Pre-accelerator Programs
Put your startup idea to the test with a range of pre-accelerator programs funded by Innovation Victoria.
What is a pre-accelerator program?
Designed for aspiring entrepreneurs, pre-accelerator programs offer mentorship, education, and networking to help validate your startup idea. Programs can be sector specific or agnostic, and usually run for 6-12 weeks. Browse some of the opportunities below funded by Innovation Victoria.
AI
Generation AI
Free AI Startup pre-accelerator program for Victorian founders to validate your idea, get users, and reach the milestones needed for investment.
VICTOR:AI
A new pre-accelerator program designed to help build Victoria's next generation of AI-native founders and startups.
AI Sandbox
The Press Play AI Sandbox Pre-Accelerator for Women is a 12-week, experience-led program designed to support aspiring and early-stage women founders building AI-native or AI-enabled startups.
HealthTech & DeepTech
Assemble
Cicada Innovations' Assemble Program supports early-stage founders and aspiring founders who are ready to build, moving beyond validating the science or technology.
AUSCEP (Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program)
AUSCEP is designed to empower clinicians with an entrepreneurial spirit to bridge the gap between healthcare and innovation.
Boson Collider
Australia's first VC-led deep tech pre-accelerator: building AI & robotics capability and connecting Victorian founders to industry customers and Asia.
CoLabs Kinesis
The CoLabs Kinesis Program is a lab-embedded pre-accelerator supporting Victorian founders building Applied Biology, AI-enabled, and DeepTech ventures.
Future Frontier
An AI focused DeepTech Pre-accelerator Program delivered by Illume Ventures in partnership with the Monash AI Institute.
MedTech Actuator Origin
A high-impact venture-building program and pitch challenge for emerging entrepreneurs and founders, offering a AU$10,000 non-dilutive cash prize and return travel to compete at the Global Pitch Showdown in Japan.
Alumni Story
Hear from Dr Sumedha Verma, a recent graduate of the Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program, a pre-accelerator program funded by Innovation Victoria, MTPConnect and the Australian Society of Medical Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
AgTech & Sustainability
Farmers2Founders
The Farmers2Founders GROW Pre-Accelerator is designed to support early-stage founders working in agrifood tech to make meaningful progress towards their next growth milestone.
[Re]Launch Pre-Accelerator
Early-stage pre-accelerator helping founders with startups operating within the circular economy launch their startup idea to market. Presented by RMIT Activator and open to anyone based in Victoria.
University-based programs
ACU Co-Lab Startup Pre-Accelerator Program
ACU's Startup Pre-Accelerator Program designed to help the Victorian based ACU community turn their startup ideas into real-world ventures.
Deakin SPARK Renewable Energy Supply Chain
A practical pre-accelerator helping founders rapidly develop energy and supply chain solutions with expert mentoring and real-world insight.
Federation University
Early-stage pre-accelerator program helping researchers and innovators explore the commercial potential of their ideas in a supportive, low-risk environment.
La Trobe LaunchPad
La Trobe University’s 12-week pre-accelerator supporting emerging founders to turn technology-led ideas into scalable startups.
Find the right program for you
Designed for people at the earliest stages of the innovation journey, our Office Hours service helps innovators understand the opportunities available across Victoria's innovation ecosystem and connect with the funding, capability, networks and initiatives that can help turn ideas into products, companies and impact.