Over six weeks, a new group of 20 founders came together through the City of Perth Plus Eight Pre-Accelerator to test their ideas, challenge their assumptions and explore what it could take to grow their businesses.
It all led to the Plus Eight Pre-Accelerator Showcase on 1 October, where the cohort took to the stage in front of a sold-out crowd at Riff to pitch their ideas and share what they'd learned.
Building the foundations
The Plus Eight Pre-Accelerator is designed to help early-stage founders explore new strategies and opportunities to grow. Founders work through their ideas with support from mentors and the wider Plus Eight community, building a clearer understanding of their businesses and what it would take to move them forward.
The program was made possible through the support of the City of Perth and Town of Victoria Park, bringing together a cohort of founders working across a diverse range of ideas and industries.
By the end of the six weeks, it was time to put that work to the test.
Taking the stage at the Showcase
The Showcase brought the cohort together for an evening of pitches, networking and product demonstrations.
Each founder had one minute to introduce their idea, explain the problem they were solving and give the audience a glimpse of what they had been building.
From there, attendees could meet the founders, see their solutions in action and cast their votes for the ideas they wanted to hear more about.
The audience vote narrowed the cohort down to five founders, who returned to the stage for the Top 5 Showcase Pitches.
Meet the Top 5
After the first round of pitches and the demo showcase, five founders were selected to take their ideas further.
Yuri Cartland - Cars Like: Independent Australian vehicle comparison platform combining specs, ownership costs and editorial insights.
Vireena Koshal - OnDuty: AI voice receptionist helping healthcare providers answer calls, book appointments and handle patient enquiries.
Michael Cheneka - ZapSplit: Bill-splitting app letting users scan receipts, split costs instantly and share payment links.
Daisy Lyons - Lera: Female-first strength and wellness brand developing weighted vests for women aged 38–55.
Pavel Kuksa - K3-Team: AI-powered ERP, CRM and automation solutions helping SMEs streamline operations.
Each founder had the chance to go deeper into their idea, share what they had learned throughout the program and show how they planned to take it forward.
From six weeks to first place
For Michael Cheneka, the Showcase marked a major milestone for ZapSplit.
Michael came into the program as the youngest founder in the cohort, having built the app himself. Over the six weeks, the focus shifted from simply having a product to understanding the business behind it.
As Michael reflected after the program, the process meant having people around him who were willing to ask harder questions about the business model, who the product was really for and why someone would pay for it.
That process culminated in the Showcase, where Michael took first place with ZapSplit.
The win also gives him the opportunity to take the next step, with ZapSplit heading to Freo Startup Fest on 9 December for a five-minute pitch in front of a much larger audience.
As Michael put it, first place is a checkpoint, not a finish line. You can read Michael's full reflection on the experience and connect with him on LinkedIn.
A look at what’s next
The Showcase was a chance to see how far the founders had come in six weeks, but for the cohort, it is only the beginning.
From testing their ideas and refining their business models to continuing to build, pitch and connect with the ecosystem, the next stage is about putting what they have learned into practice.
We’re excited to see where each of these founders takes their ideas next.
A huge thank you to the City of Perth and Town of Victoria Park for making the Pre-Accelerator possible.
Want to be part of the next Plus Eight Pre-Accelerator? Submit your EOI here. Or you can check out all the programs we offer here at Spacecubed.