A new group of emerging entrepreneurs have officially joined our Plus Eight Pre‑Accelerator program this week, kicking off with six weeks of growth, connection and hands-on learning at the Western Sydney Startup Hub, powered by Spacecubed.
The program, proudly supported by the NSW Government, has equipped early‑stage founders with the tools, confidence and support to take their startup ideas to the next stage since the Western Sydney program launched in 2023.
Now, the new participants will explore key areas including customer validation, business modelling and go‑to‑market strategies through weekly sessions facilitated by Caroline Lepron, with support from experienced mentors along the way.
After six weeks of business development, these founders will all take the stage at the Western Sydney Startup Hub for their end-of-program Pitch Night on Tuesday 14th October.
We look forward to seeing where this journey takes each founder, with thanks to Investment NSW for their continued support of innovation across the region.
We're proud to welcome the following founders into this year’s Western Sydney program:
Florapeutic - Karin Lee
Flower-repurposing social enterprise reducing floral waste and spreading joy across Australia.
Common House - Eric Atienza & Gerard Cabellon
Multi-format creative studio in Western Sydney offering modular spaces for artists, curators, and creative entrepreneurs.
AI MESHLABS - Sudish Kumar
Building AI infrastructure for enterprises and developing edge AI products for privacy-conscious, offline use in remote machine, robot, and drone operations.
SOAP AI - Rebecca Di Noia
AI-powered platform that helps SMEs measure, understand, and reduce the environmental impact of their operations through accessible, actionable insights.
SmartPlanAI - Pat Vitocco & Nicky Li
Property planning platform that streamlines site feasibility and development assessments in Australia by analysing state-specific planning rules and datasets.
WeCycle - Dora Eflin
Data-driven accountability framework tracking and encouraging responsible behaviour across the fashion waste ecosystem.
Wellna - Shayaan Salahuddin & Nabeel Niaz
Tech-enabled marketplace for spas, salons, and wellness providers to fill empty appointment slots via real-time, AI-powered last-minute deals.
Edu-fy - Asha Murphy
Profit-for-purpose education enterprise creating games and activities linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
KindReff - Javier Contreras & Anastasia Gladkih
Hiring platform that turns employee or network referrals into donations for nonprofits.
Fit Theory - Zin Oo
Body-inclusive fashion brand creating made-to-measure clothing for women of all shapes and sizes, combining timeless tailoring with tech precision.
The Social Glow Up - Aimee Paananen
Platform helping survivors of trauma and domestic violence turn their ideas into purpose-driven brands.
Raceday Legend - Craige Marquart
Horse racing tipping game where players predict winners without gambling. Focused on fun, competition, and community engagement.
Umpire10 - Ryan Pereira
App supporting grassroots sporting clubs to manage weekly umpire coordination efficiently.
SKTNG - Ross King
Indoor roller skating rink and community “third space” in Western Sydney. Featuring an Olympic-size skate floor, co-working spaces, arcade, café-bar, and cultural programming.
Unplex Me - Joe Anthony
AI-powered, gamified micro-coaching platform for startup founders and knowledge workers, offering a visual reasoning canvas, 100+ tools, and real-time guidance.
PeekThru - Predeep Ravi & Priyank Dhillon
Video-first discovery app showing authentic, recent, on-location “peeks” of places and events. Helps users decide where to go right now, and gives businesses a way to attract visitors.
Envisyo - Dishaa Jain
AI consulting company helping SMEs and solo operators adopt AI solutions tailored to their needs.
If you missed out on taking part in this program, Plus Eight Pre-Accelerator will return in 2026! Express your interest in the next Western Sydney program here.
Follow Plus Eight on Linkedin here to stay updated on this year’s cohort and sign up to Spacecubed’s monthly newsletter here to be the first to find out about upcoming events.
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