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 first time. Fifteen startups from across Australia and New Zealand took the stage in Sydney, pitched in front of investors and judges, and competed for a shot at the global stage.

It was one day. One stage. And what happened next is exactly why we’re coming back.

On August 19, Startup Battlefield is returning to Sydney in partnership with Stripe, one of the world’s most iconic technology companies. We’re taking over Stripe Tour Sydney for a night that the Australian startup ecosystem won’t forget. Ten selected companies will pitch live in front of top-tier investors, global press, and the best of Australia’s tech community. The top three will win up to $10,000 in Stripe fee credits. The grand winner walks away with something even bigger: automatic entry into Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco this October — no application required, no competition. Just a guaranteed spot on the world’s most iconic startup stage.

But this isn’t just an event for the 10 companies pitching. This is a moment for the entire Australian startup ecosystem — the founders, investors, operators, and builders who have been quietly doing world-class work from the other side of the world. We want every ambitious founder in the room, whether you’re onstage or in the audience, because this is the kind of night that reminds you why you started.

Find out who should apply and more details about the Stripe x Startup Battlefield Startup Battlefield is returning to Australia.

Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what came out of one day in Sydney in 2017.

Manuri Gunawardena was a final-year medical student when she pitched HealthMatch — a machine learning platform matching patients with clinical trials. She won. That win turned into over $25 million raised, U.S. expansion, and over 1 million patients globally, backed by Square Peg Capital and SEEK co-founder Paul Bassat.

Runner-up FluroSat used hyperspectral imaging to help farmers reduce waste. The Startup Battlefield stage gave the company its first real visibility. A Microsoft M12 seed round followed, then a merger to form Regrow Agriculture — now with over $60 million raised and backed by Microsoft, Airtree, and Cargill.

Together, the winner and runner-up from one day in Sydney have raised over $85 million. That’s what happens when you create a stage and invite the right people onto it.

Across 26 Australian Battlefield alumni, the collective funding raised exceeds $147 million, with three successful acquisitions. They’ve been backed by Y Combinator, Blackbird Ventures, Square Peg, Khosla Ventures, Microsoft, Airtree, Startmate, Techstars, and SOSV. CancerAid went on to become Osara Health. Life Whisperer partnered with fertility clinics internationally.

These were companies the world had never heard of before they stood in a room in Sydney and made their case. That’s what Startup Battlefield does. It finds companies before the world knows their names.

We are looking for the next HealthMatch. The next Regrow. The next company nobody has heard of yet, building something that will matter.

Applications are open now through July 6.

Apply now for Stripe x Startup Battlefield Australia 2026. Free to apply. No equity taken. In-person event in Sydney, on August 19, 2026.