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.

Deep Tech Expo & Celebration

25 Years of Cicada

For a quarter of a century, Cicada Innovations has been home to the nation’s boldest innovators and entrepreneurs; the people turning radical science into industries of the future. From medical breakthroughs to climate solutions, we’ve seen tiny teams create mighty impact.

This November, we are celebrating 25 years of deep tech with a once-in-a-generation expo. Across one special day, experience Australia’s past, present, and future of innovation: the people who shaped our story, the founders building today, and the ideas that will define tomorrow.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

News and Insights

Cicada Innovations names innovation leader Liza Noonan as its new CEO, to accelerate Australia’s deep tech ambitions

Noonan’s appointment marks an exciting chapter in Cicada’s 25-year journey as Australia’s home of deep tech, supporting over 400 startups, helping raise over $6 billion in funding and creating thousands of jobs.

Tech23 2025: The stories are here. Relive the magic of Australian deep tech biggest event

Every founder who took the Tech23 stage this year wasn’t just sharing an innovation, they were sharing a blueprint for how Australia can feed itself, power itself, care for its people, and stay competitive in the decades ahead.

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.

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.

25 Years of Cicada | Deep Tech Expo & Celebration

November 11th, 2025

Cicada Innovations celebrates a quarter of a century as Australia’s home of deep tech, and we’re marking the milestone with a world-fair style expo and celebration at our HQ! A once-in-a-generation showcase where our community; past and present - joins with the broader ecosystem to celebrate Australian deep tech. Not just a party, but a living exhibition of the people and technologies shaping the next 25 years. What to Expect: Deep Tech Demo Zone, Founder Forums, Careers Fair, Investor Connections, Tech Tours, Networking & Celebration.

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HealthTech Hub Masterclass: Making Your Story Stick - Getting Supported and Funded as a Clinical Innovator

November 12th, 2025

01:0005:00

"Making Your Story Stick: Getting Supported and Funded as a Clinical Innovator" is a 2-half-day workshop, and a hands-on format where participants will develop their elevator pitch and generate a communication strategy for their innovation. Are you a health innovator with a brilliant idea, but struggle to find the right words, the right audience, or the right funding? Wondering what the tips and pitfalls are in telling your story? Join us on a 2-half-day workshop, facilitated by David Leahy, WE Communications, joined by healthtech founders, investors and communication strategists to tell you exactly what they want to hear from your clinical innovation.

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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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Ask an Expert - 1:1 Mentor Sessions

An exciting opportunity for clinicians, researchers, and health tech founders to gain invaluable insights and personalised advice from a distinguished panel of Mentors, Investors, and Funders.

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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