Capital Coast: Queensland Deep Tech Investment Summit
Description
Capital Coast: Queensland Deep Tech Investment Summit
Queensland's investor-first, capital-attraction platform, connecting venture capital with regional most promising technology founders.
About the event
Capital Coast is a one-day deep tech investment summit hosted by Collider, UniSC Innovation and proudly funded by the Queensland Government through the Innovation Events Fund. Unlike a traditional startup event, we bring interstate and international investors directly to regional Queensland, convening a curated cohort of investment-ready ventures alongside 20+ confirmed investors for a day of structured capital introductions, a capability showcase and live pitching. Set on the subtropical Sunshine Coast, it positions the region as a nationally significant destination for deep tech investment.
What to expect
For a selected startup and VC cohort: curated, pre-matched 1:1 capital introduction rounds. Startups, RSVP and fill in the EOI to be part of this! (Capital Coast: Register your Venture – Fill out form)
Queensland deep tech capability sessions
A venture showcase and live pitching from a selected cohort
A networking reception with genuine Sunshine Coast flavour
A VC-only pre-event activity the day before (invited investors only)
Priority sectors: robotics, AI, autonomous systems, sustainable energy, space-enabled technologies, agritech, health tech, cyber security and more
Who should attend:
Interstate and international investors, Queensland advanced technology founders and ventures and innovation ecosystem partners.
Photography and Videography Notice
Please note that photographs and video footage may be captured throughout the event for promotional and marketing purposes. By attending Capital Coast, you acknowledge that you may be photographed or filmed and that these images and recordings may be used by UniSC and the Queensland Government across digital, print and social media channels.
If you do not wish to appear in photography or videography, please advise the event organisers upon arrival and we will make every reasonable effort to accommodate your request.
Agenda
- 8:30 am - 9:00 am
Registration Open
- 9:00 am - 9:15 am
Official Welcome & Opening
- Welcome from Professor Helen Bartlett, Vice-Chancellor and President, UniSC - Queensland Government address: Wietske Smith, Deputy Director-General, Corporate Performance and Delivery, Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) - Welcome to Country and immersive cultural experience:Dr Leah Barclay, Discipline Lead, Design, UniSC
- 9:15 am - 9:35 am
Opening Keynote | Stuart Clout, Co-Founder and CEO Mulga
Stuart Clout is Co-Founder and CEO of Mulga Defense Corporation and an experienced Australian technology founder. Originally a corporate transactional lawyer, Stuart moved into entrepreneurship as founder and CEO of thedocyard, a technology platform for managing corporate transactions. He led the company through its growth and ASX journey before its merger with Ansarada in 2020, where he subsequently served as Chief Revenue Officer and a director. Stuart is now building Mulga Defense Corporation, focused on sovereign edge computing technology for defence and other environments where conventional cloud infrastructure is constrained.
- 9:35 am - 9:45 am
Investor & Venture Meeting Transition
- 9:45 am - 10:15 am
R&D and Commercialisation Session | Alex Knights, Founder and CEO, Advanced R&D and Kay Strong, Regional Manager, Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast, AusIndustry
- 10:15 am - 10:45 am
Morning Break & Networking
- 10:45 am - 11:15 am
Workshop: How to Pitch to VCs | Alan Jones, Managing Director, M8 Ventures
- 11:15 am
Panel: The Future of Deep Tech Investment in Queensland
- Professor Ross Young, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), UniSC - Dr Grant Woollett, Director, Quantum and Advanced Technologies, Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) - Alezeia Brown, Principal, Main Sequence Ventures - Ben Nicholls, Account Manager at Cisco Bringing together research, government and venture capital perspectives to explore Queensland’s deep tech landscape, emerging opportunities and the future of research commercialisation and investment.
- 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Lunch Networking & Queensland Venture Showcase
Meet Queensland founders and discover emerging technologies and commercialisation opportunities.
- 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm
Interactive VC Panel: Burning Questions to Ask VCs Now
- Nicola Wightman, Venture Relations Manager, QIC - Alan Jones, Managing Director, M8 Ventures
- 2:45 pm
Afternoon Break
- 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Venture Pitch Showcase
Selected Queensland ventures pitch their technology and opportunity to a panel of investors and the Capital Coast audience.
- 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Capital Coast Networking
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity