Mackie

Consultant, Austeur Enterprises

Ian Mackie is a nationally respected leader in Indigenous education, policy reform, and social innovation. With over 4 decades of experience, Ian has shaped transformative approaches to education and community development across Queensland. He is the founder of Austeur, an organisation focused on empowering Indigenous futures through education, employment, and enterprise.

From 2009 to 2012, Ian served as Assistant Director-General, where he was a state leader charged with improving Indigenous outcomes across all sectors. He later served as Deputy Director-General at the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (DATSIP) from 2018 to 2024, driving policy reform and embedding Indigenous-led frameworks into government strategy.

Professor Sagadevan Mundree

Head of School, School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Queensland

Professor Sagadevan Mundree is a world-leading expert in agricultural biotechnology, leading research and teams focused on making crops that are more resilient to environmental stresses such as drought and salinity, and value-addition to deliver nutritious products. He focuses on transdisciplinary solutions for challenges facing vulnerable populations in food scarcity and the effects of climate change on food quality and food production. He also integrates concepts of the circular economy to develop sustainable food production approaches. In collaboration with governments, industry, and Indigenous communities, Professor Mundree is creating innovative ways to solve global food challenges.

Michael Cotton

Chief Product Officer, Optio Capital

Michael is Chief Product Officer at Optio Capital, a blockchain-focused investment fund specialising in DeFi, infrastructure, and Web3 technologies. With over seven years driving product strategy across the blockchain ecosystem, Michael excels in identifying opportunities, developing innovative solutions, and building genuine, long-term business models. He co-founded Imperial Group and Meld Gold, pioneering technology that streamlines the precious metals supply chain and enhances industry security - four of his inventions currently have patents pending. Michael has led major acquisitions and partnerships in the numismatic and bullion market, including securing exclusive Australian representation for the global certifier PCGS. Recognised for his innovation and leadership, Michael was named in Queensland’s 40 Under 40 in 2023. Michael has also served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) for UQ Ventures’ ilab Accelerator program.

Jo Chaturvedi-Durant

Venture Partner (Asia Pacific), VU Venture Partners

Jo Chaturvedi-Durant is a private markets and venture capital investor with over 17 years’ experience in the global investment management industry. She has worked with leading global investment managers including Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, and is currently a senior investor and venture partner at VU Venture Partners and Eastend Ventures. Jo has a strong academic background in international business law and behavioural economics and has authored thought leadership on macroeconomics, retirement investing, and the economic impact of innovative technologies. She is an experienced board advisor and investor with a focus on deep-tech opportunities where frontier technologies meet impact. Jo supports founders, accelerators, social enterprises, and not-for-profits, and serves as a Venture Capitalist in Residence at The University of Adelaide’s ThincLab, mentoring startups on business models, go-to-market strategies, and governance.

Tyson Jennings

ilab Program Manager, The University of Queensland

Tyson is the ilab Program Manager and is also managing the current ilab x Momentum Accelerator program. Prior to joining Ventures, Tyson co-foundered Yodel - a community-based business listing app designed to connect locals with local businesses. Since establishing Yodel in 2017, his startup has grown significantly, raising capital, completing a major pivot, competing in pitch events across Australia, launching internationally, and becoming one of Brisbane’s most loved members of the startup ecosystem. Tyson has a background in corporate sales and partnerships, specialising in identifying and setting up partnerships in new and existing markets.

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Tickets are selling fast - get yours today

Choose how you experience ScaleUP Showcase Pitch Night:

Full Experience: Attend the entire ScaleUP Showcase during the day - including expert panels, breakout sessions, networking, and the Innovation Showcase - and stay into the evening for Pitch Night.
Pitch Night Only: Join us just for the exciting Pitch Night finale.
Combined Discount: Save when you buy both events together with our combined ticket option.

Afternoon Speakers

Aaron Birkby

CEO and Co-Founder, Tribe Global Ventures

Aaron Birkby is an award-winning entrepreneur, investor, and startup advisor with more than twenty years’ experience scaling technology companies internationally. He founded multiple ventures, including a software business that expanded into nine countries, earning the ATUG Most Innovative Broadband Solution award and national recognition through the Benson Award and the Pearcey Award for Queensland. His leadership in the Queensland startup scene includes delivering over a hundred acceleration programs and supporting more than 5,000 founders through entrepreneur-in-residence roles at River City Labs, Telstra Muru-D, QUT, JCU, and Silicon Lakes. Aaron is a trusted mentor and facilitator with TechStars, UQ, Bond University, SBE Australia and others, while consistently speaking on innovation panels in Australia and the UK.

As CEO of Startup Catalyst (now acquired by ACS), Aaron led 18 international founder missions and helped over 60 tech scaleups successfully enter overseas markets. He’s developed and delivered high-performance mental training programs for founders and executives at global companies including Google, YouTube, Novartis, and the UK Government, and integrates these frameworks within Tribe Global Ventures to boost portfolio company success. Aaron is active in investment and funds management as co-founder of the RCL Accelerator Mentor Investment Fund (currently tracking an 11.33% IRR), and serves on boards across startups, family businesses, and not-for-profit enterprises. He continues to shape Australia’s innovation sector as a board member of StartupAus, founding member of the Queensland Ministerial Innovation Advisory Council, and architect of government policy initiatives like Advance Queensland.

Juliette Murphy

CEO and Co-founder, FloodMapp

Juliette Murphy is a professional water resources engineer turned entrepreneur and the CEO and Co-founder of FloodMapp. Motivated by her personal experiences with the Queensland 2011 floods and the 2013 Calgary flood, Juliette launched FloodMapp to revolutionise flood preparedness and response using predictive modeling and real-time hazard mapping. Under her leadership, FloodMapp has grown to over 30 team members across Australia, the US, and beyond; delivering solutions that help communities, governments, and insurers mitigate flood impacts.

With more than a decade in the field before founding FloodMapp, Juliette specialised in surface water management, flood modeling, mine water management, and water supply planning, working in Australia, Indonesia, and Canada. Her passion for social good and her drive to solve big-impact problems continue to inspire innovation in flood technology, earning her recognition including 'Founder of the Year' at the Women in Digital National Awards.

Lauren Hall

Founder, iVvy

Lauren Hall is the Founder and CEO of iVvy, a global enterprise SaaS company transforming hospitality operations across 6 continents. Headquartered on the Gold Coast, iVvy serves hotels, restaurants, and stadiums in 23 countries and employs 54 staff.

With over 30 years of executive and board-level experience across SaaS, FMCG, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and property development, Lauren has raised more than $30 million in capital and led major land and design projects in South Africa valued at over $1 billion. Her specialty and passion is in the technology industry, developing and launching innovative products to market, building long term brand association, sustainable business growth and delivering significant returns to shareholders.

She is internationally recognised for her entrepreneurial leadership, product innovation, and advocacy for women in tech. A competitive athlete on the international circuit for 5 years, Lauren holds a 2nd degree Black Belt in ITF Taekwondo and represented South Africa at the World Championships.

Shahirah Gardner

Investment Director, Skalata

Shahirah Gardner is an Investment Director at Skalata and a fintech founder turned VC investor. She co-founded Finch, a data intelligence company that powers Australia’s leading banks and financial services, analysing more than $2 billion in transactions each month. Shahirah has built award‑winning fintech, payments, and data products across both consumer and enterprise markets, and now mentors and invests in startups from Seed to Series A.

With early career experience in tech PR across Silicon Valley and Australia, she brings a global perspective to supporting founders. Beyond venture, Shahirah is a certified yoga and breathwork instructor, passionate about helping individuals achieve mental clarity and peak performance.

Kody Cook

Deputy Chief Engineer and Head of Launch Vehicles, Gilmour Space

Kody Cook is a multi-disciplinary engineer with over a decade of experience developing, operating, and managing aerospace programs across public and private sectors, including multi-national corporations and startups. He holds master’s degrees in mechatronic mngineering from UQ and space engineering from UNSW. Currently serving as Deputy Chief Engineer at Gilmour Space, Kody leads the launch vehicle engineering team, specialising in systems integration, software, electrical, guidance, navigation, and avionics. He has a strong background in systems engineering, simulation, software development, and robotics, driving innovation in Australia’s commercial space launch efforts. Kody also founded Ecosys Homes, demonstrating his entrepreneurial spirit beyond aerospace.

Shannon Willoughby

Executive Director, Strategic Partnerships - Government and Industry, UQ

Under Shannon's leadership, the Strategic Partnerships Office at UQ serves as the front door for industry and government to connect with the university and support large scale, multi-faceted partnerships and projects which focus emerging global challenges and opportunities. In her role, Shannon drives opportunities of scale with government and industry to support new partnerships, in research, innovation and policy, with a focus on energy transition and resources, health and biomedical science, defence and national security, advanced manufacturing and enabling technologies, agriculture and the environment.

Shannon is a former senior executive at Trade and Investment Queensland, CEO of Study Gold Coast and a former chief reporter at News Limited. She sits on a number of industry and advocacy boards and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Bianca Park

Investment Facilitation Lead, Invest Gold Coast

Bianca is a global innovation and growth expert dedicated to attracting investment to Australia’s fastest-growing city, the Gold Coast, at Invest Gold Coast. With over 17 years leading a global innovation agency, Bianca is passionate about diversifying the local economy and creating high-value careers in emerging sectors such as space, biotech, tech, legal, future mobility, and creative industries. She has inspired thousands worldwide, working with major clients across pharmaceuticals, construction, FMCG, and finance, including household names like PepsiCo, Novartis, Mars, and Westpac. Bianca’s impact ranges from launching life-saving drugs valued at billions, to turning around construction firms with multi-million dollar EBIT improvements, and scaling global investment firms massively. Known for her infectious energy and relentless focus on “return on impact,” Bianca ignites transformation and growth that makes a real difference for communities and businesses alike.

Marc Orchard

CEO, Planet Startup

Marc is CEO and co-founder of Planet Startup, a virtual CFO studio supporting high-growth Australian companies from seed to Series B with financial clarity, capital readiness, and strategic support. With over a decade of experience at the intersection of startups, finance, and strategy, Marc has built a reputation as a trusted advisor to founders navigating growth and complexity. Prior to launching Planet Startup, he founded the BDO for Startups division, led national startup communities at Fishburners, and served as EiR at UQ Ventures, mentoring dozens of venture-backed companies.Marc is also a facilitator for LaunchVic’s 30x30 program, working closely with executive teams to sharpen their financial decision-making and drive commercial performance. He currently serves on the board of Emmanuel College (UQ) and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Marc brings a rare combination of financial rigour, operational empathy, and founder-first thinking - helping leadership teams build companies that last.

Tony Harcourt

Co-founder, WorkGuru

Tony is a consultant, software engineer, and speaker specialising in business processes and cloud systems. With experience working alongside mining giants and family businesses, Tony is passionate about helping small and manufacturing businesses scale and improve profitability through best-in-class cloud solutions that save time and increase operational visibility. After leading The Rype Group for 6 years, he co-founded WorkGuru in 2018 to address a market gap in job costing and project management software. Tony focuses on mining-related sectors and rural and regional Australia, advocating for smarter workflows with the motto: "People are smart! Don't make them do dumb jobs!"

Jamie Pitt

Co-Founder, Partnar

Jamie Pitt is the co-founder of Partnar, a SaaS platform designed to help brands grow by forming strategic partnerships with other non-competing businesses that share the same customers. Jamie’s career began as a professional soccer player before he transitioned into entrepreneurship, where he discovered his passion for building businesses. Since then, he has successfully founded and exited four e-commerce companies as well as a beauty salon. Drawing on years of experience in brand collaborations and e-commerce, Jamie is committed to simplifying and scaling B2B partnerships through data-driven solutions, helping brands unlock new customer bases and maximise marketing impact. He actively brings an entrepreneurial mindset and practical expertise to both startups and established businesses.

Liz Henderson

Director, Avodah Global Pty Ltd

Liz has led executives and boards through vision-based strategy development, implementation and performance monitoring in a broad range of sectors (mining, ports and infrastructure, financial services, tertiary education, technology, telecommunications, local and regional government, community services) for over 20 years.

As Co-Founder and Director of social enterprise Avodah Global, Liz has now turned her expertise to supporting at risk women and their families through training, support and safe employment in Cambodia. Avodah Global’s business model is aggregating small, localised sustainable ethical manufacturing sewing hubs each supporting a network of outworkers leasing or owning a machine and working from their village; a cottage industry approach, connected to the global economy.

Yasharth Krishna

Momentum Program Manager and Accelerator Entrepreneur-in-Residence, The University of Queensland

Yazz Krishna leads the Momentum Accelerator and is a seasoned entrepreneur with a track record in building and scaling ventures. He founded Five Faces, a Brisbane-based enterprise SaaS and managed service provider that expanded internationally across retail and healthcare before his exit in 2021. Yazz is now the Co-Founder of AiCarer, a digital health company redefining proactive care through wearables and AI, and Co-Founder of Fusion Growth Labs, which partners with industry and investors to build venture-scale solutions from within corporate ecosystems.

His expertise spans sales structure and leadership, enterprise deployment, commercial negotiations, MVP development, and capital raising strategy. Passionate about founder success, Yazz focuses on helping startups and scaleups navigate investment, growth, and international expansion with clarity and confidence.

Dr Veronica Nolan

Head of Entrepreneurship (Acting), The University of Queensland

Veronica is focused on building the entrepreneurial and innovative capability of our current and future generations. The UQ Ventures programs are a key channel through which Veronica and the team are able to improve equitable access to entrepreneurial learning and development and to support individual and collective growth through innovative thinking, business building frameworks, generative collaboration and interconnectivity across teams and ecosystems.

Veronica is an accomplished strategic designer and consultant, design-led facilitator, educator, mentor, culture coach, and organisational innovation leader. She has worked with diverse groups across a range of sectors using design-based methodologies to develop and deliver strategy, foster innovative culture, and promote learning. Her experience includes designing and delivering education programs and workshops for schools, universities, and professional academies. Veronica’s background as an educator equips her with the knowledge and practical frameworks to help guide and coach people through focused development, aligned direction and intentional change.

Top of page

Tickets are selling fast - get yours today

Choose how you experience ScaleUP Showcase Pitch Night:

Full Experience: Attend the entire ScaleUP Showcase during the day - including expert panels, breakout sessions, networking, and the Innovation Showcase - and stay into the evening for Pitch Night.
Pitch Night Only: Join us just for the exciting Pitch Night finale.
Combined Discount: Save when you buy both events together with our combined ticket option.

Keynote Speaker

Sarah-Jane Peterschlingmann

Managing Director, ATech

Sarah-Jane Peterschlingmann is the owner and Managing Director of ATech, an award-winning company that delivers cloud hosting and mission critical websites for major corporations and government clients. Starting her career as a web developer, she helped grow ATech from humble beginnings into a multi-million dollar enterprise.

Sarah-Jane is a multi-award winning entrepreneur, investor, business adviser and technology enthusiast who regularly speaks on the topics of technology, innovation and leadership. She is a featured author of the international bestseller “Wholehearted Leadership Revolution”. Sarah-Jane is also the Vice Chair of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) Queensland Branch Executive Committee, and a Non Executive Director of Autism Queensland.

Our Judges

Jo Chaturvedi-Durant

Venture Partner (Asia Pacific), VU Venture Partners

Georgie McNee

Investment Committee Member, UniQuest Extension Fund

Georgie has over 20 years’ experience in finance and strategy, specialising in supporting start-ups and scale-ups through growth, capital raising, due diligence, and strategic planning. Passionate about clean-tech and net-zero goals, Georgie’s M&A experience includes leading buy/sell processes with public companies, private equity, and capital raising from private investors.

Matiela Baker

Vice President, QIC

Matiela, along with the Private Equity team at QIC, manages the Queensland Venture Capital Development Fund (VCDF). VCDF has invested into leading venture capital groups and accelerator programs to support Queensland entrepreneurs gain access to education, mentors, service providers and venture capital.

Speakers

Vanessa Garrard

Ventures Entrepreneur-in-Residence | Founder, Landran Ventures | Founder & Chair, LYFT Business Advisory

Vanessa Garrard is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and independent Non-Executive Director and Chair, with a remarkable track record of founding 25 companies across diverse sectors. Recognised by prestigious awards including EY Entrepreneur of the Year, AFR Women of Influence, and Telstra Business Woman of the Year, Vanessa brings deep expertise in the FMCG consumer products sector, having supplied millions of products across 29 categories to major global retailers such as Walmart, Target, Tesco, Costco, and more. Her partnerships span iconic brands including Apple, Warner Bros, Lucas Films, and Samsung.

Vanessa’s entrepreneurial journey also includes ventures in SaaS, where she’s gained valuable insights she’s keen to share. She’s passionate about solving problems, learning from failures, and helping others navigate the business world more easily. As a mother of 4, she’s also deeply committed to community impact, serving as Chair of Bravehearts, a leading child protection organisation.

Dr Veronica Nolan

Head of Entrepreneurship (Acting), The University of Queensland

Tickets are selling fast - get yours today

Choose how you experience ScaleUP Showcase Pitch Night:

Full Experience: Attend the entire ScaleUP Showcase during the day - including expert panels, breakout sessions, networking, and the Innovation Showcase - and stay into the evening for Pitch Night.
Pitch Night Only: Join us just for the exciting Pitch Night finale.
Combined Discount: Save when you buy both events together with our combined ticket option.

Showcase Details

Date: Tuesday 21 October 2025

Time: 9am - 9pm

ScaleUP Showcase: 9am - 5pm
Pitch Night: 5pm - 9pm (Networking from 5pm, pitching commences at 6pm)

Location: Plaza Auditorium, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

Secure your ticket

If you have any enquiries about the Ventures ScaleUP Showcase, please contact ventures@uq.edu.au

Additional Showcase Information

ScaleUP Showcase overview

ScaleUP Showcase Program

Our ilab x Momentum Accelerator

The ilab Accelerator is UQ’s flagship program designed to fast-track UQ student, staff, and alumni startups. Delivered in collaboration with the Momentum Accelerator, this combined initiative offers two tailored tracks for founders at different stages of their journey.