UNSW Sydney, Australia's leading entrepreneurial university, is bringing founders, investors and international partners together to help startups turn breakthrough ideas into global success.
As startups navigate unprecedented change driven by AI, shifting global markets and economic uncertainty, UNSW hosted a one-day summit to strengthen pathways for emerging Australian businesses to grow internationally.
The Global Launchpads Summit, held at the UNSW CBD campus, connected around 100 entrepreneurs with investors, government partners and industry experts across 10 major international markets - including the USA, China, India, Singapore, Japan, Korea, the UAE, the UK, Germany and France.
Delivered by UNSW Founders and the UNSW Office of Global Affairs, the event featured startup showcases and expert panels offering participants practical advice on expanding into new markets. Founders also received one-on-one guidance from international partners who travelled to Sydney for the summit.
UNSW Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Attila Brungs said the event underscored UNSW's leadership and commitment to turning research and innovation into global success.
"UNSW is proud to be Australia's leading entrepreneurial university, and this summit shows what that leadership looks like in practice.
"By bringing founders together with global investors and partners in a focused forum, we're helping entrepreneurs move faster from breakthrough ideas to real impact. This landmark event connects Australian innovation with the international expertise, networks and opportunities needed to succeed on the world stage."
Connecting Australian startups to global markets
UNSW Founders supports hundreds of startups and founders , helping turn research and ideas into globally scalable businesses. More than 130 startups supported by the organisation have generated over $1 billion in enterprise value.
UNSW's Director of Entrepreneurship David Burt encouraged participants to think globally and make the most of the business connections and tools on offer. The summit also marked the official launch of a UNSW initiative designed to create global commercialisation pathways for 100 startups.
"For the past two years, we've been quietly helping about 60 startups win meaningful deals overseas," Mr Burt said. "Today we're launching what we're calling the Global Innovation Foundry , an initiative to help at least 100 companies find meaningful global opportunities - and it isn't just a statement of ambition, it's also an ask for help.
"While the main purpose today is to help startup founders meet people, make decisions and find opportunities for the future - it's also a celebration, because this isn't just a UNSW Founders event, it's also a collaboration with other parts of the University."
Participants at the event emphasised the importance of connecting university research and budding entrepreneurs with industry leaders. Trena Blair, founder of the Sydney-based consultancy firm FD Global Connections, said the USA was the most popular market for Australian businesses to scale into.
"It's also one of the most challenging. But if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere," Ms Blair said.
"You're in this room today because you're no longer thinking local, you're thinking global, and you're thinking USA - which is in a period of transformation. The smartest move for entrepreneurs in the US right now isn't chasing what's already been done, it's preparing for what comes next."
Hullbot: A UNSW Founders success story
One of the business leaders who addressed the summit was Tom Loefler, co-founder and CEO of Hullbot , which builds autonomous underwater robots for ship hull cleaning and maintenance. He discussed the company's journey from a UNSW innovation to a leading developer of underwater robotics and offered advice to emerging entrepreneurs.
"I know other founders in the room are looking at the daunting challenges ahead of them and how to go from where they are today to where they would like to go tomorrow," he said.
"Startups are difficult because you have this kind of recursive problem where you need a product before you can sell anything and make any money.
"You have to eat the elephant one bite at a time - break big ambitions into smaller steps and reduce risk at every stage."
UNSW is proud to be Australia's leading entrepreneurial university, and this summit shows what that leadership looks like in practice.
