The National Energy Transition Accelerator (NETA) 2025 program wrapped yesterday with a demo night that celebrated and showcased the eight deep-tech protoventures that took part.
Invited guests from 47 organisations gathered at Curtin 137 St Georges Terrace, representing partners from industry, venture capital funds and academia, to hear how the NETA 2025 cohort are advancing innovations across the critical minerals and resources technology sectors and driving Australia’s energy transition.
Delivered over eight weeks, this year’s program brought together participants from Western Australia and Victoria for mentoring and workshops overseen by Curtin University’s Manager of Entrepreneurship Programs, Ben Sandhu, and Investor in Residence, Matt Macfarlane.
Led by the Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer with support from the GreenTech Hub, the program offered bespoke guidance from experts across the deep tech, entrepreneurship and investment sectors, including executives from South32, Twynam and Main Sequence, as well as successful WA founders.
Participants gained practical insights into scaling research-driven ventures, covering:
“It’s been an absolute pleasure working with some of the most brilliant technical minds that are trying to crack some of the difficult problems we face in the energy transition. It’s been fantastic to see them grow in confidence and capability over the past eight weeks.”
-Curtin Entrepreneurship Program Manager Ben Sandhu
A highlight of the program for many was attending the AUSIMM Critical Minerals Conference 2025 in Perth, including Deakin-based BATSafe Australia, who travelled interstate for the event.
BATSafe, which is developing an integrated safety ecosystem for Australia’s battery industry that will enable rapid risk screening, ensure traceable compliance and make complex safety documents more accessible, was recently selected for CivVic Labs – a Victorian government-backed accelerator that connects innovators with government procurement opportunities.
“NETA helped us sharpen our idea and position ourselves better in the market,” said Hamid Ilbeygi, Founder of BATSafe Australia. “We learned we can’t solve the entire battery safety gap, but we can use our solution as a strategic wedge to enter the industry.”
Nai Shi, founder of AZ Synergy, looked to Australia’s iron abundance when developing his Iron Redox Energy Storage Device (IRESD), a safe, cost-effective and high-energy-density battery that uses iron oxide instead of lithium. The concept, inspired by a road trip through the iron-rich red dirt of rural WA, began with a simple soil sample that became the first prototype for his IRESD design.
Another standout innovation was NeoTerra, a Curtin-nurtured protoventure which has developed a scenario modelling platform integrating design, finance and carbon data for net-zero urban planning. The team secured their first pilot during the program with a high-profile West Australian company.
“What attracted me to NETA was its understanding of the nuances of university research,” said Faz Ikram, founder of NeoTerra. “Many accelerators focus on ventures that are already commercially ready, but NETA recognises that academic research often needs room to test, refine and evolve.”
Director of the Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer, Rohan McDougall, reflected on the quality of the NETA program and the cross-sector expertise of its contributors.
“NETA creates a unique environment where emerging innovators can tap into not just technical and commercial expertise, but support from people who really understand how to turn research into impact. The calibre of our speakers and mentors means participants leave with clear pathways to grow their ideas, and the confidence to take those next steps.”
-Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer Director Rohan McDougall
