Interview Eli and Avaan, Nick Hazell

Cicada x Tech23: Australia's biggest deep tech event As the biggest deep tech event in the country, Cicada x Tech23 is not just a showcase but a movement. A movement to champion 23 visionary founders, connect them with the right people, and accelerate their journey from lab to market, from startup to scale. The 2026 Tech23 cohort is tackling challenges across five national opportunities: a new system of care for our strained health system, upgrading the built world for a changing climate, re-sourcing value from waste and untapped resources, strengthening Australia's sovereignty in space and defence, and engineering new capability in AI, quantum and robotics. These ventures represent the best of Australian deep tech: bold ideas backed by world-class science, and a mission to build a more sustainable, secure, and sovereign future.