What if just one pitch changed everything?
The last time TechCrunch brought Startup Battlefield to Sydney, two little-known startups took the stage. What happened next raised more than $85 million.
If you want your shot, applications close in a few days July 6.
In 2017, Manuri Gunawardena was a final-year medical student when she launched HealthMatch, a machine learning platform matching patients with clinical trials. She won Startup Battlefield Australia.
This single moment helped propel MatchHealth to over $25 million raised, expansion into the United States, and over 1 million patients served worldwide.
The finalist, FluroSat, took advantage of the exposure gained during this same stage to obtain a funding round from Microsoft before finally becoming part of Pushing back agriculturewhich has now raised more than $60 million and counts Microsoft, Airtree and Cargill among its backers.
One day in Sydney: $85 million raised. Millions of lives affected. Global companies born from a single opportunity.
Startup Battlefield is now 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 present live at Stripe Tour Sydney in front of leading investors, global press and the best of Australia’s tech community. The top three earn up to $15,000 in Stripe fee credits. The overall winner gets something bigger: automatic entry into Startup Battlefield 200 at Disruption TechCrunch in San Francisco in October. No applications. No competition. A guaranteed place on the most iconic startup scene in the world.
It’s not just an event for startups. This is 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 scene
The next company that no one has heard of yet is building something that will matter. This could be yours.
Six more days to apply. July 6 is the deadline.
Free to apply · No capital required · In-person event, Sydney, Australia, August 19, 2026
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This does not affect our editorial independence.
Isabelle runs Startup Battlefield, TechCrunch’s iconic launchpad and competition for the world’s most promising early-stage startups.
You can contact or check Isabelle’s awareness by sending an email isabelle.johannessen@techcrunch.com.
She searches for top founders in over 99 countries and prepares them to present their project on the Disrupt stage in front of leading investors and global media. Prior to TechCrunch, she designed and led international startup accelerator programs in Japan, Korea, Italy and Spain, connecting global founders with venture capital firms and helping them successfully enter the US market. With a master’s degree in entrepreneurship and disruptive innovation and a past life as a professional singer, she brings a blend of strategic rigor and stage presence to help founders create compelling stories and stand out in crowded markets.
