Startup Battlefield Is Returning To Australia — Here’s What Happened The Last Time We Came To Sydney

In November 2017, TechCrunch brought Startup Battlefield to Australia for nan first time. Fifteen startups from crossed Australia and New Zealand took nan shape successful Sydney, sounded successful beforehand of investors and judges, and competed for a changeable astatine nan world stage.

It was 1 day. One stage. And what happened adjacent is precisely why we’re coming back.

Sydney, August 19, 2026

On August 19, Startup Battlefield is returning to Sydney successful business pinch Stripe, 1 of nan world’s astir iconic exertion companies. We’re taking complete Stripe Tour Sydney for a nighttime that nan Australian startup ecosystem won’t forget. Ten selected companies will transportation unrecorded successful beforehand of top-tier investors, world press, and nan champion of Australia’s tech community. The apical 3 will triumph up to $10,000 successful Stripe interest credits. The expansive victor walks distant pinch thing moreover bigger: automatic introduction into Startup Battlefield 200 astatine TechCrunch Disrupt successful San Francisco this October — nary exertion required, nary competition. Just a guaranteed spot connected nan world’s astir iconic startup stage.

But this isn’t conscionable an arena for nan 10 companies pitching. This is simply a infinitesimal for nan full Australian startup ecosystem — nan founders, investors, operators, and builders who person been softly doing world-class activity from nan different broadside of nan world. We want each eager laminitis successful nan room, whether you’re onstage aliases successful nan audience, because this is nan benignant of nighttime that reminds you why you started.

Find retired who should use and much specifications astir nan Stripe x Startup Battlefield here.

What happened nan past clip we were here

Don’t conscionable return our connection for it. Here’s what came retired of 1 time successful Sydney successful 2017.

The victor became a world wellness tech platform

Manuri Gunawardena was a final-year aesculapian student erstwhile she sounded HealthMatch — a instrumentality learning level matching patients pinch objective trials. She won. That triumph turned into complete $25 cardinal raised, U.S. description , and complete 1 cardinal patients globally, backed by Square Peg Capital and SEEK co-founder Paul Bassat.

The runner-up built a world agtech company

Runner-up FluroSat utilized hyperspectral imaging to thief farmers trim waste. The Startup Battlefield shape gave nan institution its first existent visibility. A Microsoft M12 seed information followed, past a merger to shape Regrow Agriculture — now pinch complete $60 cardinal raised and backed by Microsoft, Airtree, and Cargill.

Together, nan victor and runner-up from 1 time successful Sydney person raised complete $85 million. That’s what happens erstwhile you create a shape and induce nan correct group onto it.

The broader people of 2017

Across 26 Australian Battlefield alumni, nan corporate backing raised exceeds $147 million, pinch 3 successful acquisitions. They’ve been backed by Y Combinator, Blackbird Ventures, Square Peg, Khosla Ventures, Microsoft, Airtree, Startmate, Techstars, and SOSV. CancerAid went connected to go Osara Health. Life Whisperer collaborated pinch fertility clinics internationally.

These were companies nan world had ne'er heard of earlier they stood successful a room successful Sydney and made their case. That’s what Startup Battlefield does. It finds companies earlier nan world knows their names.

Ready to make history?

We are looking for nan adjacent HealthMatch. The adjacent Regrow. The adjacent institution cipher has heard of yet, building thing that will matter.

Applications are unfastened now done July 6.

Apply now for Stripe x Startup Battlefield Australia 2026. Free to apply. No equity taken. In-person arena successful Sydney, connected August 19, 2026.