What is iAccelerate?

iAccelerate is a unique business accelerator and incubator program run by the University of Wollongong (UOW).

Operating from the purpose-built iAccelerate Centre on our vibrant Innovation Campus, it’s a place like no other. Here, we support and empower startups, scaleups and intrapreneurs to shape bold new paths to sustainable growth. It’s a thriving community of likeminded entrepreneurs with vision, purpose and passion.

iAccelerate a cornerstone of UOW’s commitment to helping build and scale sustainable businesses that have a positive impact in our region, our nation and the world. We seek out entrepreneurs that harness technology as an enabler for services and products that can be scaled and applied globally, helping people and the planet thrive.

At iAccelerate, our mission is clear and ambitious:

To foster a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem that empowers people to strive and innovate together for real and lasting impact

What we stand for
Everything we do and the way in which we do it is shaped by the values that we collectively hold.

• Inclusiveness – we value the equitable treatment and support of a diversity of entrepreneurs.
• Trust and honesty – we value trust and honesty; they underscore all that we are and all that we do, providing a rock-solid foundation for excellence.
• Ethics – we value great companies that interact sustainably with their communities and environment, purposefully and inclusively harnessing technology, creativity and innovation.
• Support – we value the boundless sharing of resources, knowledge and time to empower others to innovate and create brighter entrepreneurial futures.
• Respect – we value respect – for ourselves and for others, their endeavours, and their right to be heard and treated with courtesy, professionalism and honesty.

At iAccelerate, we work with you to develop the skills you need to build a commercially sustainable business that delivers the greatest economic impact.

More than just an incubator, we take a multi-faceted approach to accelerating the growth of your business. Our four-month acceleration program is built around our acclaimed iAccelerate Educate initiative.

Run three times each year, all startups, scaleups, social enterprises and intrapreneurs first undertake this program to learn the Lean Start Methodology, validate their idea and develop a Minimal Viable Product (MVP). They are then assessed against stringent criteria, with successful businesses offered an incubation residence of up to three years.

Our extensive and intensive program incudes:

• iAccelerate Educate
• iAccelerate Mentor
• iAccelerate Pitch
• iAccelerate $10 million Seed Fund
• iAccelerate Connect
• iAccelerate Speaker Series
• iAccelerate Pitch Final
• iAccelerate Demo Day
• iAccelerate Entrepreneurial Women’s Speaker Series
• iAccelerate 4IMPACT Conference