From Sunswift to Y Combinator: How Graham Doig is helping UNSW founders aim higher

Before he founded a startup building electric cargo planes, Graham Doig was designing solar-powered race cars at UNSW. That scrappy student energy? It stuck.

“We operated in barely-controlled chaos like a startup,” he recalls of his time supervising the Sunswift team. “It was formative. Sunswift taught us how to break rules and step around the system without the system knowing.”

That experience kickstarted a journey that’s taken Graham from Kensington to California, where-while at Cal Poly-he led R&D projects with students in collaboration with Tesla and Joby Aviation, before founding Seaflight Technologies, a venture now on the verge of breaking records for electric flight.

Seaflight was accepted into Y Combinator in 2022. Since then, Graham has stepped back from the CEO role but remains close to the tech. “I’ve relapsed back into academia,” he jokes. “But I’m still doing the fun part - building planes.”

Now he’s offering something rare: a founder who’s done YC, been through the deep-tech trenches, and is back in Australia coaching the next wave.

Taking flight with Seaflight

The idea behind Seaflight is deceptively simple: build the world’s most efficient aircraft. The execution, of course, is anything but.

“Large electric cargo drones that can fly 1000km - that’s the first product,” Graham explains. “That’s far enough to resupply some of the world’s most remote communities with essentials like medical supplies and fresh produce.”

Rather than wait on better batteries, Seaflight’s innovation focuses on aerodynamic efficiency — a deep-tech edge that’s more aerospace than app store.

Still, the company’s breakthrough wasn’t technical. It was about learning to speak the customer’s language.

“We stopped trying to explain our innovation like a bunch of engineers and started talking with logistics customers in their language - total cost of ownership, reliability. That’s when we realised we were onto something.”

The YC effect: from chaos to cannonball

Getting into Y Combinator was a turning point - and an intense one. Graham doesn’t romanticise the experience.

“You’ll be shot out the other side like a cannonball straight into the arms of some of the world’s top investors,” he says. “It’s terrifying - and thrilling.”

It’s also brutally competitive.

Graham’s advice? Be direct, be bold, and don’t try to impress with complexity.

“Be absurdly clear about what your idea is - primary school level of description,” he says. “YC is used to near-delusional (or fully delusional…) American confidence, so you’re going to have to shout about how awesome you are.”

He adds: “Mostly they are looking for founders who are going to make a dent in the world no matter what happens.”

🧠 Graham’s Tips for a Strong YC Application

💡 Be bold

“Most Aussie founders come across as too humble… YC is used to near-delusional (or fully delusional…) American confidence.”

💡 Keep it simple

“Be absurdly clear about what your idea is — primary school level of description.”

💡 Show momentum

“Be prepared to tell them what you’ve already achieved in the days or weeks since you applied…”

💡 Apply now

“I got in with just an idea. The idea wasn’t great and we had to pivot. That’s normal.”

Coaching the next wave at UNSW

Back in Australia, Graham sees huge potential in UNSW’s startup ecosystem - especially with support from programs like Founders 10x.

“Founders is the closest thing we have in Australia to a YC-style network,” he says. “Someone there knows how to connect you with absolutely anyone you need to talk to. It’s a huge tailwind.”

Now, he’s giving back - offering one-on-one support for early-stage founders preparing to apply to YC or raise from U.S. investors.

He’s also honest about the hard parts. “I found being a CEO to be deeply unpleasant,” he admits. “It’s difficult to admit and hard to fix once your company is zooming along.”

His lessons go beyond pitch decks. From choosing the wrong co-founder to learning how not to chase the wrong kind of validation, Graham’s advice is grounded in experience - and mistakes.

What founders can expect

Founders working with Graham can tap into practical coaching on:

• Crafting a compelling YC application

• Preparing for the high-pressure YC interview

• Communicating complex tech to investors

• Planning for U.S. expansion and fundraising

And if you’re just curious? That’s welcome too. “Email me at graham@seaflight.tech and I will help you as best I can in return for caffeine,” he says.

Final advice for UNSW founders?

“One of the YC partners said to me ‘don’t assume that anyone will ever give you any more money’. In other words, at Demo Day you’re the fresh and glorious future, anything can happen tomorrow. Next time you go to raise, you have to show what you’ve done to earn it.”