Startup accelerators in Australia

Australia’s accelerator scene punches above its size in science and health: the national science agency runs the CSIRO ON program, Cicada Innovations in Sydney backs deep tech, and ANDHealth+ and LuminaX work the health side. Startmate is the best-known generalist entry point.

University programs carry unusual weight here too, from UNSW Founders to the Melbourne Accelerator Program. Below are the Australia-based programs we track, with the terms laid out per listing.

Startup accelerators in Australia

377 accelerators

Accelerator

MassChallenge

Remote

16 wks · equity-free

Equity-free accelerator + non-dilutive cash prizes

GeneralB2BHealthcare
Accelerator

Entrepreneur First (EF)

London · Paris · Bangalore · San Francisco, Global

24 wks · $250k · ~8% equity

Up to $250K + a 24-week pre-team to launch program

Deep techAIPre-team
Accelerator

Antler

Multiple cities, Global

24 wks · $250k · ~10% equity

~$100K–$250K for ~10% + a 6-month residency

GeneralPre-teamAI
Accelerator

TAQADAM

Remote

26 wks · $40k · equity-free

KAUST six-month startup accelerator

Deep TechHealthClimate
Accelerator

Crucible Ignitor

Remote

equity-free

Equity-free program with mentorship and network access

Dual-use techDefense tech
Accelerator

CancerX Accelerator Cohort

Remote

17 wks

Structured mentorship, curriculum, and investor access

Digital healthOncology
Accelerator

Adidas Cultivate and B.L.O.O.M.

Remote

Structured mentorship, curriculum, and investor access

Social impactSports tech
Accelerator

Danone Manifesto Ventures

Remote

$10000k

Up to $10M + a structured program

Food techPlant-basedHealthtech
Accelerator

Nestle R+D Accelerator

Remote

26 wks · equity-free

Equity-free program with mentorship and network access

Food techNutrition
Accelerator

PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator APAC

Remote

$100k

Up to $100K + a structured program

Circular economySustainable agriculture
Accelerator

The Estee Lauder Companies New Incubation Ventures

Remote

$3000k

Up to $3M + a structured program

BeautySkincareCosmetics
Accelerator

Kering Generation Award

Remote

Structured mentorship, curriculum, and investor access

Sustainable fashionBeauty
Accelerator

La Maison des Startups LVMH

Remote

Structured mentorship, curriculum, and investor access

LuxuryFashionCosmetics
Accelerator

Accelerate Africa Startup Programme

Remote

24 wks · equity-free

Equity-free program with mentorship and network access

General
Accelerator

Startup Wise Guys SaaS Africa

Remote

26 wks · $65k · ~12% equity

Up to €65K for ~12% + a structured program

FintechAgritechEdtech
Accelerator

The Baobab Network

Remote

14 wks · $100k

Up to $100K + a structured program

General tech
Accelerator

iStart Rajasthan

Remote

Structured mentorship, curriculum, and investor access

General
Accelerator

StartinUP Incubator Network

Remote

13 wks

Structured mentorship, curriculum, and investor access

CleantechEnergyDefence tech
Accelerator

ELEVATE Idea2PoC

Remote

equity-free

Equity-free program with mentorship and network access

General
Accelerator

Karnataka Acceleration Network

Remote

26 wks

Structured mentorship, curriculum, and investor access

General
Accelerator

BIRAC BIG (Biotechnology Ignition Grant)

Remote

$50k · equity-free

Up to $50K + a structured program

Biotech
Accelerator

MeitY Startup Hub

Remote

equity-free

Equity-free program with mentorship and network access

General tech
Accelerator

SIDBI Fund of Funds Startups

Remote

Structured mentorship, curriculum, and investor access

General tech
Accelerator

Atal Innovation Mission Startup Support

Remote

equity-free

Equity-free program with mentorship and network access

General tech

Showing 24 of 377. See them all in the directory, or sign up free for the ones matched to you.

Common questions.

Straight answers. For the full picture, read the FAQ.

Startmate is the name founders mention first, but "best" depends on what you build: Stone & Chalk hosts fintechs, Cicada Innovations suits deep tech, and River City Labs covers Brisbane. Compare funding and equity on the listings rather than reputation alone.

Yes, and they’re a national strength: CSIRO ON accelerates teams out of the science agency’s orbit, Cicada Innovations has backed deep tech from Sydney for years, and university programs like UNSW Founders bridge lab work to company formation.

Health is well covered: ANDHealth+ specializes in digital health and LuminaX runs a healthtech program on the Gold Coast. Generalist programs take health companies too, so don’t filter yourself out before checking the focus areas on each listing.