Michael Crouch Innovation Centre: 10 years of Impact

28 Feb

Written By UNSW Founders

In 2015, the Michael Crouch Innovation Centre (MCIC) opened – the first-ever space dedicated purely to innovation in an Australian university. At its opening, UNSW was set the ambitious goal to: “Become the leading university-based innovation network in Asia-Pacific by 2025.”

Michael Crouch trusted UNSW, set the vision's compass, and enabled action through his philanthropic donation.

Such ambitious goals take time – and in 2025, on this 10th anniversary, we’re celebrating that vision and what our community has achieved.

Over the last 10 years, the MCIC has established itself as a leading space of Innovation, the home of the UNSW Founders team and the base from which the UNSW 10x accelerators launched.

Over 1,000 startups have launched from the MCIC.

See below a note of thanks from just some of these startups - and their words on the importance of the MCIC.

How can students get a job if they don’t have access to experiences that make them stand out?
This is a question that led Tom and me to the Michael Crouch Innovation Centre.
We had a crazy ambitious idea to create opportunities for all students to build their best futures with free internships around the world. With that pitch, we found a home in the MCIC, joining the very first UNSW Founders 10x Accelerator program. We were lucky —joining the Founders program gave us the belief that Forage could be something much bigger.
The MCIC holds many special memories for us, including pulling many all-nighters building (and breaking) our very first landing page. It was within the MCIC we launched the very first version of Forage and secured our first customers.
We successfully exited Forage in 2024, after growing it to a worldwide platform offering students free global internships in top-tier companies—and showing that we were able to improve employability opportunities for millions of students around the world.
Written with love by: Pasha Rayan
Co-founder of Forage
NetNada has grown thanks to the Michael Crouch Innovation Centre.
It was at MCIC that I met my co-founder, where we received support, and launched through the 10x Accelerator. More than just a starting point, the MCIC has been our company’s home as we built it from a simple idea into a thriving team of twelve.
Today, NetNada helps hundreds of companies and thousands of users around the world to achieve their sustainability goals. While we have an office in the CBD these days, we still regularly work out of the MCIC as it provides the best collaborative space we could ever ask for.
But what truly makes MCIC unique is its people. The UNSW team has so much knowledge and is always happy to help. The other startups that you meet have relevant experience and learnings and it’s this
(as well as a roof over our heads) that enables us all to grow, learn, and succeed.
Written with love by: Lochie Burke
Co-founder and CEO NetNada
There is a stroke in Australia every 19 minutes. Globally strokes are the 2nd leading cause of death and 3rd leading cause of disability. Yet currently there is no way to continuously monitor patients’ brain activity and blood flow — which are known to be key for a successful recovery.
I decided to use my PhD research to create a better solution and built Nuroflux, the world’s first safe, non-invasive, continuous monitoring system for stroke patients.
I have been building prototypes with the support of the MCIC Makerspace for the last 3 years. Thanks to the facilities, the skilled staff and the support I found within the MCIC, I have been able to iterate and develop a functional device much more rapidly than the average medical startup.
Recently the first device I developed was used in a clinical safety study at Westmead Hospital. This study demonstrated that the device was safe, well tolerated by patients, and did not interfere with routine clinical care. The latest device is currently being used in a clinical efficacy study at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in partnership with The George Institute For Global Health.
The facilities, the skilled staff and the support I found within the MCIC have allowed me to iterate and develop rapidly as well as save hundreds of thousands of dollars in prototyping costs.
Written with love by: Sam van Bohemen
Co-founder and CEO of Nuroflux
I spent a significant amount of time working out of the MCIC during the UNSW Founders 10x program.
The space not only provided a focused work environment, but also countless opportunities to meet and collaborate with other entrepreneurs. Whether it was sharing ideas over coffee or participating in workshops, the environment fostered both creativity and meaningful connections. It became the backdrop to some of the most important breakthroughs in our journey.
A standout moment was during a late-night pitch prep session. We were all exhausted, but the collective energy kept us going. Teams were helping each other refine their pitches, sharing snacks, and trading tips. The camaraderie and shared sense of purpose made it clear just how special the MCIC community was.
The relationships formed at the MCIC have had a lasting impact. The mentors, peers, and even casual connections continue to be an invaluable part of my network. The MCIC isn’t just a workspace; it is a launching pad for growth and collaboration.
Written with love by: Andre Smith
Co-founder and CEO ScreenApp
When I was 19, I participated in the Peter Farrell Cup student pitch competition. The workshops and mentoring sessions were housed in the MCIC—and it was my first full exposure to entrepreneurship.
As a scientist, I had absolutely no idea what an MVP was, what a pitch looked like, let alone what founding a startup actually entailed. That whole experience opened my eyes and showed me an alternate route to
impact—one that I’ve pursued ever since.
Founding a startup is hard, and doing it alone is even harder. What I found in the MCIC was a community. Being part of the MCIC community and sharing a space with the other startup founders has been invaluable for both our company and my personal growth. It’s great to have a community there to support us on both the good days and the bad days.
When we were first forming the concepts for our non-alcoholic drink brand Sörzero, we would bring in test batches and host tasting sessions to gather feedback from whoever we could rally together in the office.
After 37 test batches, we finally landed on our winning formulation—there was a lot of Sörzero being sampled! It is thanks to the MCIC community that we created the drink you’re enjoying tonight.
Written with love by: Alinta Furnell
Co-founder and CEO of Synbiote & Sörzero
My first interaction with the MCIC was when I pitched to join the inaugural cohort of the Founders 10x Accelerator. It was one of the first times I had to pitch my startup, and also one of the first times I saw so many other incredible startups pitch. It was such a memorable experience because it gave me my first real interaction with investors. That moment was pivotal and left a strong impression on me.
Every event during the 10x Accelerator was held at the MCIC—it was the home of this support. We connected with the best mentors and industry leaders within the MCIC, from fireside chats with people like the CEO of Airtasker to workshops on how to present and pitch properly. However, the most meaningful aspect for me was meeting the other startup founders who were also starting their journey.
I still vividly remember walking in for the first time, introducing myself, and realising that this was the start of something significant, especially as part of the inaugural cohort of the accelerator. That sense of being part of something special has stayed with me ever since.
Written with love by: Sarah Agboola
Founder and CEO mtime
The MCIC is a hub of creativity and energy, which has had a profound impact on our growth as a startup. The collaborative environment allowed us to share ideas, access incredible resources, and receive invaluable help.
Being surrounded by other innovators, all working on solutions to real-world problems, created a space where we could thrive and push the boundaries of what we thought was possible.
A particularly memorable moment was preparing for the program’s Demo Day at the MCIC. The energy in the space was contagious—startups exchanging feedback, pitching their hearts out, and lifting each other up.
That experience not only prepared us for a strong showing on Demo Day but also solidified the importance of community in driving impactful change.
It was awesome!
Written with love by: Louise Metcalf
Co-founder and CEO Gheorg
The MCIC has been an integral part of our journey, and we are grateful to have access to a space where we’ve spent countless hours attending workshops, participating in talks, and working on our startup. The resources at the MCIC have been pivotal in helping us grow and thrive within the supportive UNSW Founders community. It’s a place that inspires creativity, learning, and connection, enabling us to turn our ideas into reality.
One of our most memorable experiences was participating in the UNSW Founders New Wave program hosted at the MCIC. New Wave provides a supportive space for women to build their skills, confidence and businesses. This program was instrumental in shaping our startup and bringing our ideas to life.
The mentorship, networking opportunities, and skills we gained have been essential to our growth. Beyond this, attending the monthly community event, First Thursday at the MCIC has always been a highlight. These gatherings bring together passionate individuals from all industries and have been a great opportunity to connect and learn from others.
Written with love by: Annabel Zhou
Co-founder Toastie
I am writing to express my heartfelt appreciation for the hard work that you and your team put in to making UNSW a truly exceptional place to study.
I am fortunate enough to have my education fully funded by the government of Kazakhstan, and during the selection process, I underwent several interview rounds. When asked why I had chosen UNSW, I spoke of the community you have built and the opportunities it provides for students to apply their studies to real-life situations. I chose to apply to UNSW specifically because of the opportunities that UNSW provides through its programs, workshops, and networking events hosted in the MCIC.
After 7 years of professional experience, I felt somewhat lost and uncertain about my future. However, through the New Wave program, the coaches, mentors, and the UNSW Founders team I have been able to start working on my very first MVP in Australia and have gained a wealth of knowledge and inspiration that has equipped me to handle all the challenges required to build my startup.
I am grateful to have been granted this amazing opportunity to realize my full potential and collaborate with like-minded individuals and talented people. Thank you once again for all that your team do.
Written with love by: Zhami Mustafina
New Wave alumni 2023
I was inspired to create CardioBionic because of the shocking numbers that are connected with heart failure. Every year, 26 million people are diagnosed with heart failure around the world. Take a moment to think about that – that is the population of Australia.
For 9 million of those people, they reach end-stage heart failure, with transplants or heart assist devices the only options. Out of these 9 million, only 5,000 receive heart transplants. The biggest issue: the price. The current cost for a heart transplant is around $100,000 US dollars, plus all the on-costs.
Back in 2014, I met a cardiac surgeon in Chennai, and together we started this dream of building something to make heart transplants more affordable and accessible.
UNSW Founders helped us understand how to build a business for this dream. From the MCIC, we have grown, supported by the mentors and the amazing Health 10x Accelerator program we have built a solution and secured our first fundraising round in 2021.
If not for UNSW Founders Health 10x, CardioBionic simply would not exist.
Written with love by: Dr Peter Ayre
Co-founder and CEO CardioBionic
We started our journey within the MCIC space as a bunch of students with an idea, and left a few years later as a global smart locker provider for Fortune 500s and ASX listed companies in eleven countries.
I have so many memories within the MCIC, I remember we did our pitch for the 10x program within the MCIC with our first little prototype Yellowbox. I remember how significant getting into the program was, especially because it gave us energy to go ‘all in’ on the idea. It was quite a pivotal point, as we were all starting graduate programs at the time, which meant we could have lost momentum on the business without the structure and acceleration of the 10x program within the MCIC.
The team worked out of the MCIC for the integral product-market fit years of the business. The resources within the space gave us the privilege of focusing on our customer and market and finding product market fit, rather than worrying about needing a space, we could collaborate, prototype and build.
Written with love by: HoJun Tang
Head of Product and Co-founder of Yellowbox