Venture Cup
AcceleratorMelbourne · Pre-Seed–Seed
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
2 people who came through Venture Cup went on to found or lead other companies.
What they invest in
from 1 of 1 portfolio companiesEdTech ×1
HQs:Australia×1
Portfolio companies · 1 tracked
alumni founders can tell you what the program is really likeSwinburne University of Technology is an Australian university offering on-campus and online vocational, undergraduate, and postgraduate courses with guaranteed work-integrated learning and industry partnerships.
EdTechMelbourne, AU
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 channelInside Moondani Toombadool Centre's Indigenous Study Tour to Aotearoa | Swinburne
Swinburne University of Technology
How to become a data scientist
Swinburne University of Technology
How AI and Data Are Transforming Transport | Inside the Geotab Swinburne Hub
Swinburne University of Technology
Images
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