The La Trobe University Eagle Fund, a $18 million collaboration between La Trobe and Breakthrough Victoria is poised to drive entrepreneurship and turn groundbreaking research into tangible, real-world solutions.
Held on Thursday, 27 March 2025, at the La Trobe University City Campus, the event brought together industry leaders, visionary investors and researchers to hear from pioneering spin-out companies and witness the collaboration opportunities available with the University.
Among the distinguished guests and speakers were Paul Hamer MP, Parliament Secretary for Jobs, Lauren Morrey, Chief Operations Officer, Breakthrough Victoria, and Prof Theo Farrell, Vice-Chancellor and President, La Trobe University.
Attendees heard from two exciting startups already benefiting from the fund, showcasing the transformative potential of this initiative. Dr Lesley Cheng and Prof Andy Hill from ExCelligent and Nadun Hennayaka from Gaia Project Australia.
Watch full presentations:
Eagle Fund focuses on pre-seed investment in research areas with critical societal impact, including digital health, AI, disease detection and treatment, and food security. It aims to champion the commercialisation of innovative research and support the creation of start-up companies. Existing early-stage start-ups leveraging La Trobe University intellectual property are also encouraged to engage with the fund.
This initiative stands as part of the broader $100 million Breakthrough Victoria – University Innovation Platform, which provides vital early-stage funding to ensure innovative research with strong commercial potential reaches its full fruition.
To learn more about the Eagle Fund and its opportunities for start-ups, researchers, and investors, contact La Trobe Industry Research and Commercialisation at commercialresearch@latrobe.edu.au or visit latrobe.edu.au/eagle-fund
