The 2024 cohort of Australia’s first space accelerator program, Venture Catalyst Space, has successfully graduated, injecting talented startups into South Australia’s space ecosystem.
Among the graduates is Adelaide startup OmnigenIQ, which has adapted its world-first bioreactor technology for space deployment. This innovation allows for the production of essential biological supplements, like insulin, in zero-gravity environments, crucial for maintaining astronaut health on long-term missions by preventing muscle atrophy and bone loss.
OmnigenIQ’s cofounder and chief science officer, Tiffanwy Klippel-Cooper, highlights the dual-purpose applications of this technology for both space and Earth, highlighting that it can produce therapeutic proteins for astronauts and create surgical consumables or antibodies for disaster relief on Earth.
“We’re passionate about enhancing human health outcomes, especially in remote places – and there is hardly a more remote place than space,” says Klippel-Cooper.
OmnigenIQ is one of four startups that have joined South Australia’s space ecosystem after completing the program this year, along with RapidBeam (Victoria), Zharfire (Tokyo) and Omnes Cryogenics (India).
Since its inception in 2018, the program has supported 40 space startups, generating $43 million in investment and grants and creating 240 jobs.
Dr Catherine Grace, Director Space at SASIC, emphasises the program’s role in fostering local innovation and scaling up space startups.
“The Venture Catalyst Space program is a pivotal launchpad for local innovation and continues to empower space start-ups to transform their cutting-edge ideas into sustainable businesses,” said Dr Grace.
The South Australian Government, through SASIC, proudly supports the six-month Venture Catalyst Space program, which is delivered by the University of South Australia’s Innovation & Collaboration Centre (ICC). The program is crucial for maintaining a consistent pipeline of high-potential space startups, driving economic benefits, and reinforcing South Australia’s reputation as a hub for space innovation and technology.
To learn more about the Venture Catalyst Space program, visit icc.unisa.edu.au/space
2024 Venture Catalyst Space startup participants: (L-R) Ben Rowley (ICC), Michael Boundey (OmnigenIQ), Tiffanwy Klippel-Cooper (OmingenIQ), Jordana Blackman (OmnigenIQ), Craig Jones (ICC), Adi Rajendran (front row, RapidBeam), Dr Ram K Aluru (back row, Onnes Cryogenics) and Justin Too (Zharfire).
