Three judges set to evaluate Australia’s next unicorn candidate at Stripe Tour Sydney
TechCrunch Startup Battlefield comes to Sydney on August 19 with three judges evaluating eight early-stage startups. The winner receives $15,000 in Stripe credits and automatic entry to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026.
TechCrunch is bringing Startup Battlefield to Australia on August 19, with Stripe as title partner. Eight Australian startups will pitch live at Stripe Tour Sydney, competing for $15,000 in Stripe fee credits, a spot at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco, and visibility among investors and press.
The three judges represent different vantage points in the startup ecosystem. Jasmine Liew, head of startup and investor partnerships for APAC at Stripe, brings institutional knowledge of scaling globally and payment infrastructure. Brendan Hill, a venture partner at Ten13 and active angel investor, evaluates whether he would personally back a team. Jarron Aizen, founder and CEO of Hapana, judges from lived experience, having built a company in the Australian market.
Startup Battlefield's track record carries weight. The competition has launched over 1,700 companies globally, including Dropbox, Cloudflare, Discord, and Trello. Alumni have collectively raised $32 billion and produced 250+ exits, according to TechCrunch. The last time the competition came to Sydney, the winner was HealthMatch, now valued at over $25 million with a million patients globally.
Prizes extend beyond the grand prize winner. Second place receives $5,000 in Stripe credits, third place $2,000. More significant than the money, finalists gain direct access to the judges, press coverage, and the audience attending Stripe Tour Sydney—a group of founders, operators, and investors.
The event will be hosted and MC'd by Isabelle Johannessen, director of Startup Battlefield. The grand prize winner earns automatic entry into Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, which takes place October 13-15 in San Francisco.
