Swinburne's 2025 Luminate Showcase celebrated the next wave of entrepreneurial talent, with Upgrid, Synaptis and TouchGreen taking home the program's major awards for market-ready ideas.
Twenty-six ventures from across the university competed in this year's intensive program, working with industry mentors and investors, to transform early-stage concepts into viable business propositions.
"This year, we've almost doubled participation in the Luminate program as students, staff and alumni return to Swinburne to validate their ventures and refine their storytelling," said Abhay Seth, Swinburne Director of Commercial Innovation.
Swinburne Innovation Studio's Head of Commercial Programs and Operations, Audrey Jean Baptiste, said the competitive environment drives ventures to sharpen their problem statements and pivot toward real-world impact.
"The Luminate program is about real commitment - participants show up every week, day in and day out, to actually build their businesses over six weeks," Baptiste said.
"Tonight's showcase wasn't just a program completion; it was a representation of what participants built and the insights they've gained. Many made major pivots after discovering the problems that customers needed to be solved," she added.
Upgrid: Replacing risky rope work with drone technology
Upgrid was founded by Swinburne students Zac Schade and Nicholas Dobie and tackles the dangerous and expensive challenge of cleaning building facades, wind turbines and civil infrastructure. Its breakthrough tethering system provides continuous power and water supply from the ground, eliminating risky rope work and enabling efficient operation and maintenance of hard-to-reach assets through innovative, drone-optimised technology.
The startup's double recognition at the showcase reflects the technical innovation of its solution, as well as strong market demand for safer industrial cleaning methods.
"The Luminate program has pointed out blind spots in my thinking and allowed us to validate previous assumptions," says co-founder Nicholas Dobie. "We were accelerated in our business development stage but had skipped a few steps - this program helped us get the foundations right."
Synaptis: Neuroscience and digital platform combine to improve brain health
Co-founded by neuropsychologist Dr Natalie Grima and dementia researcher Associate Professor Matthew Pase, Synaptis bridges neuroscience and everyday life. Its digital platform uses evidence-based education and personalised plans to improve brain health across sleep, nutrition, exercise, stress and cognitive engagement.
Dr Natalie Grima, a Swinburne alum who previously completed the Initiate program, describes Luminate as "a real springboard" that helped overcome decision paralysis around building the startup. "It helped me understand how I actually need to communicate and network with people, as well as the confidence to articulate my product idea and connect with like-minded individuals," she says.
Swinburne Innovation Studio - nurturing diverse entrepreneurial pathways
The 2025 Luminate Showcase highlights how Swinburne's entrepreneurial ecosystem supports startups at different stages, from current students developing their first startup, to established alumni commercialising research expertise.
Through its comprehensive suite of programs Swinburne Innovation Studio continues to serve as a centre for innovation and entrepreneurship, offering opportunities that empower startups to thrive.
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