A Single Pitch That Changed Everything
Imagine what one pitch could do for your startup. When TechCrunch last brought Startup Battlefield to Sydney, two little-known startups stepped onto the stage. The result? More than $85 million raised collectively, millions of lives impacted, and global companies born from that single opportunity.
The 2017 Success Stories
In 2017, Manuri Gunawardena was a final-year medical student when she pitched HealthMatch — a machine learning platform that matches patients to clinical trials. She won Startup Battlefield Australia. That victory helped propel HealthMatch to over $25 million raised, expansion into the United States, and more than 1 million patients served globally.
The runner-up, FluroSat, leveraged the exposure from the same stage to secure a Microsoft seed round and later became part of a company that has now raised more than $60 million, counting Microsoft, Airtree, and Cargill among its backers.
From one day in Sydney: $85 million raised. Global companies born.
Startup Battlefield Returns to Australia
Now the opportunity is back. On August 19, 2026, Startup Battlefield Australia returns in partnership with Stripe at Stripe Tour Sydney. The stakes are even higher this time.
What the Winners Get
Eight selected startups will pitch live in front of top-tier investors, global press, and Australia’s best tech community. The top three win up to $15,000 in Stripe fee credits. The grand winner earns automatic entry into Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco this October — no application, no competition, a guaranteed spot on the world’s most iconic startup stage.
Apply Before It’s Too Late
The application window closes in just days, on July 6, 2026. This is your chance to follow in the footsteps of HealthMatch and FluroSat. The next company nobody has heard of yet is building something that will matter — it could be yours.
Free to apply · No equity taken · In-person event, Sydney, Australia
Don’t miss this moment for every founder, investor, and operator doing world-class work from the other side of the world. Apply now.