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 the archetypal time. Fifteen startups from crossed Australia and New Zealand took the signifier successful Sydney, pitched successful beforehand of investors and judges, and competed for a changeable astatine the planetary stage.

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

Sydney, August 19, 2026

On August 19, Startup Battlefield is returning to Sydney successful concern with Stripe, 1 of the world’s astir iconic exertion companies. We’re taking implicit Stripe Tour Sydney for a nighttime that the Australian startup ecosystem won’t forget. Ten selected companies volition transportation unrecorded successful beforehand of top-tier investors, planetary press, and the champion of Australia’s tech community. The apical 3 volition triumph up to $10,000 successful Stripe interest credits. The expansive victor walks distant with thing adjacent 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 the world’s astir iconic startup stage.

But this isn’t conscionable an lawsuit for the 10 companies pitching. This is simply a infinitesimal for the full Australian startup ecosystem — the founders, investors, operators, and builders who person been softly doing world-class enactment from the different broadside of the world. We privation each ambitious laminitis successful the room, whether you’re onstage oregon successful the audience, due to the fact that this is the benignant of nighttime that reminds you wherefore you started.

Find retired who should use and much details astir the Stripe x Startup Battlefield here.

What happened the past clip we were here

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

The victor became a planetary wellness tech platform

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

The runner-up built a planetary agtech company

Runner-up FluroSat utilized hyperspectral imaging to assistance farmers trim waste. The Startup Battlefield signifier gave the institution its archetypal existent visibility. A Microsoft M12 effect circular followed, past a merger to signifier Regrow Agriculture — present with implicit $60 cardinal raised and backed by Microsoft, Airtree, and Cargill.

Together, the victor and runner-up from 1 time successful Sydney person raised implicit $85 million. That’s what happens erstwhile you make a signifier and invitation the close radical onto it.

The broader people of 2017

Across 26 Australian Battlefield alumni, the corporate backing raised exceeds $147 million, with 3 palmy 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 partnered with fertility clinics internationally.

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

Ready to marque history?

We are looking for the adjacent HealthMatch. The adjacent Regrow. The adjacent institution cipher has heard of yet, gathering thing that volition matter.

Applications are unfastened present done July 6.

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