Last night, our latest cohort of early-stage founders took the stage at the Western Sydney Startup Hub to pitch their businesses to a packed room of supporters, marking the culmination of the Plus Eight Pre-Accelerator program, proudly supported by the NSW Government.
Over the past six weeks, founders from across Western Sydney have worked intensively to build, validate and refine their ideas. Through weekly sessions, hands-on learning and mentorship, participants have strengthened their business models, deepened their understanding of customers, and built real momentum toward launching and scaling their ventures.
Guided by an incredible group of mentors including Caroline Lepron, Petko Petkov, Dave Newman, Ben Richards, Dean Naiker and Kristian Inglis, founders were supported every step of the way, gaining practical insights, honest feedback and the confidence to step onto the stage and share their vision.
The evening began with networking, bringing together founders, mentors, investors and the wider innovation community, before the cohort stepped up to present their businesses across industries including AI, biotech, social impact, consumer products and more. Each pitch reflected the growth, resilience and ambition developed throughout the program.
We were proud to have James Sankar, Wenee Yap and Shuoyan Zhu join us as judges for the evening, bringing their expertise to evaluate each startup across concept, traction and delivery.
After an inspiring night of pitches, we’re excited to announce the winners:
1st Place: Praxis Youth - Michael Kwan
2nd Place: Close2me - Jack Apps
3rd Place: bydiAnkoo - Grace Jolayemi
A huge congratulations to our winners, and to every founder who took part in the program. The progress made over just six weeks is a testament to the strength of the Western Sydney startup ecosystem and the impact of the right support, community and environment.
It’s clear that founders across Western Sydney are building bold, meaningful ventures — and we’re excited to see what’s next for each of them as they continue their journey.
If you’ve been thinking about building or growing your own business, now is your opportunity to get involved.
Applications are now open for the next Western Sydney Plus Eight Pre-Accelerator cohort, set to run from May to June at the Western Sydney Startup Hub. Designed for early-stage founders, this free program provides the structure, mentorship and community needed to move your idea forward with clarity and confidence. Learn more and apply now, before applications close on April 24, 2026!