Sydney · Pre-Seed–Series A
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Investment thesis
UNSW commercializes university research by founding and investing in spinouts and startups emerging from its entrepreneurial research base. The portfolio focuses on deep-science ventures across clean energy, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, medical technology, precision medicine, and defence and dual-use applications, all supported by industry partnerships. Through its UNSW Founders accelerator, launched in 2017, the university has backed 163 early-stage startups, and over ten years it has founded or invested in more than 190 companies that collectively attracted roughly US$5.6 billion in capital. The program positions itself as Australia's leading platform for university startups and spinouts, aiming to turn Australian research into companies with global impact.
Source: firm website, verified Oct 11, 2026.
What they invest in
from 3 of 3 portfolio companiesDeep Tech ×2New Materials ×2Advanced Manufacturing ×1AI & Machine Learning ×1Cloud Computing ×1Creator Economy ×1Developer Tools ×1E-commerce ×1
HQs:United States×1
Investments · 3 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 12024 · 12 dated
A platform where users create and share AI-powered tools, games, chatbots, and interactive experiences with others in their social network.
Developer ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Pasha Rayan(CEO)inPennie Huang(Founder)in
Co-investorsPioneerY CombinatorFundersClubLiquid VenturesOurCrowdRice Capital+1 more
Bandicoot offers a scanning and digitization service that converts physical fabrics into high-quality PBR texture maps and digital materials for fashion and furnishing textiles.
Advanced ManufacturingCloud ComputingCreator EconomyDeep TechE-commerceNew MaterialsSaaS
Co-investorsSydney Angels
Silicon Quantum Computing develops fault-tolerant quantum processors using atomic-scale manufacturing techniques, targeting applications in AI acceleration, quantum simulation, and quantum computing.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechHardwareNew MaterialsQuantum Computing
Michelle Simmons(Professor)
Co-investorsTin Alley VenturesTitanium Ventures
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Silicon Quantum Computing · sqc.com · Aug 12, 2026
A1Zap by A1Base · ycombinator.com · Apr 22, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does UNSW invest at?
- UNSW invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What sectors does UNSW focus on?
- UNSW focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Cleantech, Deep Tech, Defense Tech, Energy, Enterprise Software, Medical Devices, Quantum Computing.
- Where is UNSW located?
- UNSW is headquartered in Sydney, AU.
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