Space Hub Connect: Waratah Seed and the Power of Partnerships

Join us for the last Space Hub Connect of the year as we celebrate and explore the successful launch and groundbreaking journey of Waratah Seed and uncover how powerful partnerships are driving space innovation forward.

As we close out an incredible year for the space tech community, we’re celebrating Waratah Seed, Australia’s pioneering “rideshare” mission that has placed Australian space innovation on the global stage. With a successful launch, commissioning, and now operation, Waratah Seed has been a powerful example of what can be achieved through collaboration—bringing together pioneers, researchers, government, and innovators to push the boundaries of what’s possible in space.

This edition of Space Hub Connect will explore how partnerships fuel innovation, from funding and support networks to sharing technical expertise and pooling resources. Through Waratah Seed, startups have not only built and launched technology but have also developed resilient collaborations that continue to shape Australia’s space landscape.

To celebrate this momentous milestone and look ahead for what the future has in store for the Australian space industry in Australia, we will also welcome guest speakers Prof. Iver Cairns, Waratah Seed project lead and director of CUAVA (Centre for CubeSats, UAVs, and Their Applications), and Dr Annie Handmer, IAC 2025 IPC Co-Chair.

To shed light on the power of partnerships, we’ve gathered a powerhouse panel featuring some of the brightest minds behind Waratah Seed and shaping the future of the Australian space ecosystem. The panel will be moderated by Alex Shapilsky, Head of Space & Defence at Cicada:

• Matt Ryall, CEO of Mawson Rovers 
• Anne Bettens, CEO and co-founder of Deneb Space 
• Prof. Stefan Williams, co-director NSW Space Research Network (SRN) 

Don’t miss the chance to hear directly from the leaders shaping the future of the space ecosystem where Australia will take centre stage across a global front hosting the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in 2025. 

Whether you’re a startup founder, researcher, investor, space enthusiast, or just plain want to find out what all the space fuss is about this is your chance to connect with the space community over drinks and dive deep into the future of Australian space tech.

Meet the speakers

Dr Annie Handmer, Satellite Policy and Industry Engagement Manager at Optus Satellite, IPC Co-Chair for IAC 2025

Dr Annie Handmer is the Satellite Policy and Industry Engagement Manager at Optus Satellite and Space Systems where she manages partnerships with startups, SMEs and universities and leads collaborative R&D programs. She is also an Honorary Affiliate at the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Science, in the School of History and Philosophy of Science. She researches and writes about space policy, space law, and space debris. In addition, Annie served as the International Astronautical Federation’s International Programming Committee Co-Chair for the International Astronautical Congress 2024, Milan, and is the current IPC Co-Chair for IAC 2025, Sydney.

Professor Iver Cairns, Waratah Seed project lead and director of CUAVA

Professor Iver Cairns has over 30 years experience in space physics and space weather research with a prolific publication record. A Professor in Space Physics at the University of Sydney, Iver spearheaded the first Australian-built CubeSats to operate in space and currently leads CUAVA, an ARC Training Centre focused on CubeSats, UAVs, and their applications, fostering research, training, and commercialisation in the space sector.

Professor Stefan Williams, Director of the Digital Sciences Initiative at USYD and co-Director SRN 

Professor Stefan Williams is the Director of the Digital Sciences Initiative at the University of Sydney and the co-Director of the NSW Space Research Network (SRN). He is also the Professor of Marine Robotics at the University’s Australian Centre for Field Robotics (ACFR) where he leads research in the field of marine robotics.

Dr Anne Bettens, CEO and co-founder Deneb Space

Anne Bettens is an Aerospace Engineer with a PhD in vision-based navigation for space applications, leveraging AI. Her research includes projects with NASA JPL and Thales. Anne’s leadership at Deneb Space is fueled by a passion for innovation and a commitment to advancing the frontiers of space technology.

 

Matt Ryall, CEO and co-founder at Mawson Rovers 

Matt Ryall is CEO & Co-founder at Mawson Rovers, developing advanced space robotics in Australia to help humans explore space. Prior to this, he led software product development as Head of Engineering & Product at Atlassian, Australia’s first tech unicorn, for 15 years.