What if one pitch changed everything?
The last time TechCrunch brought Startup Battlefield to Sydney, two little-known startups stepped onto the stage. What happened next led to more than $85 million raised.
If you want your shot, applications close in just a few days on July 6.
In 2017, Manuri Gunawardena was a final-year medical student when she pitched HealthMatch, a machine learning platform matching patients to clinical trials. She won Startup Battlefield Australia.
That single moment helped propel HealthMatch to more than $25 million raised, expansion into the United States, and over 1 million patients served globally.
The runner-up, FluroSat, used the exposure from that same stage to secure a Microsoft seed round before ultimately becoming part of Regrow Agriculture, which has now raised more than $60 million and counts Microsoft, Airtree, and Cargill among its backers.
From one day in Sydney: $85 million raised. Millions of lives impacted. Global companies born from a single opportunity.
Now Startup Battlefield is returning to Australia — and the application window is almost closed.
On August 19, 2026, TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Australia returns in partnership with Stripe.
This time, the stakes are even higher
Eight selected startups will pitch live at Stripe Tour Sydney in front of top-tier investors, global press, and the best of Australia’s tech community. The top three win up to $15,000 in Stripe fee credits. The grand winner gets something bigger: automatic entry into Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco this October. No application. No competition. A guaranteed spot on the world’s most iconic startup stage.
This isn’t just an event for the startups pitching. It’s a moment for every founder, investor, and operator who has been quietly doing world-class work from the other side of the world.
This is your stage
The next company nobody has heard of yet is building something that will matter. It could be yours.
Six more days to apply. July 6 is the deadline.
Apply now.
Free to apply · No equity taken · In-person event, Sydney, Australia, August 19, 2026
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Startup Battlefield Australia application closes in days: Apply before July 6
