ON Accelerate

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. 

What teams will get out of ON Accelerate

Through personalised coaching and group work, ON Accelerate will:

1. Equip, empower and energise teams to tackle the commercialisation journey.
2. Support the whole team to develop entrepreneurial skills including networking, pitching and investor engagement.
3. Assist teams with identifying their customer and the specific problem that they are solving.
4. Build and validate investment ready, innovative, sustainable and scalable business models.
5. Introduce teams to venture funding opportunities, helping them develop a network of experts, investors and supporters and preparing them to succeed.

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:

• performance coaching
• IP
• finance and contract management
• investor relations
• media management
• team building.

Teams will also be able to access ongoing coaching post program for a duration of up to 6-months.

Watch the video below to hear from our participants and facilitators directly.

Keen to know more? Discover how these 10 tips can supercharge your research team’s journey in CSIRO’s ON Accelerate program.

Incentive funding for teams

In addition to funding the total cost of participation (valued at over $150,000*), the ON Accelerate program offers several payments of up $80,000 per team based on performance and to fast-track their market traction during and post-program.

This figure includes:

• $20,000 per team, provided to Tech Transfer Officers (TTOs) at the beginning of the program. This type of funding can support specialists like an interim CEO, CFO or entrepreneur-in-residence. It can also be used for materials or services, acting as a co-investment with the team’s organisation.
• Up to $10,000 for goals achieved in-program.
• A portion of a $100,000 total pool to be shared across all teams who achieve stretch targets approved by the program facilitators (max. award of $50,000 per team). 
• Bespoke coaching with domain experts throughout the program, plus 6 months’ additional coaching post-program funded for teams who fully meet the participation requirements. 

*Value estimated based on calculations made over the course of 2023-2024 and takes into account the projected program budget for 2024-2025.

Who can participate in ON Accelerate and time commitment required for the program

To be eligible for ON Accelerate, you must meet each of the following criteria:

1. Your team must consist of between three to six participants.
2. Team members bring diverse experience and expertise. It is worth considering representation from:
   
   • your colleagues
   • people from other Australian universities or Publicly Funded Research Organisation (PFRO)**
   • community representatives 
   • industry partners
   • university students or someone from your organisation involved in research services, technology transfer office (TTO), communications 
3. Your team must be able to meet the participation time commitment. The program requires substantial effort, and at least three core team members must be available to participate in the in-person workshops and coaching sessions held throughout the program.
4. Your team must be able to manage the equivalent of one full-time person to build your venture outside of workshop and coaching sessions. This workload can be shared among team members.

All team members must be based in Australia for the duration of the program.

Your team must include:

• one person who is a researcher at an Australian university or a PFRO; OR
• a current or recently completed (<24 months) PhD student from an Australian university or a PRFO

Teams from an Australian startup or SME that have licensed or acquired intellectual property (IP) from an Australian university or a Publicly Funded Research Organisation (PFRO) are also eligible to apply. Please note that it is important that your team includes a member from the Australian university or PFRO from which this IP is licensed.

For teams aiming to attract venture capital, it’s essential to be established as a company with the authority to commercially 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. 

How ON Accelerate is delivered

ON Accelerate 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.

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.

Some quotes from past participants regarding 'The most valuable part of Bootcamp':

• "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 mentor 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."

Immersion week

Immersion week will support teams to increase their knowledge of the entrepreneurial journey, develop skills, progress their initiative, and network with peers, mentors and startup experts. This will be delivered as a face-to-face session.

At the end of the immersion, the top teams will be invited to participate in the full three-month program.

Some quotes from past participants regarding 'The most valuable part of Immersion':

• "CSIRO's ON Accelerate Immersion gave us a safe space to test out big ideas and get comfortable pitching to a live audience."
• "We found the three days of our ON Accelerate Immersion activities to be highly useful in unifying our team behind an align mission and better refined program success metrics!"
• "We learned heaps at ON Accelerate Immersion! So helpful for successfully spinning out our company. Extremely valuable, and would definitely recommend for others in the same position to do. Experts involved in the Program were perfect, friendly and helpful."
• "Whilst Bootcamp was a good intro into the world of tech commercialisation, Immersion encouraged/forced us to implement what we have learnt through the process so far. We have identified key gaps in the past 3-days which we will tackle to help get us to our next value proposition inflection point."

ON Accelerate program

Over three-months of the program, teams will meet regularly with facilitators and other teams in the cohort to share progress, key learnings and roadblocks, and hear from successful deep tech founders.

Teams will also have regular one-on-one sessions with domain coaches, investors, mentors and the ON Accelerate facilitators, who will both challenge your thinking and support your development. These sessions ensure the guidance and support is tailored to your team’s focus areas and challenges, to accelerate your venture faster.

We will work with teams that are accepted into the program to help identify additional capability that may be needed in your team, and work with you to bring in the additional skills needed.

The program culminates with an opportunity to showcase your team’s work to the ecosystem.  Teams will also have the opportunity to pitch to investors as part of an invitation-only event.

Meet our ON Accelerate facilitators

Our program facilitators, Poppy Sykes, David Ireland and Andy Lamb, are regarded as national leaders in innovation and commercialisation. ON Accelerate teams will benefit from their advice and support throughout the course of the program.

How to apply

Applying to participate in ON Accelerate is a multi-step process:

1. 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).
2. 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.
3. 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. 

Want to know more?

Watch a recording of our ON Accelerate information session. [NB. the session took place 10 July 2024.]

Interested in our alumni teams?

Visit our ON Program Alumni website to find out more.

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. 

What teams will get out of ON Accelerate

Through personalised coaching and group work, ON Accelerate will:

1. Equip, empower and energise teams to tackle the commercialisation journey.
2. Support the whole team to develop entrepreneurial skills including networking, pitching and investor engagement.
3. Assist teams with identifying their customer and the specific problem that they are solving.
4. Build and validate investment ready, innovative, sustainable and scalable business models.
5. Introduce teams to venture funding opportunities, helping them develop a network of experts, investors and supporters and preparing them to succeed.

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:

• performance coaching
• IP
• finance and contract management
• investor relations
• media management
• team building.

Teams will also be able to access ongoing coaching post program for a duration of up to 6-months.

Watch the video below to hear from our participants and facilitators directly.

Keen to know more? Discover how these 10 tips can supercharge your research team’s journey in CSIRO’s ON Accelerate program.

Incentive funding for teams

In addition to funding the total cost of participation (valued at over $150,000*), the ON Accelerate program offers several payments of up $80,000 per team based on performance and to fast-track their market traction during and post-program.

This figure includes:

• $20,000 per team, provided to Tech Transfer Officers (TTOs) at the beginning of the program. This type of funding can support specialists like an interim CEO, CFO or entrepreneur-in-residence. It can also be used for materials or services, acting as a co-investment with the team’s organisation.
• Up to $10,000 for goals achieved in-program.
• A portion of a $100,000 total pool to be shared across all teams who achieve stretch targets approved by the program facilitators (max. award of $50,000 per team). 
• Bespoke coaching with domain experts throughout the program, plus 6 months’ additional coaching post-program funded for teams who fully meet the participation requirements. 

*Value estimated based on calculations made over the course of 2023-2024 and takes into account the projected program budget for 2024-2025.

Who can participate in ON Accelerate and time commitment required for the program

To be eligible for ON Accelerate, you must meet each of the following criteria:

1. Your team must consist of between three to six participants.
2. Team members bring diverse experience and expertise. It is worth considering representation from:
   
   • your colleagues
   • people from other Australian universities or Publicly Funded Research Organisation (PFRO)**
   • community representatives 
   • industry partners
   • university students or someone from your organisation involved in research services, technology transfer office (TTO), communications 
3. Your team must be able to meet the participation time commitment. The program requires substantial effort, and at least three core team members must be available to participate in the in-person workshops and coaching sessions held throughout the program.
4. Your team must be able to manage the equivalent of one full-time person to build your venture outside of workshop and coaching sessions. This workload can be shared among team members.

All team members must be based in Australia for the duration of the program.

Your team must include:

• one person who is a researcher at an Australian university or a PFRO; OR
• a current or recently completed (<24 months) PhD student from an Australian university or a PRFO

Teams from an Australian startup or SME that have licensed or acquired intellectual property (IP) from an Australian university or a Publicly Funded Research Organisation (PFRO) are also eligible to apply. Please note that it is important that your team includes a member from the Australian university or PFRO from which this IP is licensed.

For teams aiming to attract venture capital, it’s essential to be established as a company with the authority to commercially 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. 

How ON Accelerate is delivered

ON Accelerate 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.

• Bootcamp
• Emersion
• Program: Mix of face to face and virtual sessions (week 1 to 15)

Show image description

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.

Some quotes from past participants regarding 'The most valuable part of Bootcamp':

• "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 mentor 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."

Immersion week

Immersion week will support teams to increase their knowledge of the entrepreneurial journey, develop skills, progress their initiative, and network with peers, mentors and startup experts. This will be delivered as a face-to-face session.

At the end of the immersion, the top teams will be invited to participate in the full three-month program.

Some quotes from past participants regarding 'The most valuable part of Immersion':

• "CSIRO's ON Accelerate Immersion gave us a safe space to test out big ideas and get comfortable pitching to a live audience."
• "We found the three days of our ON Accelerate Immersion activities to be highly useful in unifying our team behind an align mission and better refined program success metrics!"
• "We learned heaps at ON Accelerate Immersion! So helpful for successfully spinning out our company. Extremely valuable, and would definitely recommend for others in the same position to do. Experts involved in the Program were perfect, friendly and helpful."
• "Whilst Bootcamp was a good intro into the world of tech commercialisation, Immersion encouraged/forced us to implement what we have learnt through the process so far. We have identified key gaps in the past 3-days which we will tackle to help get us to our next value proposition inflection point."

ON Accelerate program

Over three-months of the program, teams will meet regularly with facilitators and other teams in the cohort to share progress, key learnings and roadblocks, and hear from successful deep tech founders.

Teams will also have regular one-on-one sessions with domain coaches, investors, mentors and the ON Accelerate facilitators, who will both challenge your thinking and support your development. These sessions ensure the guidance and support is tailored to your team’s focus areas and challenges, to accelerate your venture faster.

We will work with teams that are accepted into the program to help identify additional capability that may be needed in your team, and work with you to bring in the additional skills needed.

The program culminates with an opportunity to showcase your team’s work to the ecosystem.  Teams will also have the opportunity to pitch to investors as part of an invitation-only event.

Meet our ON Accelerate facilitators

Our program facilitators, Poppy Sykes, David Ireland and Andy Lamb, are regarded as national leaders in innovation and commercialisation. ON Accelerate teams will benefit from their advice and support throughout the course of the program.

Poppy Sykes

Poppy Sykes is a human-centred designer, strategist, and startup coach passionate about purpose-driven business. As the Lead of CSIRO's ON Innovation Program, she helps deep tech researchers through the translation journey, providing the skills, networks and knowledge to unlock the full potential of their science.

Before joining CSIRO, Poppy ran her own business, supporting startups, non-profits, corporates, and government organisations in building innovation capabilities and bringing sustainable solutions to market.

David Ireland

Dr David Ireland is a diversified impact practitioner, playing the role of investor, consultant, advisor, board director and philanthropist. David currently holds several roles, including Governor of WWF-Australia and founder of The Growth Drivers and Radian Energy.

An entrepreneur and design and innovation consultant motivated by creating sustainable, meaningful change, David has both founded and co-founded a handful of innovation-focused businesses since graduating from tertiary education. These include Rocking Horse Group, ThinkAction, and PentaQuest.

He has worked for over 20 years across a range of sectors, including renewable energy, public health, ESG, agriculture, aquaculture, and financial services, where he has founded, invested in, and advised businesses, researchers, government, and not-for-profits as they attempt to solve some of the biggest challenges facing our planet. 

Andy Lamb

Andy Lamb has a career of doing things differently. Working from large global financial services and management consulting organisation through to starting and founding a number of his own software tech businesses. He has spun out technology from Swinburne University after completing his Masters of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

An angel investor in his own right and a strong supporter of Australia’s startup and innovation ecosystem, Andy now focusses his time on providing leadership development and innovation services to deep tech and innovative startups. He is able to switch roles from facilitator, coach, mentor and MC.

He brings a unique focus based on startup thinking and creativity/growth mindset. He has filled roles such as Honorary Fellow of Innovation, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Intrapreneur and of course as an Entrepreneur.

He currently runs his own consultancy, Innovation Studios and is a non-executive director of the IPS foundation focusing on providing developing indigenous entrepreneurship and business skills.

Applications for ON Accelerate Cohort 9 have closed.

ON Accelerate 9 will take place from November 2024 to June 2025. Applications for the next cohort intake will open in August 2025.

To be the first to hear of all future rounds and ON Program opportunities, please subscribe to our mailing list.

If you're a researcher or a startup/SME founder considering applying for a future round of ON Accelerate, here's a tip - assemble a team and review the evaluation criteria below to maximise your chances of success.

How to apply

Applying to participate in ON Accelerate is a multi-step process:

1. 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).
2. 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.
3. 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. 

Want to know more?

Watch a recording of our ON Accelerate information session. [NB. the session took place 10 July 2024.]

Interested in our alumni teams?

Visit our ON Program Alumni website to find out more.