UNSW Founders has opened expressions of interest for Impact X, a free 10-week health pre-accelerator for women and founders from diverse backgrounds across NSW.
UNSW Founders has launched Impact X, a free 10-week pre-accelerator program aimed at turning early-stage health ideas into viable ventures, with a focus on supporting women and founders from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds across New South Wales.
The program is delivered as part of the Greater Western Sydney Program and supported by Investment NSW. It builds on UNSW Founders’ experience running health-focused startup programs including Health 10x, and is designed specifically for the unique challenges of health innovation, where founders must navigate complex systems, multiple stakeholders, and long pathways to adoption before a solution can reach the people who need it.
Health innovation is a sector where the people closest to the problem, clinicians, community members, carers, researchers, and those with lived experience of the health system, often have the clearest insight into what needs to change but lack a clear pathway to build from that insight. Impact X is structured around that reality, prioritising founders who have identified a real problem and are ready to start building, rather than those still in early exploration mode.
The program is open to any founder based in NSW who identifies as a woman or comes from a non-English speaking or migrant background, has identified a real problem in health or healthcare, and has an early-stage idea they are ready to develop. No prior startup experience is required, and the program is not limited to UNSW students or affiliates. Priority will be given to founders based in or connected to Greater Western Sydney and regional or remote communities, reflecting the program’s commitment to reaching founders outside the traditional startup corridors of inner Sydney.
Over ten weeks, participants will work to validate their idea with real users, understand how their solution fits within the health system, develop a clear business model, and learn how to communicate their solution with confidence to investors, clinicians, and potential customers. The program is delivered through a combination of in-person and online sessions, with in-person workshops held across UNSW venues in Sydney.
Support throughout the program includes practical workshops, mentorship from experienced clinicians, founders, and industry experts, a dedicated Entrepreneur-in-Residence, and regular coaching sessions focused on feedback and tangible progress. Selected teams will also have the opportunity to compete for up to $10,000 in cash prizes, supported by Westpac.
The program is fully funded and free to participate, with scholarships available to cover travel, childcare, and digital access costs for those who need them. UNSW Founders has partnered with The George Institute for Global Health and Justice Inclusion Access to support accessibility and remove financial barriers to participation.
Participants who complete the program will leave with a validated idea, a tested concept, and a clear direction for their next step. The program is explicitly designed as a pathway into what comes next, whether that is a formal accelerator such as Health 10x, a pilot opportunity, or a funding pathway.
Expressions of interest are open now. Applications open formally on 1 July 2026 and close on 10 August at 5pm AEST. An information session will be held on 22 July for founders who want to learn more before applying. The program runs every Wednesday from 2 September to 28 October 2026, concluding with a showcase event.
Founders interested in applying or learning more can visit the UNSW Founders website or contact Program Manager Julie Pham at [email protected].
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