Macquarie Incubator

A massive congratulations to the latest winners from the MQ Incubator START program! 👏

We’re excited to support a diverse group of student-led startups and early-stage ideas tackling challenges across media, healthcare, employment, and education!

🏆 Funding recipients include:
• Defameter – “Grammarly for defamation” designed for journalism and media contexts
Founder: Sarah Dianne Concepcion
Awarded $2.7k to support continued development.

• Aftercare AI – A digital support tool for people transitioning out of drug and alcohol rehabilitation
Founder: Olivia Ashton
Awarded $1.3k for prototyping and customer discovery.

• SkillBridge – A platform connecting students with bite-sized project opportunities from small businesses
Founders: Allan Benjamin Prabhakar, Aishwarya Rajesh Gaikwad, and Aaron Donald Pinto
Awarded $700 for prototype development and customer discovery.

• Bridge AI – Translation software designed to support students
Founder: Teepakorn "Pos" Wongwatanachai
Awarded $300 to assist with early-stage market testing and promotion.

It’s fantastic to see students and founders exploring innovative solutions with real-world impact. We look forward to seeing how these ideas continue to develop through the Incubator ecosystem!

Is your startup's cybersecurity actually keeping up with your growth? 🔐

Join us for our next Lunch & Learn on Wednesday 10 June where we're tackling one of the most overlooked challenges for early-stage founders – cybersecurity.

Our speaker Ajay Unni, Founder & CEO of StickmanCyber and a former NSW Government Cyber Security Task Force member, will walk you through:

✅ The minimum security foundations every startup needs
✅ What you can DIY – and where that breaks down
✅ How to think about compliance vs. actual security
✅ When to outsource (and when not to)

This one's practical, jargon-free, and designed for founders who are building fast and want to protect what they're creating – without burning cash or slowing down.

🔗 Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/mq-incubator-lunch-and-learn-or-on-your-mark-ready-set-go-the-cybersecurity-dilemma-for-start-ups-and-scale-ups

📣 Applications are now open for our Cohort 2 intake at the Incubator – and we'd love to meet your next big idea! 📣

We're looking for early-stage and scaling startups ready to take things to the next level. Whether you're still validating your concept or gearing up for growth, the MQ Incubator gives you the space, support, and community to make it happen.

Here's what joining gets you:
✅ A supportive community of founders who get it
✅ Co-working desks, offices, and laboratories with 24/7 access
✅ Year-round workshops led by industry leaders
✅ On-demand mentoring from a network of 50+ experts
✅ Connections to Macquarie University's research and student networks

Open to everyone, not just MQ students or staff. If you've got a scalable idea and the drive to back it, we want to hear from you.

Ready to apply or want to learn more? Click here: https://page.mq.edu.au/MQIncubator.html

Got research with real-world potential? The IMPACT Program was built for you. 💡

This cohort-based program helps researchers like you move from discovery to impact – with practical tools, expert guidance, and the chance to pitch for funding at the end.

Over the program you'll develop skills in customer discovery, value proposition design, partnership development, and more.

Don't let your research stop at publication.

📅 Applications close 29 May — don't miss out!
🔗 Apply here: https://page.mq.edu.au/ResearchersImpactEOI.html

This National Reconciliation Week, Macquarie University is going All In.

Join us for a special event celebrating culture, history and allyship – featuring an Acknowledgement of Country by Uncle Chris Tobin, an opening address from the Vice-Chancellor, and performances and stories from Mui Mui Bumer Gedlam Dance Group, Alanah Scholes, Edward Morgan and Josie Downey.

Reconciliation isn't a moment – it's a daily commitment. Come be part of meaningful change. 💛

🗓️ Thursday 28 May 2026, 2:30pm - 4:30pm
📍 Michael Egan Hall, 1 Central Courtyard, Macquarie University
🔗 Register here: https://event.mq.edu.au/reconciliation-2026/registration/Site/Register

Keep your equity. Fuel your growth. 💸

Join us for a free webinar with Matt Dowling from Lighter Capital, where he'll break down non-dilutive funding and debt financing for founders – so you can raise capital without giving away a slice of your company.

📅 Wednesday 27 May, 7:00 - 8:00pm

Perfect for SaaS and subscription-based founders, we'll cover:
✅ The funding landscape beyond equity
✅ What lenders actually look for
✅ Key metrics to have in place
✅ How to know when you're ready to apply

Whether you're at early traction or scaling fast – this one's worth your hour.

🔗 Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/the-insider-s-guide-to-non-dilutive-funding-keeping-your-equity-whilst-fuelling-your-growth

Recently, the Incubator welcomed Macquarie University staff for a hands-on Design Thinking workshop – and it was a great reminder of what happens when curious people tackle real problems together.

Teams worked through the full design thinking process: interviews, problem statements, rapid ideation (one team hit 40+ ideas!), whiteboard prototypes, and pitches to the cohort.

The highlight? Several solutions were strong enough that participants are already planning to test and refine them in their own workplaces.

Thanks to the Macquarie University staff who joined us — we loved having you!

Snaps from yesterday’s Lunch & Learn exploring pressure, and the space between fear and flow. 📸💡

Through practical exercises and thoughtful discussion, attendees learned the value of stepping back, grounding themselves, and communicating with greater clarity and confidence.

A huge thank you to Spoonface for delivering such an energising and insightful session for our May Lunch & Learn!

Stay tuned for our June Lunch & Learn announcement 👀

We kicked off Day 1 of the MQ University Incubator START Program today 🚀
We had over 30 students in the room bringing a wave of fresh startup and social enterprise ideas. The session focused on sharpening value propositions and diving into customer discovery — challenging teams to really understand the problems they’re solving and who they’re solving them for. Big energy, strong ideas, and a great start to the journey ahead.

Yesterday, we had an amazing time at Macquaire University Incubator X KPMG Design Thinking program pitch final at KPMG Australia HQ in Barangaroo! 🌟 All teams pitching did a fantastic job, and we are so proud of everyone’s creativity. 🎉

Congratulations to the winning team - Hopely, "rebuilding lives one space at a time", with their innovative solution for the urgent need for temporary accommodation for victims of domestic abuse.

Huge thanks to KPMG Australia and Homes NSW for being such wonderful partners and for participating!