Venture Cup
AcceleratorMelbourne · Pre-Seed–Seed
Find your way into Venture Cup
Sign up to find every way you can get introduced to Venture Cup
- Your email: who you already know at Venture Cup, and who your contacts know
- 2nd- and 3rd-degree connections: people you know who worked, studied or invested with the Venture Cup team
- Your LinkedIn: the connections who can make the intro for you
We rank every route by how warm it is, so you raise on warm intros instead of cold emails.
Investment thesis
Venture Cup is a program of Swinburne University's Innovation Studio aimed at early-stage, pre-investor founders who are Swinburne students, staff, or alumni. Participants join a week-long Venture Week bootcamp with daily seminars, followed by coaching to refine ideas and pitches. Up to 30 startups enter, with 10 finalists (five students, five alumni/staff) invited to pitch for $5,000 cash prizes per category, plus access to mentors, potential customers, and the startup ecosystem. Eligible ventures must not have raised more than $500,000, show scalability and an element of innovation or disruption, and include social enterprises and not-for-profits. The program takes no equity.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Founder mafia
The Venture Cup mafia →7 people who came through Venture Cup went on to found or lead other companies.
What they invest in
from 1 of 1 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×1EdTech ×1
HQs:Australia×1
Portfolio companies · 1 tracked
alumni founders can tell you what the program is really likeSwinburne University of Technology is a research and teaching institution offering higher education, vocational training, and online qualifications across multiple campuses in Australia and international locations.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechMelbourne, AU
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Swinburne University of Technology · makeoverarena.com · Sep 10, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Venture Cup invest at?
- Venture Cup invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What sectors does Venture Cup focus on?
- Venture Cup focuses on Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Venture Cup located?
- Venture Cup is headquartered in Melbourne, AU.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
from their channelHow Gabriel found his passion in business
Swinburne University of Technology
Why Skills Matter More Than Ever | Building Australia’s Future Workforce
Swinburne University of Technology
Bringing Space to Every Australian Classroom | LaunchLabz at Swinburne
Swinburne University of Technology
Swinburne University of Technology Graduation 13 August 2026, 10am
Swinburne University of Technology
Swinburne University of Technology Graduation 13 August 2026, 6pm
Swinburne University of Technology
Swinburne University of Technology Graduation 13 August 2026, 2pm
Swinburne University of Technology
Images
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