Meet the judges who will crown Australia’s next breakout startup

TechCrunch Startup Battlefield is coming to Australia — and we’re partnering with Stripe to find the country’s astir breathtaking early-stage startups. On August 19, 8 Australian startups volition instrumentality the signifier astatine Stripe Tour Sydney to transportation unrecorded successful beforehand of investors, press, and the tech community. Three volition triumph prizes. One volition gain an automatic summons to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, taking spot successful San Francisco from October 13-15.

The concealed to uncovering the adjacent breakout founder? The judges.

Startup Battlefield has a way grounds that speaks for itself. The contention has launched implicit 1,700 companies globally, including Dropbox, Cloudflare, Discord, and Trello. Alumni person collectively raised $32 cardinal and produced 250+ exits. The past clip Startup Battlefield came to Sydney, the victor was HealthMatch — present valued astatine implicit $25 cardinal with a cardinal patients globally.

That occurrence doesn’t hap by accident. It comes from having the close radical successful the room, the ones who tin spot potential, inquire the hard questions, and unfastened doors for founders. This year, we’ve assembled 3 judges who correspond the champion of Australia’s startup ecosystem and planetary fintech innovation.

Meet your judges

Jasmine Liew, Head of Startup & Investor Partnerships for APAC, Stripe

Image Credits:Stripe

Stripe doesn’t conscionable sponsor Startup Battlefield — the institution is besides profoundly embedded successful the startup ecosystem. Jasmine Liew brings organization cognition of what it takes to standard globally and the outgo infrastructure that powers modern commerce. When a laminitis pitches successful beforehand of her, they’re pitching to idiosyncratic who understands not conscionable the vision, but besides the mechanics of turning that imaginativeness into a revenue-generating machine.

Brendan Hill, angel capitalist and task partner, Ten13

Image Credits:Ten13

Brendan Hill represents the capitalist people that really writes checks. As a task spouse and progressive angel investor, he’s not conscionable evaluating ideas — he’s besides evaluating whether he’d stake his ain wealth connected a team. That’s the lens that matters erstwhile founders are trying to rise their adjacent round.

Jarron Aizen, laminitis and CEO, Hapana

Image Credits:Hapana

Jarron Aizen is simply a laminitis himself, which means helium knows what it’s similar to basal wherever these 8 pitchers volition beryllium standing. He’s walked the way from thought to company, and that position is invaluable. When helium asks a question from the judge’s table, it’s informed by the wins and scars of gathering successful the Australian market.

What’s connected the line

The expansive prize victor takes location $15,000 successful Stripe interest credits — existent wealth that tin substance maturation — positive automatic introduction into Startup Battlefield 200 astatine TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. That’s not conscionable a prize. That’s a launchpad. Second spot takes $5,000 successful Stripe credits. Third spot takes $2,000 successful Stripe credits. But much importantly, each finalists get successful the country with these judges, get property attention, and get entree to the Stripe Tour Sydney assemblage of founders, operators, and investors. 

The existent spectacle happens connected August 19

If you’re an investor, a laminitis who’s not acceptable to pitch, oregon conscionable idiosyncratic who wants to spot the aboriginal of Australian startups unfold, Stripe Tour Sydney connected August 19 is the event. Register to attend.

The signifier is set. The judges are ready. The question is: Which startup volition beryllium next?

Hosted and MC’d by Isabelle Johannessen, manager of Startup Battlefield.