Artificial kidneys. Emission-free mining trucks. GPS-free navigation. These are just some of the breakthrough innovations from the 23 ventures announced today by Cicada Innovations, Australia's flagship deep tech incubator, for the 2025 cohort of Cicada x Tech23.
This annual event spotlights science-based startups from across the country that are developing critical technologies in health, energy, infrastructure, and industry and building sovereign capability in the process.
Selected from a record 150 applications across ACT, SA, WA, NSW, VIC and QLD, this year's cohort marks the most nationally diverse and competitive lineup in the event's history. These founders push scientific boundaries, solve global challenges, and demonstrate the bold leadership essential for Australia's future innovation landscape, often driven by deep personal conviction and lived experience.
Cicada x Tech23 is instrumental in translating deep tech innovation into national capability. According to the 2024 Tech23 Insights Report, deep tech startups now make up 20% of all new Australian ventures, yet only 17% secure venture funding. Tech23 helps close that gap.
Alumni include ElectraLith, which recently raised $27.5 million to deploy its first field pilot producing battery-grade lithium hydroxide using a water-free, chemical-free process that halves extraction costs. DermR Health is reshaping cancer diagnostics with its world-first microneedle patch, now in landmark clinical trials with MoleMap and Aboriginal health services, bringing genomic skin cancer screening to remote and underserved communities.
Sally-Ann Williams, CEO of Cicada Innovations, said: "For too long, we've treated deep tech as a series of isolated breakthroughs, rather than what it truly is, a systems-level opportunity to build new industries, strengthen sovereignty, and drive national productivity."
"These 23 founders are not just advancing science. They are stepping up as leaders, solving complex problems and shaping the industries we'll rely on for decades to come. 70% of this year's applicants were founded in the past five years, and many are led by women, First Nations innovators, and scientists with lived experience of the challenges they're tackling."
"Take One Kidney, developing a fully implantable artificial kidney after the founder lost his father waiting for a transplant. Or Electric Power Conversions Australia (EPCA), founded by a Wunumara engineer using decades of heavy industry experience to electrify mining fleets and decarbonise one of our most emissions-intensive sectors. These ventures aren't just innovative, they're nationally significant."
"If we want a future made in Australia, we need to back this kind of ambition early, consistently, and at scale. That means whole-of-government coordination and a shift in mindset, from simply funding innovation, to actively becoming first customers. Strategic procurement is one of the most powerful levers we have, and we're not using it enough."
"Tech23 is not just a showcase but the only gathering of its kind where breakthrough technologies converge across sectors to tackle the biggest opportunities of our time, from food systems to climate, health, defence and advanced manufacturing. That's the future we need to build. And these are the leaders building it." Cicada x Tech23 is proudly sponsored by: Main Sequence, Westpac, Radium Capital, Boson Ventures, University of Sydney, CSIRO, Dassault Systèmes, IP Australia, The Onset, CFO Plus, TechVisa, and Addisons.
Cicada x Tech23 2025 will take place at Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf, Sydney, on Wednesday, 10 September 2025. It will be MC'ed by Tiahni Adamson, wildlife biologist and 2024 SA Young Australian of the Year.
View all 23 ventures selected for Tech23 2025
Key Facts:
Cicada Innovations has announced the 23 ventures selected for Cicada x Tech23 2025, Australia's national deep tech event. The event takes place on 10 September 2025 in Sydney, spotlighting breakthrough science and critical technologies. This year's cohort includes innovations in cancer diagnostics, neurotechnology, quantum sensing, and low-emissions manufacturing.
About us:
Cicada Innovations is Australia's leading deep tech incubator. With a 25 year track record of developing ventures focused on the world's most pressing problems and promising opportunities. Their network of incubators, training, and community are designed to meet the unique needs of deep tech startups. Cicada Innovations has been the home of groundbreaking science and bold engineering, transforming ideas into world-changing ventures, reshaping industries, and driving deep tech success stories in fibre optics, space, medtech, and climate innovation, delivering tangible impact for Australia and the world. They are committed to building Australia's deep tech economy.
