Students from across Brisbane and the Gold Coast have come together for an intensive two-day startup challenge, participating in the NextGen Hackathon at Cohort Innovation Space.
Delivered in partnership with Griffith University and supported by the Queensland Government through Advance Queensland, the hackathon was part of the NextGen Student Incubator program – an initiative designed to support student-led ventures through mentorship, resources, and practical experience.
The hackathon was open to students from all universities and backgrounds, including full-time and part-time HDR researchers, undergraduates, postgraduates, and online learners. Its goal: to give students the space, structure, and support to develop innovative startup ideas in a short, high-energy format.
The event was facilitated by Baden U’Ren, who guided participants through the startup process with energy and insight. Attendees also received one-on-one mentoring throughout the weekend from industry leaders including Kenji Shimada, Sharon Hunneybell, Kellie Tomney, and Audun Fiskerud.
After 48 hours of intense startup development, judges Alex Ghiculescu (Co-founder of Tanda), Naomi Birdthistle (Griffith University), and Georgia Wyllie (Program Manager, NextGen) announced the winners that evening.
Hackathon Winners Announced
- First Place: Quero – A peer-to-peer renting platform that enables students to safely, easily, and efficiently share items they’re not using every day, like camera gear or a bike, maximising value and convenience.
- Second Place: CortiTrack – A wearable stress sensor built for athletes and elite performers, delivering AI-powered insights to help them maintain peak performance, train for gold, and extend their careers.
- Third Place: Shambers.art – A curated, community-first platform connecting fans with meaningful handmade art and helping indie artists reach their audience.
- Spirit of NextGen Award: Dennis Nguyen, School of Medical Sciences at Griffith University, recognised for his leadership, innovation, and collaboration throughout the event.
Program Manager Georgia Wyllie reflected on the event’s success:
“This is our first time doing a student hackathon here at Cohort Innovation Space and I couldn’t be prouder of what the participants achieved over the weekend. Watching them dive in, bring their ideas to life, and support each other along the way was so inspiring,”
“This hackathon is just the beginning for the NextGen program, with plans to deliver more office hours mentoring, workshops and a pre-accelerator later this year”.
Fourth-year student from the Griffith University School of Medical Sciences and NextGen participant Dennis Nguyen added:
“As a student with a deep passion for the startup world, I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity. Each of our mentors brought a unique perspective to our project, helping me expand my understanding while giving me the wonderful opportunities to learn directly from real-world leaders in areas like leadership, technical analysis, public speaking, and entrepreneurial strategy”.
With their projects now taking shape, these students can take the next step by joining The World’s Largest Hackathon at Cohort Innovation Space this week. The event will focus on building technology using AI and offers a $1 million prize pool, with competitors from over 3,000 innovators worldwide.
Learn more about the NextGen Student Incubator here
Learn more about the The Worlds Largest Hackathon here
END.
