EnergyLab’s Climate Tech Lab to Market Program is inviting researchers across Australia to apply for its 2026 cohort, offering a structured pathway to turn lab-based discoveries into viable startups. The program runs from 20 April to 18 June 2026, with applications open until 2 March 2026.
The nine-week course supports researchers working on clean energy or decarbonisation technologies to explore commercialisation options through entrepreneurship. Participants learn how to test assumptions, understand customer needs, protect intellectual property and prepare for fundraising — all while building a network in Australia’s climate tech community.
The program provides twice-weekly workshops, mentoring, and one-on-one guidance from industry leaders and experienced founders. Topics range from idea validation and legal considerations to pitching and capital raising. Mentors and presenters include Thomas Nann, CEO of Allegro Energy, Shalini Divya, CEO of TasmanIon, Prashant Parulekar, Founder and CEO of InfigoLabs, and other professionals from utilities, government, and sustainability backgrounds.
Each participant receives individual sessions with a mentor, along with access to EnergyLab’s Sydney coworking space and ongoing community support after graduation.
The course costs $450 including GST, reflecting EnergyLab’s non-profit model. The fee covers workshops, course materials, personalised mentoring, and access to a national network of more than 400 mentors and 200 alumni. EnergyLab also offers a refund guarantee for graduates who are not satisfied within a month of completing the program.
Alumni describe the program as a bridge between research and real-world application. “The EnergyLab program provides access to a great network of mentors and examples within the startup space. It helped focus on the key questions for startup viability and steps to success,” said Phillip Hamer, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UNSW.
Another graduate, Merinnage Costa from the University of Melbourne, said the course “provided a comprehensive overview of the mindset shift required to transition from a researcher to an entrepreneur.”
Applications are open until 2 March 2026, followed by interviews in March and offers issued by early April. The program begins later that month, setting researchers on a structured path toward launching startups that contribute to Australia’s clean energy transition.
