25 years of impact

Cicada Innovations was established in 2000 in Sydney. Supported by our founding shareholders – ANU, UNSW, USYD and UTS – the vision was to bring together the fields of business, engineering and science to build businesses solving complex global challenges.

Since our inception, we’ve supported over 500 companies, helped raise billions in funding, and seen $6.1bn in exits from deep tech ventures. We’ve twice been named ‘Top Incubator in the World’ by InBIA.

We have expanded nationally to include incubators in Eveleigh, Westmead, and Melbourne, and launched programs like the Health Commercialisation Training Program and the National Space Industry Hub. We are also the custodians of Cicada x Tech23 — Australia’s flagship platform for deep tech leaders.

Our mission remains the same: to advance scientific discovery and help innovators build impactful deep tech businesses.

Behind Cicada is a team of smart, mission-driven people who care deeply about helping deep tech founders succeed. From commercialisation experts to lab managers, program leads to community builders, they bring diverse experience across science, startups, policy, and industry. United by a shared commitment to growing Australia’s deep tech economy, the Cicada team shows up every day with curiosity, practical know-how, and a deep belief in what’s possible. They’re the heart and soul of Cicada, and the reason we’ve been able to support so many bold ideas over the past 25 years.