Ballarat tech hub secures 12 startups in inaugural accelerator round

Ballarat's Civic Hall Innovation Hub has confirmed 12 startups will take up residency in the facility following the close of its inaugural accelerator application round, with three companies relocating from Melbourne and Sydney to participate.

The cohort spans agritech, health technology, and B2B software, with participants selected from 134 applications. Each company will receive access to the co-working space for 12 months, mentorship from a network of 40 established founders and investors, and introductions to the hub's corporate partner network including Grampians Health and Ballarat City Council.

Hub director Melissa Rowan said the quality of applications had exceeded expectations, reflecting both the improving liveability profile of Ballarat and the practical economics of establishing a technology business outside a capital city. "Founders are doing the maths. Office space in Ballarat costs a fifth of what it does in Fitzroy, housing is half the price, and the talent pool from Federation University is genuinely strong," she said.

Federation University vice-chancellor Duncan Bentley, whose institution is a founding partner of the hub, said three of the accepted startups had emerged directly from research conducted at the university. He said the university expected to formalise commercialisation pathways with at least five of the 12 companies during the accelerator period.

A second intake is planned for the following financial year, with the hub also expanding its floor space by 600 square metres.

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