I recently attended the 2025 UQ iLab Pitch Night, part of the UQ Ventures Accelerator Program, which continues to play an important role in strengthening the Queensland startup ecosystem. The event, held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, showcased the top ten startup teams from the combined iLab and Momentum Accelerators — a format that helps both early-stage founders and scale-up ventures access mentorship, networks, and investor connections.
Rise Takes the Win – Substance Over Hype
The standout of the night, Rise, a HealthTech SaaS startup focused on improving care management in the disability and NDIS sector, took home the top award — and it was well deserved. Their success highlighted a fundamental truth: ideas that address genuine, persistent problems have more lasting value than those chasing hype or short‑term novelty. Their win reflected what audiences and investors alike truly value — innovation with substance and purpose.
Why Events Like This Matter for Queensland
Over the past five years, the Queensland startup ecosystem has experienced a noticeable slowdown compared to its earlier momentum. That’s why events like the UQ iLab Pitch Night are vital. They keep innovation alive by providing founders with the chance to connect, collaborate, and build community. Without these gatherings, the energy and support networks that sustain Queensland’s innovation scene risk fading away. There is still signs off a growth in the brisbane startup ecosystem and wider Australia. The key is momentum for the overall state which queensland government offices like Queensland Chief Entrepreneur is keenly involved in.
Showing Up and Supporting Innovation
It was also great to reconnect with familiar faces from UQ Ventures and meet new ones in the entrepreneurship education field. Fellow ACS member Sarah‑Jane Peterschlingmann delivered a thoughtful keynote on perseverance — or as she described it, simply “showing up.” Her message resonated deeply. It reminded me that being present, lending support, and engaging in person are small but powerful acts that sustain the startup community. I attended not just to observe, but to show up — to encourage the next generation of innovators who are daring to build something new. It’s something that I have keenly supported through out the last decade through our business as well - providing key services like innovation consulting or external dev support to help commercialise these products.
Rethinking How We Measure Success
Not every idea showcased at the UQ iLab Pitch Night will grow into a major commercial success — and that’s perfectly fine. We often evaluate startups by their potential for rapid growth, but there’s equal — perhaps greater — value in building something sustainable, even if modest, especially when its social or community impact outweighs profit. When we focus only on ventures promising the biggest monetary return, we risk amplifying products that scale quickly but diminish long-term social well-being.
So here’s to the founders who show up, the sponsors who make it possible, and the supporters who keep the Queensland startup ecosystem thriving. I look forward to seeing Rise and all the other local startup teams continue their journeys in the year ahead.
For more information on how FONSEKA supports innovation, visit FONSEKA.