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. Deep tech is not a distant idea; it is already shaping the food on our plates, the medicines in our hospitals, the energy that powers our homes, and the security of the systems we all rely on.
At Cicada x Tech23 this year, 23 extraordinary founders stepped onto the stage to share their vision for the future. They weren’t pitching for prizes. They were telling stories. Honest, bold, deeply human stories about what it takes to tackle the toughest problems of our time with science and engineering.
On stage, we heard visions big enough to match the scale of those problems: replacing invasive cancer biopsies with a simple test, electrifying the fleets that power the mining industry, turning waste into raw materials, and harnessing biology to build the foundations of a new industrial era. These are not incremental tweaks; they are system-level shifts that will shape how Australia feeds, powers, and cares for itself.
One founder asked: what if we got behind Australian deep tech the way we support the Aussie Olympic team? It’s a powerful reminder that innovation isn’t a spectator sport. These ventures need all of us; investors, corporates, policymakers, and citizens to show up with pride, belief, and backing.
And these aren’t giant institutions with endless resources. They are small but mighty teams, often just a handful of people, doing incredible things with limited capital and extraordinary conviction. Their multiplier effect is astonishing: tiny teams building breakthroughs that could transform industries and shape our nation’s future.
We’re thrilled to share all of Tech23 founder talks, now live and ready to explore. Each one is a window into the passion, persistence, and ingenuity driving Australia’s deep tech future.
First and foremost, to the founders from this year's Tech23. Thank you for so generously sharing your vision, your knowledge, and your hard-won lessons. It takes real courage to step up and tell your story with honesty, vulnerability, and conviction. You reminded us that deep tech isn’t just cool, it’s vital, and that small but mighty teams can change the course of industries and lives.
We are deeply grateful to our sponsors for believing in this mission and adding to the spirit of the day: Main Sequence Ventures, Westpac, Addisons, Boson Ventures, CFO Plus, City of Sydney, CSIRO, Dassault Systèmes, Honda Xcelerator Ventures, IP Australia, The Onset, Radium Capital, Techvisa, University of Sydney, and University of Technology Sydney.
And to the Cicada team, your creativity, care, and thoughtfulness baked meaning into every detail of Tech23, giving founders the space to shine and the community an experience they’ll carry long after the day is done.
The future is not simply inherited, it is built. And these 23 founders are showing us how. Explore their stories. Share them widely. And help build a future that lasts. YouTube playlist.