A new generation of Australian life sciences innovation will take the stage on the Gold Coast this month, with AusBiotech announcing the 2026 participants in its Early-Stage Innovation Forum (ESIF).
The forum will be held on Wednesday 21 October, the opening day of the AusBiotech International Conference and AusMedtech Conference (21–23 October), during Australia's Biggest Week in Biotech (19–23 October 2026).
A longstanding fixture of both conferences, ESIF is built for early-stage innovation. It gives researchers, founders and emerging ventures the chance to put their ideas in front of experienced industry and investment leaders.
The forum is designed to help innovators test their proposition, get expert feedback, identify gaps and understand what it will take to move an idea to its next stage of development and commercialisation.
AusBiotech selected participants through its Investor Readiness Panel (IRP), which gives promising Australian life sciences opportunities a pathway to engage with experienced industry and investment perspectives.
This year's cohort reflects the breadth of innovation emerging across Australia, with projects spanning neuroscience, cancer, reproductive and women's health, precision medicine, drug delivery, chronic pain, Alzheimer's disease and enabling research technologies.
Meet the 2026 ESIF participants
Accretion Bio, represented by CEO Craig Phillips, will present technology that reveals disease-relevant function in living neurons.
Affinyx, led by CEO and Managing Director Stephen Blakeney, is developing a sperm selection approach designed to better reflect natural biological processes.
DDRx Pharmaceuticals, represented by COO Dr Lydia Liuw, is working to make cancer radiotherapy more effective.
Exonova Biotech, founded and led by Dr Fanny Blaudez, will present a non-invasive blood test in development to diagnose endometriosis, determine its severity and help guide treatment.
Associate Professor Fernando Guimaraes, from the Frazer Institute at The University of Queensland, will showcase an anti-ROR1 antibody platform.
GonGlobal, led by CEO Ellen Gonda, aims to radically improve the IVF patient experience and treatment success.
Platypus Bio, represented by CEO Chris Alma, is developing a way to turn RNA signals into precision medicines.
PurerPoly, represented by founder Mark Appleford, is reinventing PLGA to unlock the next generation of long-acting therapeutics.
Two innovations being commercialised through UniQuest will also feature. Dr Rebecca Faleiro will present a first-in-class dual NaV1.1/NaV1.7 peptide platform for chronic visceral pain, and Kurt Harris will present an anti-Tau antibody for Alzheimer's disease.
WEHI research engineer Mihin Perera will showcase technology for effective, affordable plunge freezing in cryo-electron microscopy.
Zitra Medicines, led by CEO Denzil Furtado, is developing technology to transport medicines safely and reliably across the blood-brain barrier.
Together, the projects show the range of challenges Australian innovators are taking on, from better diagnosis and treatment of disease to technologies that could change how new medicines are discovered, developed and delivered.
Early feedback at a critical point
In early-stage life sciences, some of the most important commercial decisions are made long before a product reaches patients or enters clinical development.
Unmet need, differentiation, intellectual property, regulatory pathways, development strategy, evidence requirements, funding and commercial models can all determine whether an idea progresses. ESIF exposes ideas to experienced perspectives while they are still taking shape.
Participants will present to a judging panel of Sarah Meibusch, Partner and Head of Healthcare at OneVentures; Dr Steve Burnell, Managing Director at Tenmile; and Mark Lawler, Country Manager ANZ at West Pharmaceuticals.
West Pharmaceuticals sponsors the forum. Audience members will also vote for the ESIF People's Choice Award, sponsored by Tenmile.
Part of a bigger week
Across Australia's Biggest Week in Biotech, Australian and international industry leaders, investors, researchers, founders and partners will gather around biotechnology, medtech and health tech. That gives early-stage innovators a chance to build connections well beyond the ESIF stage.
For the innovators, the forum is a chance to put emerging science in front of people who understand what comes next. For delegates, it is an early look at ideas that could shape the next generation of Australian life sciences companies.
Early-Stage Innovation Forum
Wednesday 21 October 2026
AusBiotech International Conference, Australia's Biggest Week in Biotech
Gold Coast, 19–23 October 2026
Find out more at biggestweekinbiotech.com
