Last Tuesday, our cohort of early-stage startups took the stage at the Western Sydney Startup Hub, powered by Spacecubed to pitch their businesses to a sold-out crowd of supporters, marking the end of the Plus Eight Pre-Accelerator program, proudly supported by the NSW Government.
Over the course of six intensive weeks, the program helped founders turn sparks of inspiration into tangible, investable ventures. Participants dove deep into validation, refined their business models, and practiced pitching under pressure, all while being guided by an incredible network of mentors and experts.
Thanks to the guidance of Program Facilitator Caroline Lepron and our program mentors, including Dave Newman, Mariah MacInnes, Daniel Spencer, Dean Naicker, and Neeru Sharma, who generously shared their expertise, feedback, and encouragement at every stage of the journey.
The Pitch Night kicked off with networking over food and drinks, with attendees connecting and sharing ideas with one another. Once formalities began, the cohort took a few minutes on stage to share their bold visions for the future, with each pitch met with cheers and applause from an inspired crowd.
Ashlee Gardener (City of Parramatta), David Smith (Investment NSW) and Mike Abbott (Antler) joined us for the evening, judging each startup on their concept of idea, market traction, and pitch performance.
After an evening of impressive pitches and passionate storytelling, we’re thrilled to announce the winners, who reflected on their experience with the program.
1st Place: The Social Glow Up, Aimee Paananen
The Social Glow Up started from Aimee’s vision to help victims like herself rebuild financial stability after domestic violence and trauma, and she shared the following with us.
“Spacecubed made that dream shine bright by being awarded first place at Pitch Night, following months of mentorship, business development and community connection. Throughout this journey, there have been tears, tough questions and moments of deep reflection. But there’s also been growth, support and the reminder that strength can rise from even the hardest chapters. This milestone represents more than a business achievement - it’s proof that healing and success can coexist.”
2nd Place: Edu-fy, Asha Murphy
“The Plus Eight Pre-Accelerator Program has been a wonderful experience. The content for the weekly learnings were very well curated and extremely useful. Week by week, I could feel my confidence in my ability to convey my idea to others grow,” shared Asha.
“The Western Sydney Startup Hub, powered by Spacecubed, was an amazing setting for the program but best of all was being around the inspirational members of my cohort. With their feedback, encouragement and support, Edu-fy is on the rise. Thank you to everyone who makes this program possible,” Asha concluded.
3rd Place: Florapeutic, Karin Lee
For Karin, the Plus Eight Pre-Accelerator program taught her the skill of how to deliver a confident and effective pitch.
“I am grateful to have received feedback about my pitch every week from the facilitator and mentors, so it was refined throughout the program. I now feel confident and ready to pitch anywhere,” she shared.
Crowd’s Choice: Umpire10, Ryan Pereira
Reflecting on his experience, Ryan told us “the program gave me fresh perspectives, a dedicated space to focus, and a truly supportive community that strengthened my confidence and inspired me to keep moving forward.”
It’s clear that Western Sydney’s innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers are contributing to a thriving ecosystem that’s transforming local ideas into lasting impact.
Congratulations to all the participants who made this year’s program such an inspiring success! If you want to learn more about all the startups involved in this year’s program, read more here.