Australia's research, industry and investment communities came together on 11 June for ON Translate 2026 , a national event led by CSIRO to strengthen pathways from research to real-world impact.
Hosted by Australia's national science agency, the event brought together researchers, industry partners, investors and government to connect, collaborate and accelerate the translation of Australian science into new ventures, industries and economic value. The event culminated in a Showcase featuring the 10th cohort of ON Accelerate.
This year's ON Accelerate cohort includes 46 researchers from nine Australian universities and research institutions, representing the future of local deep tech innovation. Intellectual property originated from six of these universities, with participants coming from a further three institutions.
Together, they form part of a growing pipeline of ventures helping close Australia's translation gap and strengthen sovereign capabilities across priority areas, including transitioning to a net zero future, supporting healthy and thriving communities, protecting and restoring Australia's environment, and building a secure and resilient nation.
Each team was selected for its potential to drive real-world impact as the next generation of research-driven startups emerging from Australia's deep tech pipeline. Through the program, researchers build their commercial acumen skills, establish investor relationships, and create the market connections required to advance their ideas beyond the lab.
The ON Accelerate 10 cohort has collectively reached several key milestones, including more than $25.8 million in grant funding and capital investment. Teams have also secured venture agreements, established commercial partnerships, and been selected for leading national and international accelerator programs, demonstrating their potential to address critical market needs and drive financial progress.
Tennille Eyre, Program Director of the ON Innovation Program at CSIRO, said the ON Program continues to play a critical role in building a connected, national innovation ecosystem. "Australia is strong at discovery. The challenge and opportunity is turning that strength into outcomes that deliver real impact for the economy and communities.
"Over the past decade, CSIRO's ON Program has focused on building the capability, confidence and connections researchers need to translate ideas beyond the lab and into adoption."
Member for Melbourne, Sarah Witty MP, said the Showcase demonstrated what is possible when Australian research is supported to go beyond discovery.
"ON Accelerate takes research further into new ventures, new industries and real-world impact."
As part of the Showcase, Dr Benjamin Tonnot, Founder of Energy Diversions - was named the ON Accelerate 10 recipient of the 2026 Stanford Australia Foundation Hawkins Ueland CSIRO ON scholarship.
The scholarship provides an ON Accelerate alumnus with the opportunity to undertake executive education at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, strengthening global networks, leadership capability and pathways to commercialisation.
Additional achievements from the Accelerate 10 cohort include:
- Air2Energy (University of Technology Sydney): Provide a bolt-on electrochemical system that captures CO₂ from gas boiler exhaust and converts it directly into electricity, which is then fed back into the building as clean power. The team has established strong technical foundations and is preparing a pilot retrofit on existing gas boilers in Sydney, building on successful lab trials. They have also expanded their market understanding and secured early customer interest.
- Axcelda (University of Melbourne): Their lead technology is designed to repair damaged cartilage through a single surgical procedure, with the aim of relieving pain, restoring function and stopping osteoarthritis before it starts. Over the course of the program, Axcelda engaged extensively with patients, clinicians, industry partners and investors, refining its value proposition and strengthening its pathway to market. These insights have helped position the company to translate more than a decade of research into a scalable clinical solution.
- CareWindow (Flinders University and ARIIA spinout): A zero-touch digital care platform enabling family connection and wellbeing monitoring without the need for fine motor skills or digital literacy. The team has made strong progress in refining their growth strategy, expanding their team and advisory board, and implementing a recurring revenue model. They have secured sales under a new pricing structure, including a top-tier aged care or home care provider that has purchased multiple units and committed to ongoing recurring revenue. The venture is now preparing for its next investment round.
- Chromos Laboratories (University of Melbourne): Providing a scalable alternative to animal models for neurological drug discovery through an imaging platform that captures electrical activity in the human brain. The team has made strong progress in securing its foundations, advancing its IP license agreement, establishing clear team roles, governance structures, and advisory need. In parallel, the venture is preparing for investment by engaging with potential investors and progressing toward due diligence.
- DeepDerm (University of Melbourne): An AI-powered handheld imaging platform, 'DermAI' that detects skin cancer at the point of care, providing clinicians with instant risk assessments and improving access for rural and underserved communities. The team has made strong progress in securing its IP and regulatory pathway. They've started testing in clinics, launched a pilot, and begun talks with Genesis Pre-Seed Fund and Google for further Investment.
- Energy Diversions (University of Newcastle): is transforming decommissioned mine voids into bankable long-duration energy storage assets, converting mine rehabilitation liabilities into revenue-generating clean energy infrastructure. During the program the company progressed validation of customer and regulatory requirements, built a commercial model that shows the system's energy capital cost falling below $100/kWh as it scales, and engaged key stakeholders across industry and government. They have secured early partner interest for future feasibility studies and are now preparing for a capital raise.
- Geney Bio (University of New South Wales): A cell and gene therapy manufacturing platform aiming to reduce manufacturing cost, complexity and variability. During the program, Geney Bio sharpened its focus on CAR-T and similar autologous cell therapy workflows, with longer-term opportunities in manufacturing workflows that may support emerging in vivo therapies. The team also secured several pilot trials to generate real-world validation data, progressed its IP commercialisation pathway with UNSW, and strengthened its company structure and governance.
- Hydro Harvester (University of Newcastle): Delivering clean, affordable water in low humidity remote regions by extracting water from air, without relying on existing liquid sources. The team has refined its value proposition through customer feedback, validating its sales and financial model with experts and investors, and strengthened their funding approach. They are now working toward early commercial traction after securing a customer agreement to pilot their system on site with a demonstration unit.
- PredicTx Health (University of Melbourne): Developing precision oncology technology that personalises chemotherapy treatment using routine imaging and advanced body composition analysis to improve safety, effectiveness and patient outcomes. During the Accelerate 10 program, the team achieved ISO 13485 certification through an independent BSI audit, completed ISO 27001 readiness activities as part of its scale-up strategy, and progressed international regulatory pathways including CE submission. In parallel, the company secured strategic collaborations with Alibaba Health and Cognis, advanced commercial discussions with a leading oncology software provider, and progressed hospital adoption opportunities as it prepares for clinical deployment and international growth.
- Verdant-ion (CSIRO): is advancing the global energy transition by converting seed oils into lower-cost synthetic graphite. The team has strengthened governance and readiness to scale, expanded international engagement with partners and investors across Japan, Korea and the US, and is sharpening its commercial and funding strategy through independent validation and active investor discussions.
These 10 teams join the ON Program alumni, which have gone on to create 165 new companies, secure over $393 million in commercialisation grants and raise over $521 million in investment capital.
Since launching as a pilot in 2015, ON has grown into a national platform, working with universities and research organisations across the country to strengthen Australia's innovation capability and coordination. The program has contributed to thousands of researchers building commercialisation capability, alongside new ventures, investment and jobs.
