ON Accelerate

ON Accelerate is sponsored by CSIRO. A structured, full-time accelerator for research teams to validate and develop high-potential innovative ventures, offering non-dilutive funding and coaching.

Launch your research-driven venture into market with ON Accelerate - CSIRO Launch your research-driven venture into market with ON Accelerate ON Accelerate is a structured accelerator program for research teams to validate and develop their high-potential science backed innovative ventures. Applications for ON Accelerate are currently closed. The next application round will open from 27 July to 31 August.

Want to be the first to know when the next round opens? Join our expression of interest list Have a question? Reach out to the team via email: on@csiro.

au ON Accelerate is a three-month, free commercialisation acceleration program for entrepreneurial researchers who are ready to translate their great idea into a research-driven company. Tailored to the translation of publicly funded research, this program focuses on business models, market validation, storytelling and capital raising.

This includes access to venture capital partners and networks to help secure capital for business development. All IP remains the property of the team or their sponsoring institute. Participants are required to sign non-disclosure agreements for IP protection.

To be eligible for ON Accelerate, your team must meet all the following criteria: Team size: Three to six people Team diversity: Include team members with varied expertise, such as: Colleagues from your organisation Researchers from other Australian universities or publicly funded research organisations (PFRO)** Community representatives University students or staff from research services, TTOs, or communications teams.

Location: All team members must be based in Australia for the program duration. At least three core members must attend all in-person workshops and coaching sessions. Your team must commit the equivalent of one full-time person (shared across the team) to work on the venture outside of sessions.

Research involvement: Your team must include A researcher at an Australian university or PFRO, OR A PhD student or recent graduate (within the last 24 months) from an Australian university or PFRO. Startups/SMEs: Teams from Australian startups or SMEs that have licensed or acquired IP from an Australian university or PFRO are eligible - but must include a member from the originating university or PFRO.

For venture capital readiness: Your team must be a registered company with authority to transact using the IP. ** PFROs include: Australian higher education providers listed in the Higher Education Support Act 2003 and/or federal, state and territory government departments or agencies which undertake publicly funded research. ON Accelerate runs once a year.

Bootcamp is typically held in October or November, with the Program concluding at a Showcase which is typically hosted in June of the following year. This program provides individualised support for each team to meet you where you are and help you accelerate to market. Our end goal is that each team will leave the program with a solid business model, a well-defined path to commercialisation and a clear trajectory for success.

Step one: ON Accelerate bootcamp Up to 20 teams are selected from the online application process to participate in a two-day selection bootcamp, delivered face-to-face. Bootcamp will be an opportunity for teams to demonstrate their product-market fit, customer interest and team strength. As part of the bootcamp selection process, we'll bring together a network of investors from the Australian deep tech venture capital community.

The top teams from bootcamp will be invited to participate in a week-long immersion program. What past participants valued most: "The business knowledge and the connections we have made at Bootcamp are most valuable. We have follow-up conversations lined up after this week which is very exciting."

"Expert and investor conversations were definitely the most impactful, alongside the opportunity to experience peer-learning with other ON Accelerate Bootcamp teams." "We were constantly being challenged in our thinking, uncovering assumptions ... forcing us to challenge our mindsets and expand our thinking.

Stress testing the business model, poking holes in our pitches and getting some brutal and invaluable feedback throughout." Step two: Join the program Over the three-month program, teams meet regularly with facilitators and their cohort to share progress, unpack key learnings, navigate roadblocks, and hear directly from successful deep-tech founders.

You’ll also have dedicated one-on-one sessions with domain experts, investors, mentors and ON Accelerate facilitators. These sessions are designed to challenge your thinking, sharpen your strategy, and provide tailored support aligned to your team's focus areas and opportunities—helping you accelerate your venture faster and with more confidence.

For teams accepted into the program, we also work closely with you to identify any additional capability you may need, and help you bring in the right skills at the right time. The program culminates in a Showcase event, giving teams the opportunity to present their progress to the broader innovation ecosystem.

Hear more from our Program Director and a coach/industry expert [Music plays and an image appears of an index finger drawing an O on a blue screen, and then image changes to show a lamp and an ON Accelerate sign on a table, and text appears: ON Accelerate] [Image changes to show colleagues talking beside the TopiCure pop-up booth, and then the image changes to show Warren Bingham talking to the camera, and text appears: Warren Bingham, Program Coach, CSIRO ON Accelerate] Warren Bingham: If you're a researcher, an academic, a scientist, an innovator, you have an idea.

One of the things you need to do is get tapped into the CSIRO ON Accelerator program. [Images move through to show a seated audience interacting together, views of colleagues interacting, Warren talking to the camera, and then Warren talking and laughing with Tennille Eyre] Why? Because it is really about connecting you to people who know the pathway you're about to walk.

We'll help you, we'll coach you. We'll be on the journey with you. [Image changes to show Tennille talking to the camera, and then the image changes to show colleagues talking beside the ProSeek Bio Pop-up booth, and text appears: Tennille Eyre, Program Director, CSIRO ON Innovation] Tennille Eyre: We're here to support publicly funded Australian researchers translate their research from lab to market.

We're different in that we are national. [Image changes to show Tennile talking to the camera] We don't take equity in the technology. We don't take any interest in the IP.

[Images move through to show a lamp beside an epiblox sign on a table, colleagues talking and laughing together, and then colleagues interacting at an ON Accelerate event] We are just here to make sure we equip and empower Australian researchers with the tools and skills to create impact.

[Music plays and an image appears of a blue screen and a hand appears and the index finger taps the power button on, and then the button merges into text: Switch your idea ON] [Image changes to show a white screen with the CSIRO logo above text: Australia&rsquo;s National Science Agency] CSIRO ON Accelerate unpacked - Hear from our Director and an industry coach https://vimeo. com/1098677466 <iframe src="//player. vimeo.

com/video/1098677466" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe> Submit an online application Each team is required to register via the online application portal then submit an application. Please note that this is an in-depth application, so feel free to download the pdf form to help prepare for the questions (see our application guide for more detail).

Application review and evaluation At the closure of the application period, all applications will be reviewed by representatives of their lead organisation. This is to ensure that each team has engaged their sponsoring institute and has full support to participate in the program. Each application is evaluated by multiple experts from our extended network.

The highest rated applications will be invited to participate in the two-day selection bootcamp. Participate in selection bootcamp and immersion week The top teams participate in a two-day selection bootcamp, before progressing to immersion week. After immersion week, the final cohort are selected for ON Accelerate.

The clarity of your application will be assessed based on the following key points: the solution and value proposition for their product or service evidence of the problem that their solution addresses the identified target market and customer segments of their product or service strength and coverage of relevant skillsets within the team demonstration of commercially relevant traction or uptake of their technology alignment between the team goal and objectives of ON Accelerate evidence that a startup venture is the most appropriate pathway to impact.

Through personalised coaching and group work, ON Accelerate will: Equip, empower and energise teams to tackle the research commercialisation journey. Support the whole team to develop entrepreneurial skills including networking, pitching and investor engagement. Assist teams with identifying their customer and the specific problem that they are solving.

Build and validate investment ready, innovative, sustainable and scalable business models. Throughout the program, you will be connected to a network of experts and coaches who will support (and challenge) you. The domain coaches you may work with are specialists in the following areas: finance and contract management Keen to know more?

Discover how these 10 tips can supercharge your research team&rsquo;s journey in CSIRO&rsquo;s ON Accelerate program.

Watch the following video to hear directly from our alumni [Music plays and an image appears of an index finger drawing an O on a blue screen, and then the image morphs into text: ON Accelerate] [Images move through to show a CSIRO logo on a screen, a room with the Accelerate team videos playing, and Dr Michelle Hill talking to the camera, and text appears: Dr Michelle Hill, CSIRO ON alumna, Founder of ProSeek Bio] Dr Michelle Hill: There's so many aspects of the program that's really, really valuable.

[Images move through to show views of colleagues interacting throughout the event, Michelle talking to the camera, and then the Elemental Therapeutics team posing a for a photo] The coaches, their lived in experience in our field was really super helpful and we've learned a lot of skills such as financial planning, marketing strategies and building up a business plan.

[Images move through to show a lamp beside the Amorfoil sign and product, a laptop showing images and a video, Brennen Mills talking to the camera, and the I-VADE team interacting, and text appears: Dr Brennen Mills, CSIRO ON alumnus, Director & Co-Founder of I-VADE] Dr Brennen Mills: The ability to find validation in what you're actually trying to do, you know, it's great and easy in the research community alone, to bring it out into the world and get that validation that, wow, we've actually got something here outside of academia alone.

[Image changes to show Brennen talking to the camera] That's the big thing that I feel like I've got out of it.

[Images move through to show views of colleagues interacting throughout the event beside different pop-up booths, and views of Dr Bliss Cunningham talking to the camera, and text appears: Dr Bliss Cunningham, CSIRO ON alumna, Head of R&D of Elemental Therapeutics] Dr Bliss Cunningham: From start to finish, just seeing the transformations that everyone has made, especially in things like their communication and the way they're delivering their messages.

Everything has transformed and it's done a complete 180, it&rsquo;s been amazing to see.

[Music plays as image changes to show a blue screen as a hand appears and the index finger taps the power button on, and then the button merges into text: Switch your idea ON] [Image changes to show a white screen with the CSIRO logo above text: Australia&rsquo;s National Science Agency] CSIRO ON Accelerate program experience - hear from our Alumni https://vimeo. com/1098676462 <iframe src="//player. vimeo.

com/video/1098676462" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe> In addition to funding the total cost of participation (valued at over $150,000*), the ON Accelerate program offers non-dilutive funding to fast-track their market traction and venture creation during and post-program.

$20,000 per team, provided to Tech Transfer Officers (TTOs) at the conclusion of Immersion Up to $400,000 of funding to be distributed to high-performing teams within the cohort (max. funding of $80,000 per team) Bespoke coaching with domain experts throughout the program * Value estimated based on calculations made over the course of 2025-2026 and takes into account the projected program budget for 2026-2027.

Watch a recording of our ON Accelerate information session . [NB. the session took place in July 2025.]

If you have any further questions, please reach out to our team at ON@csiro. au Recent alumni teams from ON Accelerate 10 Visit our ON Program Alumni website to find out more. ON Accelerate Application Portal ON Accelerate is a structured, full-time accelerator for research teams to validate and develop high potential innovative ventures.

You might be interested in Accelerate your success: 10 ways to get the best out of a structured program We've got 10 tips for research teams to help maximise the benefits of participating in a structured accelerator program, like CSIRO’s ON Accelerate. Explore the potential of your research with ON Prime Learn to ask the right questions and uncover where your research can make a difference.

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