In summary

  • Swinburne Innovation Studio’s annual Venture Cup pitch night shines a spotlight on the remarkable startups by Swinburne University students, staff and alumni
  • Student Venture Cup winners Dominic Lindsay and Nicholas Hunt were awarded for Nexobot, an autonomous parcel sorting system that’s transforming the warehouse and distribution landscape
  • Alumni Venture Cup winners James Marshall and Bill Trikojus, co-founders of Whiz Kid Games, were awarded for their animations and computer games, which support children with autism to develop essential independent living skills

Presented by Swinburne Innovation Studio, the annual Venture Cup pitch night shines a spotlight on the remarkable startups by Swinburne University students, staff and alumni.  

The Swinburne Venture Cup Program supports emerging startups through a three-week journey of personalised coaching, masterclasses and mentoring. The competition reaches its climax as 10 finalists present compelling startup pitches to an expert judging panel. 

The 2023 line-up showcased ground-breaking developments in artificial intelligence, personalised healthcare platforms, robotic technology, data collection tools and forward-thinking green energy solutions. 

Mukul Chadha, Swinburne University student, co-founder of SySat and participant at the 2023 Venture Cup pitch night, expressed gratitude for the critical support up-and-coming entrepreneurs received through the program.  

“By engaging with mentors and participating in targeted training sessions, we uncovered numerous blind spots in our startup concept that we’d previously overlooked. The program has been instrumental in guiding us through these challenges," Mukul said. 

Fellow Swinburne student Angelina The, and SySat’s co-founder, shared how the program provides inspiration, encouragement, and support for early-stage entrepreneurs. 

"Being around experienced entrepreneurs brings a different energy and boosts your confidence. The Swinburne Venture Cup is a chance to connect with others and learn about their ideas. Everyone who attends can benefit in unexpected ways," said Angelina.

2023 Swinburne Venture Cup Student Winners and co-founders of Nexobot, Nicholas Hunt and Dominic Lindsay, with judging panel.  

Nexobot co-founders Dominic Lindsay and Nicholas Hunt earned the title of the 2023 Swinburne Student Venture Cup winners. Their startup, Nexobot, is transforming the warehouse and distribution landscape with the market’s fastest-to-implement autonomous parcel sorting system. 

“Our solution introduced an innovative approach to unloading cartons from a moving robot, setting a new standard in efficiency. The modular system is locally designed and manufactured using 3D-printed components,” Dominic said.

2023 Swinburne Venture Cup Alumni Winner and co-founder of Whiz Kid Games, James Marshall with judging panel. 

James Marshall and Bill Trikojus, co-founders of Whiz Kid Games, were named winners of the 2023 Swinburne Alumni Venture Cup.  

Whiz Kid Games weaves together animations and computer games that support autistic children to cultivate essential independent living skills, using a scientifically validated approach. The games and animations underwent trials involving a cohort of autistic children, revealing significant insights into the impact of animations on their behaviour.  

The research not only demonstrated the profound influence of animations but also showed positive anecdotal evidence from specialist school staff, parents and the children who actively participated in the trial.

If you have an innovative startup idea, we want to hear from you!  

The Swinburne Innovation Studio has a range of programs designed for all stages of the entrepreneurial journey, from aspiring founders with an idea, to established startups looking to scale. No matter how big or small your idea is, we want to hear from you!  

Stay tuned on the Swinburne Innovation Studio’s LinkedIn page for the latest program updates.