UNSW named most entrepreneurial university in Asia Pacific

The University has been recognised for its leadership in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship at the Triple E Awards 2024.

UNSW Sydney has been named Entrepreneurial University of the Year in the Asia Pacific region at the prestigious Triple E Awards 2024 awards ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur.

“This award, marking UNSW as the Entrepreneurial University of the Year, underscores the tremendous power of philanthropy in supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs,” said Professor Bronwyn Fox, UNSW Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research & Enterprise. 

“UNSW’s strong partnerships with industry, philanthropy, and communities will spark even more innovations that address the most critical challenges facing Australia and the world."

UNSW runs several programs fostering innovation and entrepreneurship for its students, academics, alumni, and community. UNSW Founders is the University’s flagship entrepreneurship program, working one-on-one with startups and running a range of success incubator and accelerator programs.

David Burt, UNSW’s Director of Entrepreneurship said “entrepreneurship is the best tool we have for creating both private wealth and public good. At UNSW, entrepreneurship is how we transform our best ideas and research into solutions for the global community.

“By empowering innovators, we help solve some of society's biggest challenges - from climate change to health equity and national security."

UNSW programs promoting entrepreneurial excellence

Five programs run by UNSW have been designed to assist the community in its entrepreneurial pursuits: UNSW Founders Program, Liverpool Health Tech Entrepreneurship Program, New Wave, Climate 10x and Defence 10x Accelerator.

The UNSW Founders Program, launched in 2017, has helped create over 1,000 startups, offering workshops, accelerators, and mentoring.

Mr Burt highlighted the role of philanthropy in the program’s success: “UNSW Founders has been powered by the incredible support of our philanthropic partners, enabling us to address unmet needs in the community.

“Through this generosity, we've been able to offer tailored mentoring, non-dilutive funding, and valuable industry connections to new entrepreneurs. The impact has been particularly profound for founders from the Greater Western Sydney region, helping them transform their ideas into ventures that tackle key societal challenges.”

Earlier this year UNSW launched Liverpool Health Tech Entrepreneurship Program in the Liverpool Innovation Precinct with $700,000 of new investment. The program is designed to support entrepreneurs​ from Greater Western Sydney. One of the aims of the new program is to encourage women and founders from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds into entrepreneurship.

Another initiative is the New Wave program, which aims to support more women into leadership roles. So far, more than 650 women have developed 245 startups through the New Wave program.

Other programs include UNSW's Climate 10x Accelerator which focuses on clean energy, and the Defence 10x Accelerator which supports innovations in national security.

David Burt said there are multiple success stories, such as the startup LLEAF which optimises sunlight for sustainable agriculture, and a telecommunications venture called Canopus Networks which illustrate the University’s effectiveness in translating research into market-leading solutions.  

“These ventures not only demonstrate UNSW’s innovation capacity but also underscore its societal contributions in sectors like food security, climate resilience, and digital infrastructure​.”