A startup ecosystem designed to empower the next-generation entrepreneurs.
An initiative by
Create the future with spark
Invite everyone. Teach the curious. Empower the best.
With over 220 000 alumni and 50 000 students at Deakin University, SPARK empowers, educates and brings together the most aspiring entrepreneurs and connects them to the startup world.
“Being part of SPARK has helped us grow our business. It’s been amazing to meet other like-minded entrepreneurs, people who are just starting or people who are further along - who all want something more, who all want to create something and grow an idea.”
accelerate your startup
SPARK Accelerator
1-on-1 Mentorship and Workshops.
$10,000 Funding + Other Perks.
Co-working space at Melbourne CBD and Geelong.
Exclusive Access to a SPARKStar.
bring your ideas to life
Startup Weekend
delivered by the startup experience
An intensive 2-day workshop run by a world-class startup serial entrepreneur, where you will learn about startup principles, prototyping, design thinking, customer insights and pitching. Be prepared to be immersed into the fast pace world of startups.
connect with australia's top entrepreneurs
Events by SPARK
SPARK invites entrepreneurs and experts to inspire and educate our community. To date SPARK has inspired over 1000 people at our entrepreneurship events.
Demo Days + Annual Events
Keynotes + Panels
Networking Events
Workshops
Campfire
Campfire is SPARK’s Official Medium for Knowledge. Be educated, inspired with the best hand-packed content from around the web – and stay up to date with what's happening in the SPARK world.
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm a Deakin student - how can SPARK help me?
SPARK hosts regular events to help provide you with the knowledge and community connections to take your ideas to the next level. You are firstly welcome to attend events, apply for The Startup Weekend bootcamp and are eligible to apply for The Accelerator.
I'm a Deakin alumnus - how can SPARK help me?
Events, The Startup Weekend and The Accelerator are open to Deakin alumni.
I’m not studying business, should I attend SPARK events?
Absolutely! If you are interested in solving problems and using business as a vehicle, our events will prove to be useful to you. We have different events on throughout the year and head to our YouTube channel to see testimonials from participants across faculties. Entrepreneurship is not limited to business or IT students.
I'm interested in being a SPARK mentor - how do I do that?
Being a mentor means you voluntarily contribute your time to empower other aspiring entrepreneurs or help scale existing entrepreneurs' businesses. You can fill out the 'Contact Us' form, tell us a little more about yourself, why you’d like to mentor and your availability.
I’m a cloud student and can’t physically attend events, what can SPARK offer me?
As of 2017, all SPARK events are uploaded to our YouTube channel. Depending on where you are on your business journey, we can connect you with a mentor via Skype as well. In terms of The Accelerator, you do need to be in Melbourne or Geelong as it is an intensive 6 month program.