Welcome to Australia’s home for deep tech

Cicada Innovations is Australia's leading deep tech incubator. With a twenty year track record of developing ventures focused on the world’s most pressing problems and promising opportunities.

Our incubators, training, and community is designed to meet the unique needs of deep tech startups. From cutting-edge labs and flexible space, to mentors and a network of ambitious peers. Our mission is to help startups grow and make Australia a leader in deep tech innovation.

Australia’s biggest deep tech event

As the biggest deep tech event in the country, Cicada x Tech23 is more than just a showcase—it’s a movement. A movement to champion 23 visionary founders, connect them with the right people, and accelerate their journey from lab to market, from startup to scale.

The 2025 Tech23 cohort is tackling challenges from across cancer diagnostics, emission-free aviation, carbon-negative building materials, quantum sensing, and wearable medtech. These ventures represent the best of Australian deep tech: bold ideas backed by world-class science, and a mission to build a more sustainable, secure, and sovereign future.

Meet the 23

Purpose built for deep tech

Our incubator residents have access to custom labs and offices, specialist equipment, training and a thriving community.

If you are a deep tech startup looking for a unique home to grow your business, find out more about our incubators.

About our incubators

Full lifecycle support

Every breakthrough begins somewhere. Foundations builds the skills, Elevate prepares you to scale and Stride helps you gain traction. Together, these programs form Australia’s most comprehensive pathway for deep tech founders determined to transform big ideas into lasting impact.

Explore our programs

Building community

Our community is for those who believe in the potential of deep tech. We connect and engage entrepreneurs, scientists, investors and policymakers in meaningful conversations, and inspire action to develop more R&D driven businesses to create a more sustainable and prosperous future.

What's on
25 Years as the home of deep tech in Australia

A legacy built on bold ideas, groundbreaking technologies, and the founders who dared to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

A Legacy of Innovation
Born from a vision to transform industrial heritage into a launchpad for science-led ventures, we’ve spent 25 years proving deep tech can thrive here.

1

Deep Tech Through the Decades
From fibre optics to quantum, biotech to space, each era has brought new breakthroughs. We’ve backed pioneers tackling the toughest global challenges.

2

Scaling to Impact
400+ startups incubated, $6.1B raised, thousands of jobs created, global markets reached, We’ve built the infrastructure, expertise, and networks to turn R&D into commercial success.

3

Building Australia’s Deep Tech Economy
Deep tech is more than startups - it’s industries, jobs, and sovereign capability. Our ventures are pioneering solutions in medtech, energy, agriculture, and advanced manufacturing.

4

The Next 25 Years
Deep tech never stands still, and neither do we. As new industries emerge and challenges evolve, we will continue to back Australia’s boldest innovators - expanding our reach, strengthening sovereign capability, and shaping the next era of deep tech breakthroughs.

5
News and Insights

Meet the 23 deep tech ventures selected for Cicada x Tech23 2025

From artificial kidneys to GPS-free navigation; introducing the 23 ventures taking the stage at Cicada x Tech23 2025 this September.

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Four Years of Impact: The National Space Industry Hub Showcase

Since launching in 2021, the National Space Industry Hub has supported over 30 ventures, accelerated commercial readiness, and played a key role in building Australia’s sovereign space capability.

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Cicada Innovations Announces CEO Transition

Cicada Innovations, Australia’s home of deep tech, has announced that CEO Sally-Ann Williams will step down following six years of transformative leadership.

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25 Years of Cicada Innovations

Celebrating 25 years of Cicada Innovations, read about our journey and the future of deep tech in Australia

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Upcoming programs and events

Cicada x Tech23

September 10th, 2025
08:0018:00
Showcasing 23 of Australia’s most promising ventures, Cicada x Tech23 2025 continues to be a vanguard festival of radical innovation and brave ideas in the world of deep tech. This year’s event will take place on Wednesday 10th of September in Sydney and we are showcasing 23 of the most visionary leaders and exciting innovations to champion on the nation's largest deep tech stage.
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Cicada HealthTech Hub x QUT BridgeTech: Building the Future of MedTech

September 24th, 2025
10:3002:30
Join us for a special community event co-hosted by Cicada HTH and QUT BridgeTech, bringing together medtech entrepreneurs, researchers, and industry experts for a day of learning, networking, and community building. This month’s theme, AI and Personalisation in Medtech, explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping the future of healthcare—unlocking new opportunities for personalised treatments, advanced diagnostics, and smarter medical devices. Whether you’re a founder, mentor, researcher, or part of the broader medtech ecosystem, this event is designed to connect you with peers, spark new ideas, and strengthen ties across the NSW medtech community.
RSVP

Elevate Courses - Now Recruiting

Reach your potential with Elevate. You’ve got the idea, run the experiments, maybe even built a prototype. Now it’s time to validate the market, shape your business model, and build momentum. Cicada’s Elevate programs are intensive workshops for deep tech founders ready to move beyond the lab. Over a short time and in a fast-paced environment, you’ll pressure-test your thinking with experts, refine your value proposition, and build a strategy for commercialisation. You’ll walk away with investor connections and a clear path to real-world traction.
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Cicada Health Tech Hub Foundations Course

October 14th, 2025
The Foundations Program is the starting point in the Cicada HealthTech Hub commercialisation pathway. It’s designed for researchers, clinical and allied health professionals who are curious about health innovation or working on something innovative and want to understand the basics before diving deeper. Across a series of guided sessions led by commercialisation expert Andy Lamb, you’ll gain the confidence, language, and early frameworks to explore opportunities. You’ll learn how to move ideas in health from concept to impact, understanding the steps involved in generating a robust commercialisation plan - from spotting gaps and shaping value propositions suitable for your stakeholders - and maximise your success in bringing innovations into practice.
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Cicada x Tech23

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