ATC Sydney Launch 2026: Investor Ready Pitch Night

Sydney, it’s time.

The Australian Technologies Competition (ATC) is back for 2026 and we’re launching it the best way possible: with a room full of founders, investors, operators, and ecosystem players watching real startups pitch in real time.

This is an Investor Ready Pitch Night where you’ll see 6 startups deliver 2-minute pitches, face a question from an elite panel of industry judges, and compete for both a Judges Winner and an Audience Winner with $10k+ worth of prizes on offer.

Whether you’re building, backing, advising, or just allergic to boring networking, this night is your excuse to show up.

Hosted by Scalare Partners, The Founders Union and the Australian Technologies Competition (ATC), alongside our partners Tank Stream Labs, LegalVision, Pemba Capital Partners, Think & Grow, FB Rice, Pinch Payments and UTS Startups.

And yes, ATC 2026 applications open on the night, so if you’re building something with global potential, this is your moment to plug in.

Launching nationally: Sydney is first, with Adelaide + Canberra launch events also happening later in March.

What to expect on the night

• Startup Pitch Showcase: 6 startups pitch their ventures live

• Judge Q&A: each startup gets a question from our panel

• Two winners:

  • Judges Winner (selected by the panel)

  • Audience Winner (chosen by the room)

• ATC 2026 launch moment: learn what’s new this year and how to apply

• High-impact networking: drinks, conversations, and properly useful connections

Who should attend

Founders & operators
If you’re exploring, building, raising, or scaling, you’ll leave with sharper pitch instincts and a clearer path into ATC 2026.

Investors & industry leaders
Get in early on founders with momentum, and meet the ecosystem operators shaping what’s next.

Ecosystem builders (accelerators, community leads, startup support, universities)
Come back your people and connect them into a national program designed to scale tech ventures.

A huge thank you to the partners who make events like this possible:

About LegalVision

As a disrupter in the commercial legal services industry, LegalVision is committed to powering the success of every business by delivering legal support that is proactive, affordable and commercial. Our innovative approach enables our lawyers to deliver fast, high-quality legal support while being more cost-effective for business leaders, founders and General Counsel. Our lawyers work with leading VCs and investors and have supported hundreds of startups across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kindom raise capital successfully.

About Pemba Capital Partners

Pemba is a growth investor backing ambitious founders and management teams to scale with confidence. More than just capital, Pemba brings deep expertise and strategic support to help ventures accelerate growth, reduce risk, and reach their next stage of success.

About FB Rice

Investor-ready isn’t just pitch decks - it’s proof, protection, and positioning. FB Rice helps founders maximise the R&D Tax Incentive and lock in an IP strategy (patents, trade marks, commercialisation) so your innovation becomes a defensible business asset, not just a product demo.

About Think & Grow

Think & Grow backs the part of startup scaling that no one can “hack” with vibes: go-to-market clarity + the right senior talent at the right moment. They work with ambitious tech companies on GTM strategy + execution, new market entry / expansion, and leadership hiring - the stuff that turns “we’ve got traction” into “we can scale this nationally (or globally) without guessing.” if you’re building something with global potential, Think & Grow helps you build the plan and the team to pull it off.

About Pinch Payments

Pinch Payments is built for founders who are allergic to chasing invoices. They help service-based businesses (including startups) get paid faster by letting customers pay straight from invoices via card or direct debit, with automation and reconciliation connected to tools like Xero, QuickBooks, and MYOB - so your cash flow isn’t held hostage by “just circling back.”

About UTS Startups

UTS Startups is the home of early-stage and high-growth tech startups, providing founders space, support and university connections to launch and scale.