Cicada x Tech23 Online: The Road to Tech23 2026
Description
The Road to Tech23: Hear from Founders Who’ve Been There
Join us online on Wednesday 18 March for a candid conversation with Tech23 alumni Banksia Minerals Processing, EPCA and Nutromics.
Deep tech is rarely built in easy conditions. Timelines stretch. Markets move cautiously. Validation takes time. Yet founders continue to build.
In this session, the founders behind these three ventures will share what it really takes to move from lab-scale breakthroughs to companies tackling global challenges. From decarbonising mining fleets to reinventing copper refining and transforming clinical diagnostics, each company represents the kind of ambition Tech23 exists to surface.
They’ll talk openly about the realities of building deep tech in Australia, the persistence required to stay in the game, and what has happended since Tech23 to accelerate their progress.
If you’re building serious technology and wondering whether Tech23 could be part of your path, this conversation is for you.
Meet the Tech23 Alumni
Banksia Minerals Processing
Copper is critical to the global energy transition, but traditional refining methods are energy intensive and produce toxic byproducts. Banksia Minerals Processing is developing a cleaner, safer and more efficient alternative. Their technology replaces traditional smelting with a process that eliminates furnaces and significantly reduces emissions, unlocking resources previously considered too difficult or dirty to refine.
EPCA
Mining contributes nearly a quarter of Australia’s emissions, with diesel haul trucks a major source. EPCA converts existing diesel mining trucks into fully battery-powered electric vehicles. By retaining up to 80% of the original vehicle components, their approach dramatically reduces manufacturing emissions while providing a faster and more cost-effective path to decarbonising mining operations.
Nutromics
Traditional diagnostics offer only delayed snapshots of a patient’s condition Nutromics has developed a lab-on-a-patch platform that continuously monitors biomolecules in real time using microneedles and DNA-based biosensors. Their technology gives clinicians minute-by-minute visibility into how a patient is responding to treatment, starting with critical care antibiotic monitoring.
What We’ll Talk About
The long road of deep tech: What it actually takes to move from breakthrough research to a company that can scale.
Lessons from the Tech23 stage: How these founders used Tech23 to build visibility, partnerships and momentum.
What makes a Tech23 company: The kinds of founders and technologies the selection committee looks for each year.
How to apply: A quick walkthrough of the simple application process.
Tech23 celebrates founders who persist through long development cycles, slow markets and complex challenges, not just quick wins.
About Cicada x Tech23
Cicada x Tech23 is Australia’s leading deep tech festival, bringing together 23 of the nation’s most promising science-led startups with investors, industry leaders, researchers and policymakers.
Over the years, Tech23 alumni have gone on to raise billions in capital and build companies shaping global industries.
Every year the search begins again to find the next 23.
Interested in standing on the Tech23 stage?
Applications for Tech23 2026 are now open. It takes less than 10 minutes to apply. Apply here
Lineup
Leigh Staines, Managing Director, Banksia Minerals
An environmental and chemical engineer, Leigh broke new ground as one of the first women to lead major Australian refineries. With decades of experience running complex industrial sites for global companies like ExxonMobil and Rio Tinto, she is now leveraging that deep industry expertise to champion a new standard for copper refining, building what comes next and leading the sector into a cleaner, smarter future.
Hitesh Mehta, COO & Co-founder, Nutromics
Hitesh Mehta is a corporate consultant turned entrepreneur. He has over a decade of experience in healthcare consulting. Hitesh is passionate about creating a more proactive healthcare system and leverages his background and drive to build Nutromics into a world leader in continuous biomolecular monitoring. Hitesh’s vision is to make healthcare more accessible and inclusive globally.
Clayton Franklin, Founder and Chief Engineer, EPCA
Clayton Franklin is a Wunumara man from Cloncurry, QLD. With over 25 years as an electrical engineer in mining, he’s led major decarbonisation projects, including a 220-tonne hydrogen- battery hybrid truck. Drawing on his Indigenous heritage and deep industry experience, Clayton is pioneering practical solutions to electrify heavy industry without waiting for new fleets or far-off timelines.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
