YES!
INCUBATE strongly encourages entrepreneurial researchers at The University of Sydney to apply for the Accelerator program.
Key attributes we look for in researchers:
INCUBATE works closely with CDIP on any startups that utilise university IP to assist them in coordinating licensing and commercialisation discussions with The University of Sydney.
Get started! Don’t wait until you get accepted into the INCUBATE Accelerator Program. In the application, we ask what progress you have already made on building your business so it’s never too late to get going.
Investigate your market and conduct interviews with potential customers to better understand the problem you think you’re solving.
If you would like to talk to one of our team members about your business idea, we’re available for a chat at: [email protected].
INCUBATE does not take equity (or a financial share) of your business. All grants paid to INCUBATE Program recipients are entirely equity-free.
During the Accelerator program, you will receive ongoing support and encouragement from your mentors and INCUBATE staff.
Through the program, you will:
Up to 10 startups are accepted into the Accelerator Program per application cycle.
Don’t feel you have to have a perfectly designed business plan or have all the answers before you apply. If you have a big idea, then we can help you find ways to build it!
Most startups that apply to the Accelerator program are in their very early stages and many won’t have a fully formed product or model in place, let alone actual paying customers yet.
However, the application judges do expect that founders have already done some work on the idea before applying.
Ideally, you will have completed the following steps before applying:
If you’re unsure how to go about finding the right people to talk to, conduct customer interviews to elicit usable feedback, or how to plan out your startup’s future, our series of Startup Fundamentals & Pre-Accelerator programs can help
The Accelerator Program requires a full-time commitment from all founders, which means we expect to see at least one representative of the startup in the office space or actively working on the startup for four full days a week. Attendance to all program workshops and meetings are also mandatory, Friday is reserved for a full day of workshops, events and goal setting in the INCUBATE Hub.
We’ve found that those who commit full-time to their startups progress faster and have a higher rate of success.
In the final week of the Accelerator Program, someone on your team will represent the startup at Demo Day.
At the event, one of the founders of your company will pitch your startup on stage to an audience of 250+ investors, business advisors, media, peers, students, and others.
After you leave the Accelerator, the INCUBATE team can assist your startup in finding co-working space and are on-hand for additional support or guidance if needed.
However, once your startup graduates, it’s expected that you’re ready to take on real investment and will have already acquired paying customers.
INCUBATE’s Accelerator program allows students, staff, and alumni of The University of Sydney to work on their startup ideas and build a business.
Throughout the 14-week program, startup founders will receive:
Over the course of the 14 weeks, your startup will learn the skills required to build your business, work on prototypes that you can test within your market, and find customers. We expect that by the end of the program, all startups in the program will have customers and a realistic plan for the company’s future.
In the final week of the program, all startups take part in a big industry event called Demo Day. At the event, your company will ‘pitch’ or present your startup on stage to an audience of 250+ investors, business advisors, media, peers, students, and others.
At INCUBATE, you don’t just go through ticking boxes – founders go at their own pace, building a startup and developing it into a money-making growth organisation. Visit the Accelerator Program page for more information.
INCUBATE’s Accelerator Program supports students, alumni, researchers and staff of The University of Sydney to get their startups off the ground.
The program takes early-stage startups and provides founders with support, mentorship, office space, and seed funding to help them build their product or service.
During the 14-week program, founders build and shape the direction of their business based on what they learn from our network of industry mentors and in the ongoing series of workshops and masterclasses from guest speakers.
The Accelerator Program operates as part of Deputy Vice Chancellor: Education, Enterprise & Engagement to aid entrepreneurial opportunities for students.
Our network of mentors, community and staff are here to offer support and aid in accountability to help the INCUBATE community members scale their startup to the next level.
Nothing! The cost to you will be a time commitment, which you must be prepared for with each course as there are minimum requirements for you to graduate with a course badge (or, in the case of Pre-Accelerator and Accelerator, to receive the equity-free grant at the end of the course).
Yes! You can be a sole-founder – all you need is a good idea, and the ability to commit to the time requirements of the course you select. Your startup can have anywhere from one to four members or co-founders.
There are slightly different criteria for the different streams, but the first thing you need irrespective of which course you’re applying to is that at least one member of your startup must be a current student, alumni, researcher or staff member at The University of Sydney. Beyond that, check out the course pages for additional eligibility criteria.