The themes contained within Cicada x Tech23 are a reflection of Australia’s deep tech pipeline, its trends and its outlook. Many Australian deep tech founders possess the ingenuity to disrupt traditional industries, thus diversifying the economy, improving quality of life and enhancing sovereign capability.
The latter of those comes into focus today as we unpack a brand new theme for Cicada x Tech23 in 2026 – Strengthening our Sovereignty. We'll also preview the ventures that will feature in the theme.
Secure your seat to Cicada x Tech23 2026 here.
13 October, 2020.
Amidst social distancing and relative uncertainty, Australia became a founding signatory of the Artemis Accords, effectively a set of principles to guide space exploration. It was a signal of intent, to stand shoulder to shoulder with the titans of space exploration looking to put a permanent human presence on the Moon.
That signal of intent forms part of a wider goal to see Australia’s space sector reach a $12 billion revenue target by 2030, something that can only occur if the technologies built at home are backed, adopted and put to work.
Space is only the most visible signal that Australia's strategic industries are shifting. The same question of who owns the technology critical to our national capability is playing out just as urgently in defence and the frontline sectors that keep Australia running. The country cannot grow these sectors unless it owns the technologies that will underpin its dual-use capability. That ownership won't happen by accident.
By making sure critical infrastructure in space works, ANT61 is ensuring you can continue to buy coffee and human civilisation can continue. The company’s ‘hardware guardian’ for satellites, Beacon, brings satellites back to normal operation in the event of a failure, reducing the number of spacecraft that fall from the sky, and opening the final frontier for all walks of life.
Forward Deployed is on a mission to eliminate human exposure to hazardous chemical threats. By transitioning quantum-enabled mid-infrared spectroscopy into a robotics-portable system, they replace slow, sample-based analysis with instant, physics-based identification of hazardous vapours and aerosols. This real-time, lab-grade awareness ensures defence forces, first responders, and industrial workers can safely navigate complex environments.
MP Space has adapted EV and volume grid battery technologies for usage in space, making power in space cheaper, more performant and more reliable. By scaling this technology for satellites and orbital manufacturing, MP Space will industrialise the cosmos, ending our sole dependence on Earth for resources.
Stratoship is filling the data gap that exists between satellites above and their ground stations below. Detecting natural disasters in real time, Stratoship is saving lives. The venture’s maiden stratospheric flight in 2025 demonstrated to the world that its technology could work at a fraction of the time and cost of other technologies.
UndaTech has developed a certified protective base layer system that integrates with existing uniforms, body armour and other personal protective equipment to enhance the survivability and performance of high-risk industry personnel on the frontline – particularly for women – who will no longer have to compromise on safety.
Cicada x Tech23 offers a glimpse into the future being created by Australian innovators.
To secure your seat at Australia's biggest deep tech festival, click here.