We're excited to announce that applications are now open for the City of Perth Plus Eight Pre-Accelerator, a free six-week program designed to help early-stage founders across Perth take their startup idea to the next level.
Running from 11 August to 1 October 2026, the program connects participants with experienced mentors, investors and advisors who bring real-world expertise to every session. Proudly supported by the City of Perth, places on the program are fully funded, meaning there are no costs to participate.
What is Plus Eight Sprint?
Plus Eight Sprint is a pre-accelerator built for founders at the prototype or early stage of their journey. Each weekly session combines mentor-led presentations with hands-on time working directly on your business, followed by a project to take away and apply before the next session. The structure is practical by design. Everything covered can be put to work in your business immediately, regardless of where you are in your journey.
The program also places a strong emphasis on peer learning and community. Participants get access to Riff, Spacecubed's innovation hub in the Perth CBD, giving them a dedicated environment to test, validate and grow their ideas between sessions. Some of the most valuable insights come from other founders going through the same experience, and Sprint creates plenty of space for that kind of connection to happen.
What will you learn?
Across six weeks, the program covers the core foundations of building a startup:
Perfect. Here's the expanded passage:
Alice Abba, program alum of the 2025 City of Perth Pre-Accelerator, shared, "I walked into the program with nothing more than an idea, and walked out with a validated concept, a pitch deck, and a clearer understanding of what it takes to build a startup in Perth. My biggest takeaway? Momentum beats perfection. You don't need to have it all figured out, just start, test, and keep showing up."
Alice is now part of the 2026 Plus Eight Accelerator cohort (see more here!). Her startup, Romi, a real-life social platform for women built around hiking, is now in Phase One of the six-month program, where she is working alongside mentors, investors and fellow founders to accelerate growth and prepare for the next stage. The strongest performers will progress into Phase Two, gaining access to a share of $750,000 in seed funding and international immersion opportunities in San Francisco.
Alice's journey from Pre-Accelerator to Accelerator is exactly the kind of progression the program is designed to support. For early-stage founders in Perth, our Pre-Accelerator is often where that journey begins.
The program wraps up with a Pitch Night on 1 October, where founders present their businesses to an audience of family, industry professionals and investors.
Supported by the City of Perth, applications are now open and close at 11:59pm on Monday, 20 July 2026. Click here to learn more and apply!