{"id":29863,"date":"2025-12-02T09:59:21","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T01:59:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/?post_type=media-release&p=29863"},"modified":"2026-02-03T16:21:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T08:21:49","slug":"curtin-accelerate-to-propel-wa-businesses-to-new-heights-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"media-release","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/media-release\/curtin-accelerate-to-propel-wa-businesses-to-new-heights-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Curtin Accelerate to propel WA businesses to new heights in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Â鶹ֱ²¥ has revealed the next generation of innovators and industry shapers, announcing 13 startups in its 2026 Accelerate<\/a> program cohort offering new ideas in healthcare, education, workplace safety, underwater vehicles, beauty products and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Running since 2013, Curtin Accelerate is a free program providing business owners the skills and networks needed to quickly and effectively take their innovative product or service to market, thanks to guidance from some of the world\u2019s leading innovators and startup founders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program\u2019s speaker and mentor network consists of local and global innovators such as Kanopy founder Olivia Humphrey, renowned angel investor Bill Tai and experienced CEO and venture investor Rob Newman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program has supported more than 180 founders develop early-stage companies, many of which continue to operate today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the 2026 cohort is Minerva, a virtual-reality platform able to turn CT and MRI scans into true-scale 3D images to help surgeons plan complex paediatric heart procedures, while Sunfish Robotics is a solar ocean robot engineered for long-duration, low-cost ocean data collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curtin Director of Entrepreneurship Danelle Cross<\/a> said Accelerate continued to demonstrate the University\u2019s long-term commitment to building an entrepreneurial pipeline in Western Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery year, the quality and ambition of the applications go up,\u201d Ms Cross said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis year\u2019s cohort includes founders working on lifesaving healthcare tools, safety tech and sustainable consumer brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese are projects that will make a real difference to people\u2019s lives and show how Curtin supports innovation, from the mind to the marketplace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curtin Executive Director Commercialisation Rohan McDougall<\/a> said Curtin Accelerate was so successful because of its focus on practical, founder-centred learning and hands-on mentorship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis program was created to help founders move faster, reduce risk and find the customers and investors they need to scale,\u201d Mr McDougall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOver more than a decade, the results speak for themselves: alumni have launched more than 70 successful ventures, raising over $41 million in funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAccelerate aims to turn great ideas into viable businesses that create jobs and diversify WA\u2019s economy \u2013 and we have no doubt our 2026 cohort will achieve this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2026 CURTIN ACCELERATE COHORT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n