The 25th Peter Farrell Cup: Meet Our 2025 Winners
On 25 September 2025, the Roundhouse came alive for the 25th anniversary of the Peter Farrell Cup (PFC), UNSW’s flagship student entrepreneurship competition.
With around 350 attendees, this Finals Night was our biggest yet, with a record $101,000 in prizes awarded to celebrate the next generation of student innovators.
A Record-Breaking Year
This 25th anniversary year set a new benchmark for student entrepreneurship at UNSW.
290 applications were received, representing 602 students in total. Up from 113 applications (258 students) last year
This growth was unlocked thanks to the incredible support of our Deans — Prof. Claire Annesley (ADA), Prof. Julien Epps (Engineering), Prof. Frederik Anseel (Business, via Barney Tan), Prof. Sven Rogge (Science), and Prof. Cheryl Jones (Medicine and Health). Their sponsorship has made it possible to inspire and engage more aspiring founders than ever before.
What is the Peter Farrell Cup?
The Peter Farrell Cup (PFC) has been at the heart of UNSW’s entrepreneurial ecosystem since 2001. Named after Dr Peter Farrell AM, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and visionary supporter of UNSW innovation, the competition gives students the chance to turn bold ideas into real ventures.
Each year, multidisciplinary teams of undergraduates, postgraduates, and HDR students work through workshops and mentoring to refine their ideas. The Top Ten finalists are then chosen to pitch live on stage to industry judges, faculty leaders, and a cheering crowd.
For 25 years, the PFC has been more than a pitch competition. It is a launchpad. Alumni have gone on to found companies, secure investment, and create impact in sectors from health and climate to advanced engineering.
The 2025 Winners
This year, prizes recognised both general excellence and the diversity of UNSW’s student body across faculties and study levels.
🏆 Major Awards
Next Big Thing Award – $20,000
Highest placed undergraduate team with a solution that could be the next big thing.
➡️ Modospace – Democratising Design
Founders: Luka McDade & Fin Hinchliffe
Trailblazer Award – $20,000
Highest placed Postgrad or HDR team with a novel innovation.
➡️ Sydney Solar – Turning windows into see-through solar panels, no rooftop required!
Founders: Alireza Yaghoubi & Chen Qian
2nd Place General – $10,000
Third highest placed team overall.
➡️ Watergate Labs – Powering the world one watt at a time.
Founders: Benjamine Lenehan & Oliver Lenehan
People’s Choice Award – $1,000 (sponsored by Yellowbox)
Voted on by the Finals audience.
➡️ Praxis Youth Housing – Built on Lived Experience. Driven By Action.
Founders: Michael Kwan, Hannah Tan & Owen Chen
🎓 Faculty Dean’s Awards ($10,000 each)
Dean of Science Award – Chloris Labs → Taking bias out of diagnosis
Founders: Smriti Bangera & Divya Tyagi
Dean of Medicine and Health Award – Chloris Labs → Taking bias out of diagnosis
Founders: Smriti Bangera & Divya Tyagi
Dean of Business Award – Ripple → A social platform for volunteering
Founders: Kaetie Yuan, Alexei Machkevitch & Sam Gorbatov
Dean of Arts, Design and Architecture Award – Help Now → Multilingual emergency app for people excluded from 000
Founders: Jasmine Deol, Richard Lau, Tanisha Deol & Julian Lau
Dean of Engineering Award – Anaya → Care that does not wait for the next appointment
Founders: Anjali Gupta, Nicholas Mulquiney, Jessica Gorka, Lucas Sharpley & Arhaan Gupta
Meet the Finalists
Every finalist team brought passion and ingenuity to the stage. Together, they represent the breadth of UNSW’s entrepreneurial talent.
Chloris Labs – Transforming women’s health diagnostics
Ripple – Where people and purpose meet
MentorAll – Connects mentors and mentees so growth feels guided, not guessed
Sydney Solar – Turning windows into see-through solar panels, no rooftop required
Modospace – Democratising design
Help Now – Emergency Access, Reimagined
Sensorless Robotics – Smarter infrastructure, simpler robots
Anaya – Care that does not wait for the next appointment
Praxis Youth Housing – Built on Lived Experience. Driven By Action.
Watergate Labs – Powering the world one watt at a time
How Teams Were Judged
Finalists and winners were selected against clear criteria that emphasised not just bright ideas but also their potential for real-world impact. Judges looked for:
Problem Worth Solving: Is this a people- or planet-centred problem that is urgent and important to address?
Innovative Solution: Does the solution demonstrate originality, problem-solution fit, and technical feasibility?
Market: Are there clearly defined customer segments and a realistic, scalable market opportunity?
Value Proposition and Competitive Advantage: What is the unique value offered and how does it stand apart from competitors?
Business Model and Traction: How will the solution capture and deliver value, and is there evidence it is financially viable?
Team: Do the founders have the motivation and competencies to succeed?
Pitch: Was the presentation clear, compelling, and engaging, supported by a strong slide deck?
Our Judges
We were honoured to welcome a distinguished judging panel for this 25th anniversary year:
Professor Attila Brungs, Vice-Chancellor and President of UNSW
Chris Witt, CEO of Euclidic Systems and close friend of Dr Peter Farrell
Vanessa Zhao, Co-Founder of Yellowbox, who also sponsored the $1,000 People’s Choice Award
Their expertise and thoughtful feedback ensured that the best of UNSW innovation was recognised on the night.
Our MCs
The evening was brought to life by a stellar line-up of PFC alumni, returning to the stage to guide the audience through the program:
Alinta Furnell – PFC runner up 2019
Sam Brew – PFC runner up 2024
Ned Moorfield – PFC winner 2010
Jesse Waller – PFC winner 2023
Adam Long – PFC winner 2013
Their stories and energy highlighted the legacy of the Cup and the pathways it has created for UNSW founders over 25 years.
A Word from the Program Team
“The Peter Farrell Cup is where so many students take their first big step into entrepreneurship. To see applications more than double this year and so many brilliant ideas on stage at the Roundhouse shows how far UNSW has come as an entrepreneurial university. What excites me most is the diversity of students who now see entrepreneurship as something they can do, not just something for others.”
— Georgia Lyons, Program Manager, UNSW Founders
Why 2025 Matters
The 25th anniversary of the PFC highlights UNSW’s long-standing commitment to entrepreneurship. Thanks to the enduring generosity of the Farrell Family Foundation, the sponsorship of our Deans, and new philanthropic partners like Yellowbox, this year’s Cup was the most ambitious yet. Over $101,000 in prizes were awarded, making the PFC one of the most significant university entrepreneurship competitions in Australia.
For the winners and finalists, Finals Night is only the beginning. Many will go on to UNSW Founders accelerators such as 10x, join specialist programs such as Health 10x or Climate 10x, or seek external investment. The PFC provides the confidence, connections, and visibility that student founders need to take the next step.
As we look ahead, the Peter Farrell Cup continues to be more than a pitch competition. It is a celebration of ideas, courage, and the entrepreneurial spirit of UNSW students.