

Builders to Founders: Hardware, SpaceTech, and Robotics
Startups are an underrated and unnoticed path to success, and are becoming increasingly so for students with ambition and rapid learning.
Often, technical builders, especially those who have been interested in and building in hardware, aerospace, robotics, and similar technologies since young, end up being the world-changing founders and most impactful startup engineers.
This concept is common and accepted overseas, yet still foreign in Australian universities. However, the tide is turning locally.
So, we've got two of Australia's most ambitious young founders in spacetech and hardware - Pat Bellamy (Kronus) and Shoaib Iqbal (Esper) - to share how they went from literally sitting in the same classes as you, to forging their own paths as founders (and collectively raising $millions from top investors).
Creating or joining a fast-growing startup from an early stage is one of the best opportunities as a student or recent graduate: you get the steepest learning curve, get ownership of building something innovative and of value in the world, and get exposed to asymmetric financial upside through equity - all while being surrounded by the smartest and most ambitious builders.
This event will showcase this reality, thanks to Pat and Shoaib. Then after, we’ve also allocated time for networking, so you can meet people all the way from startup-curious, to those who are all-in on building, and even several investors.
This is a unique opportunity to get exposure to the world of startups in a low-stakes setting: show up, be curious, and get a glimpse into whether this world could be for you.
Note: this event is for current students or recent graduates interested in hardware, spacetech, and robotics.
Thanks to the co-hosts
NextGen Ventures is Australia's first student-focused venture capital fund, backing the most ambitious, young Australian builders with their first cheque.
The Aerospace and Rocket Engineering Society (ARES) is one of Australia’s leading student rocketry teams, building and launching high-power scientific rockets to compete on the international stage.
Monash Uncrewed Aerial Systems (MUAS) is a student team developing the next generation of autonomous search-and-rescue drones.
Monash Motorsport (MMS) is a student-run team who design, build, test and race formula style race cars in Australia, and around the world.
Melbourne University Racing (MUR) is a cross-faculty student team, who build an electric vehicle over a 12-month design cycle and challenge the world's best on the Formula SAE stage.