Applications to accelerate innovations into commercial success now open

The search is on for innovators and entrepreneurs to take part in next year’s Curtin Accelerate, a free 10-week program to develop an invention or a new business idea.

Applications for the program, which offers tailor-made guidance and support to prepare concepts for commercial success, are now open to Curtin’s alumni of more than 240,000 graduates around the world, as well as staff and students.

Curtin University Director of Commercialisation Rohan McDougall said the Accelerate program provided vital early stage support for emerging businesses in the Curtin community.

“The program provides mentoring, seed funding and access to networks that can help these businesses grow,” Mr McDougall said.

“It is part of a pipeline of programs to support entrepreneurship at Curtin that can connect teams with global entrepreneurs and investors, transforming ideas into successful new products and services. We are seeking applicants who have innovative ideas or business concepts and need some support to take them to the next level.”

Curtin Accelerate, which offers access to co-working spaces, information technology infrastructure, key industry networks and personalised mentoring from specialists in digital marketing, business growth, intellectual property and finance, will run from February to April 2020.

The program’s recent success stories include Spiropak, which took out the overall prize at the 2019 Curtinnovation Awards for its breakthrough oil and gas industry technology and Gelavo, whose avocado icecream innovation went from idea to commercial success.

Gelavo is the brainchild of Curtin University food science and technology alumni Anthea Rodoreda and Andrew Tilley who tackled the issue of fresh produce waste by using unwanted WA avocados to make icecream.

Since participating in the 2018 Accelerate program, Gelavo’s icecream has gone into production and is now selling through various retail outlets in Perth.

Teams applying for Curtin Accelerate must include at least one Curtin staff member, student or graduate.

To find out more about the Curtin Accelerate program, visit here.