Flinders New Venture Institute’s Venture Dorm program has wrapped up with another high-energy pitch event, showcasing South Australia’s newest wave of innovators – including a winning combination of Flinders students!
This special edition of the pre-accelerator program was delivered in partnership with the Medical Device Research Institute, featuring medtech and health-related ideas from Flinders students, alumni and industry participants, as well as teams with generalist ideas and innovations.
Over eight weeks, participants worked intensively to refine their ideas, engage in customer discovery, develop minimum viable products (MVPs), hear from guest speakers and be mentored by industry experts. A winning combination equipping aspiring founders with the tools to turn their ideas into impact.
The program culminated in a recent public pitch final, where each team had just five minutes to present their solution to a panel of expert judges and a live audience. Three standout ventures were recognised with the top awards:
Bright Idea Award: Rooo
Founded by Flinders students and Flinders alumni, this innovative ridesharing app is taking the industry head on – with a driver-first & community-focused vision.
People’s Choice Award: XX
A menstrual cup and app rewriting women’s health — by turning the menstrual cycle into a source of wisdom, connection, and early diagnostics – created by a former ASMS student.
Emerging Idea Award: & Hemp
A venture developing hemp-based materials for the construction industry and compostable 3D printing filaments to reduce plastic waste.
Honourable Mention: Reyes
A team of biomedical students developing a retina scan technology, who are continuing their journey with an Honours project supported by MDRI.
“These awards reflect the diversity of ideas and the commitment our participants have shown in tackling real-world problems with creativity and courage,” said Verity Kingsmill, Director of Flinders New Venture Institute, “plus, it’s super exciting seeing the rising participation of Flinders students and our alumni!”
Helen Slattery, founder of XX, said “it was truly a powerful program to build and validate an idea surrounded by inspiring people and connecting with industry experts. I definitely recommend the program to anyone wanting to grow.”
Venture Dorm offers aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators a pathway to test their ideas with industry backing. It’s fast-paced, collaborative, and focused on real impact. Scholarships are available for Flinders University students to apply for the next round.
For more information or to share with others, visit https://www.nviflinders.com.au/venture-dorm-pre-accelerator/.