Some of Australia's most exciting new startups have received a major boost, with Curtin University's Accelerate program helping the next generation of entrepreneurs secure investment, commercial deals and rapid market traction in a matter of weeks.
Running since 2013, Curtin Accelerate is a free program providing business owners the skills and networks needed to quickly and effectively take their innovative product or service to market, thanks to guidance from world-leading innovators and startup founders.
In just 12 weeks, the 2026 cohort has translated ideas into real-world ventures with funding, product launches and industry partnerships.
This year's successes include:
- Two startups securing investment funding during the program;
- Suss Beauty developing a proprietary waterless skincare formulation;
- Safe Call Up winning a pilot contract with a major Western Australian hospital for its discrete safety-monitoring app for family and domestic violence survivors;
- Aisembl's design-to-documentation platform for homeowners and professionals progressing from an idea to being customer-tested in-market.
Safe Call Up founder Kristy Gallagher said the program had been instrumental in helping the company reach key milestones.
"It's clear the program is deeply invested in founder success and being surrounded by a cohort of high-calibre startups makes it an even more powerful experience," Ms Gallagher said.
Sunfish Robotics co-founder Nikki Staltari said Curtin Accelerate had been incredibly valuable for the company at this stage of its journey.
"The quality of mentors and presenters, who all bring real, lived experience, is exceptional and the resources available during and after the program are unmatched," Ms Staltari said.
Curtin University Director of Entrepreneurship Danelle Cross said the results showed how Accelerate was a direct pipeline from innovation to commercial success, by helping founders build scalable, investment-ready businesses at speed.
"We're seeing Western Australian founders turn strong ideas into serious commercial ventures, attracting investment and gaining real traction in market," Ms Cross said.
"Curtin Accelerate is about giving entrepreneurs the tools, networks and confidence to grow quickly - and the outcomes this year show just how powerful that support can be and are a clear signal of investor confidence in WA entrepreneurs.
"These are the kinds of businesses that have the potential to scale, create jobs and contribute meaningfully to the State's economy."
Several of this year's ventures progressed from early-stage concepts to viable products deployed in-market within the program's 12-week timeframe - the fastest progression recorded to date - while others generated pre-sales and early revenue.
Ms Cross said the results reinforce Curtin Accelerate's role in backing founders who are building the State's future industries.
"This is about backing people with the ambition and capability to build the next generation of WA businesses," she said.
"We're not just supporting startups - we're helping founders create companies that can grow, compete globally and deliver long-term impact."
Curtin Accelerate is part of Curtin University's broader commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and strengthening WA's innovation ecosystem.
