A new group of ambitious founders have officially begun their journey with the Western Sydney Plus Eight Pre-Accelerator, kicking off last week with their first session at the Western Sydney Startup Hub.
Run by Spacecubed, with the support of the NSW Government, the program brings together early-stage entrepreneurs for six weeks of structured learning, mentorship and peer connection — all designed to help founders sharpen their business models, validate their ideas and prepare for investment and growth.
Running across February and March, the program features weekly facilitated sessions covering topics such as customer discovery, building enduring businesses, go-to-market strategy and financial fundamentals. The program will culminate in a live Pitch Night and Graduation event, where founders will take the stage to showcase how far they’ve come.
We’re excited to welcome the following startups into this year’s Western Sydney cohort:
ToToTam – Jason Tam
Designs and publishes easy-to-learn board games through crowdfunding while building Australia’s board-game community via Burwood Game Club events and a curated retail store.
PetXO – Shweta Pandey
A one-stop pet ecosystem app combining adoption, services, marketplace tools and lifelong pet record management, with built-in rewards for engagement.
Amber – Russell Mayo
Creator of the Amber Light Bar — a premium night-time lighting product designed for sleep-friendly homes using narrow-band amber LEDs and gentle ramp-up technology.
Zari AI – Farhad Malegam
Custom AI development and implementation consulting for businesses adopting automation and data-driven systems.
Close2me – Hailee Apps
Wearable safety devices designed for children, elderly people and individuals living with mental illness.
Ecoe Studio – Reynold Cole
Community-led content production agency specialising in organic social growth, testing strategies through owned platforms with nearly one million collective views in 2025.
Praxis Youth – Michael Kwan
Registered not-for-profit supporting justice-impacted young people through mentoring, housing stability programs and outcome-driven workshops.
Maths Wizardry – Laurence Anthony Publico
AI-powered maths exam generator helping NSW teachers create syllabus-aligned assessments with varied difficulty and marking structures.
WearUnderdog Pty Ltd – Chanuka Gangoda
Regenerative, performance-focused activewear and combat sports apparel brand championing sustainability and durable design.
Exavo.ai – Musab Shroof
AI marketplace for SMEs and mid-sized businesses, offering ready-to-deploy projects, expert support and centralised management tools.
Recipe Repeater – Angela Rose Nielsen
Social enterprise connecting rural and developing-community farmers with developed markets through ethical trade.
bydiAnkoo – Grace Jolayemi
Purpose-driven women’s fashion brand creating elevated garments that reflect growth, identity and self-expression.
karoBek – Faisal Kahloon
Cloud-based SaaS platform capturing and recommending project “lessons learned,” helping teams retain knowledge and improve delivery.
Gracie Barra Blacktown City – Isaiah Lazaro
Family-focused Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy building confidence, discipline and community across Western Sydney.
Jupiter Bioenzymes Pty Ltd – Ankur Newasker
Biotechnology company developing customised enzyme solutions for industrial and life-science applications.
Over the coming weeks, these founders will sharpen their ideas and prepare to take the stage at the program’s final Pitch Night and Graduation on Tuesday, 31 March. Register now for FREE to see the cohort in action and hear first-hand how startups spanning AI, biotech, fashion, social enterprise and consumer products are shaping their next phase of growth.
