Slingshot Accelerator
Slingshot Accelerator is an Australian corporate innovation accelerator that designs and delivers bespoke 12-week programs for large enterprises, supported by a $15M venture fund and a global startup-sourcing network of 300+ partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersNewcastle, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Slingshot Accelerator does
Slingshot Accelerator Pty Ltd is an Australian corporate innovation accelerator founded in 2013 by Craig Lambert and Trent Bagnall, headquartered in Newcastle, New South Wales. The company designs and delivers bespoke 12-week corporate innovation programs for large Australian and global enterprises, operating named sub-brand accelerators including HCF Catalyst (healthcare), Qantas AVRO (aviation/travel), Caltex Spark (retail/energy), Lion Unleashed (FMCG), ClubsTHRIVE (hospitality), News Bolt (media), CUA Next (banking), Human Capital (HR tech with SEEK and Hudson), Horizons (travel with Queensland Government and Amadeus), ING PACE (banking) and NRMA Jumpstart (transport/tourism). Underlying the program delivery is the CoVentured global network platform providing access to 300+ accelerators, incubators and investors across 97 countries for startup sourcing, plus the $15 million Slingshot Venture Fund — an Early Stage Venture Capital Limited Partnership (ESVCLP) managed by Artesian with exclusive rights to invest in seed-stage Slingshot graduates.
The business operates as a boutique B2B professional services firm, monetising through bespoke multi-year program contracts with enterprise clients, supplemented by fund management economics via the Artesian relationship. Since inception the company claims 21 programs delivered, 52 commercial deals created between corporates and startups, 91 new products generated and 8,000 corporate employees engaged. The go-to-market is consultative enterprise sales augmented by demo days, pitch events and content-led digital marketing; the offering is positioned as removing risk and barriers for corporates seeking to access external innovation through an end-to-end path from strategic alignment to commercialisation.
Since 2019 the company has been led by CEO Karen Lawson alongside co-founders Lambert and Bagnall, with COO Adam Dyck and Chairman Gary Flowers forming the broader leadership layer. Strategic growth vectors include geographic expansion via CoVentured, vertical diversification (regional, travel, HR), and ecosystem integration through the Artesian fund — though headcount remains small at 1-10 employees and revenue is not publicly disclosed.
Slingshot Accelerator firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Slingshot Accelerator
- Legal name
- Slingshot Accelerator Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://slingshotters.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Slingshot Accelerator is an Australian corporate innovation accelerator that designs and delivers bespoke 12-week programs for large enterprises, supported by a $15M venture fund and a global startup-sourcing network of 300+ partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Slingshot Accelerator industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Corporate Innovation Services
- NAICS
- Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
Keywords
Where Slingshot Accelerator is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newcastle
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Slingshot Accelerator business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Corporate Innovation Program Fees: Slingshot generates revenue by designing and delivering bespoke corporate innovation accelerator programs for enterprise clients. Programs are tailored to corporate strategy and typically run 12 weeks, providing end-to-end solutions from strategic alignment to commercialization.
- Slingshot Venture Fund: The $15 million co-investment fund (managed by Artesian) provides seed funding to startups graduating from Slingshot programs, with potential follow-on investment capability. Revenue generated through fund management and investment returns.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Tailored corporate innovation programs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Slingshot Accelerator product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Slingshot Accelerator designs and delivers bespoke corporate innovation programs (typically 12-week accelerators, incubators, scaleup selection, and growth labs) for large Australian enterprises, connecting them with startups and scaleups to drive commercial outcomes. The offering combines program design and delivery with a $15M co-investment venture fund managed by Artesian and access to a global network of 300+ accelerators, incubators, VCs, and ecosystem partners via the CoVentured platform.
Product overview
Slingshot Accelerator is Australia's leading provider of corporate innovation programs, offering a portfolio of named accelerator sub-brands (HCF Catalyst, Qantas AVRO, Caltex Spark, Lion Unleashed, Horizons, HR Tech, ING PACE, ClubsTHRIVE, CUA Next, NRMA Jumpstart, News Bolt, ICON) each run in partnership with a corporate sponsor. These programs share a common 12-week structure combining corporate scale with startup agility. The offering is underpinned by the Slingshot Venture Fund (a $15M co-investment vehicle managed by Artesian), and access to the CoVentured global network of 300+ ecosystem partners. The company does not offer a unified software platform—its 'product' is program delivery and venture facilitation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Corporate Innovation Programs Slingshot's flagship offering: bespoke corporate innovation programs combining corporate scale with startup agility, including Corporate Accelerators (12-week structured programs), Corporate Incubators (for early-stage ideas), Scaleup Select, and Growth Labs. Delivered to enterprise clients including HCF, News Corp, Qantas, Lion, Caltex, and ClubsNSW.
- Slingshot Venture Fund A $15 million co-investment fund managed by Artesian, structured as an Early Stage Venture Capital Limited Partnership (ESVCLP), with exclusive rights to invest in every seed-stage Slingshot Accelerator startup and ability to follow-on in subsequent angel/VC rounds.
- CoVentured Global Network A proprietary global network platform providing access to 300+ accelerators, incubators, co-working spaces, VCs, industry associations and connected individuals across 97 countries. Enables sourcing and recruitment of businesses to match corporate briefs, with an 80% commercial deal success rate from 200+ completed briefs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 21 corporate innovation programs delivered since 2013
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Slingshot Accelerator
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Slingshot Accelerator technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Slingshot Accelerator partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.
- CoVenturedcoreCoVentured is Slingshot's network partner platform providing access to a global network of over 300+ accelerators, incubators, co-working spaces, VCs, industry associations and connected individuals. The platform enables Slingshot to source and recruit businesses to match corporate briefs with reach across 97 countries.
- SEEKmajorSEEK partnered with Hudson and Slingshot to lead Australia's first HR-tech Startup accelerator (Human Capital), connecting corporate leaders with disruptive HR/tech startups.
- HudsonmajorHudson, a global recruitment and talent solutions company, partnered with SEEK and Slingshot to lead the HR Tech accelerator program, aiming to reinvent human capital elements of their business.
- UTS (University of Technology Sydney)supportingUniversity of Technology Sydney partnered with Hudson, SEEK and Slingshot on the HR Tech accelerator program.
- Queensland GovernmentmajorThe Queensland Government sponsored the Horizons Accelerator, a global travel and tourism accelerator program operated by Slingshot for local (QLD based) early stage businesses.
- AmadeusmajorAmadeus partnered with Slingshot and Queensland Government for the Horizons Accelerator, looking to discover new technologies and services that would enhance the travel sector both locally and globally.
- Brisbane Airport CorporationsupportingBrisbane Airport Corporation partnered with Slingshot for the Horizons accelerator to enrich their internal innovation program and connect with startups.
- CUAmajorCUA (Credit Union Australia) partnered with Slingshot for CUA Next, a Financial Wellbeing Accelerator targeting millennials and young middle-income families.
- ING AustraliamajorSlingshot was selected as ING Australia's partner to deliver their global PACE innovation initiative, a 10-week experimentation and tech prototyping program.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Slingshot Accelerator competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Hatch Quarter (by River City Labs): Australian corporate innovation and accelerator program operator running industry-specific cohorts (e.g., resources, fintech) with enterprise sponsors. Comparable as a regional corporate-affiliated accelerator peer.
- BlueChilli: Australian startup accelerator and venture builder with historical corporate partnerships. Comparable as an Australian-headquartered accelerator providing corporate innovation services.
- Stone & Chalk: Australian innovation hub supporting startups and corporates through programs, events, and partnerships. Comparable as a domestic innovation intermediary in the same Australian ecosystem.
- Cicada Innovations: Australia's leading deep-tech incubator running structured programs and providing corporate connections for science and technology startups. Comparable as an Australian incubator/accelerator with corporate sponsorship model.
Broad incumbents
- Startupbootcamp: Global industry-focused accelerator network running corporate- and partner-sponsored programs across multiple verticals. Comparable as an international peer running corporate innovation programs in multiple regions.
- Techstars: Large global accelerator operator running mentor-driven, equity-taking programs including corporate-affiliated accelerators. Comparable as a multi-region corporate accelerator competitor with deeper global reach than Slingshot.
Direct peers
- Plug and Play Tech Center: Global corporate accelerator and innovation platform running industry-specific accelerator programs (fintech, health, retail, etc.) with enterprise sponsors. Directly comparable to Slingshot's model of designing bespoke corporate accelerator cohorts and connecting corporates with startups.
- Antler: Global early-stage investor and accelerator with operations in Australia and APAC, often partnering with corporates to source and build startups. Comparable as a corporate-connected accelerator with a strong APAC footprint.
- Muru-D: Telstra-backed Australian startup accelerator running cohort programs with corporate partners. Direct Australia-based peer running corporate innovation programs targeting startups and corporates.
Others
- KPMG Emerging Giants / Innovation Practice: Big-4 consulting firms including KPMG, Deloitte, and Accenture have built corporate innovation and venture-building practices that compete for the same enterprise innovation budgets. Comparable as adjacent consulting-led competitors to Slingshot's corporate accelerator offering.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Slingshot Accelerator social profiles
Digital presenceSlingshot Accelerator financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Slingshot Accelerator leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Slingshot Accelerator funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Slingshot Accelerator M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments31 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Slingshot Accelerator
What does Slingshot Accelerator do?
Slingshot Accelerator designs and delivers bespoke corporate innovation programs (typically 12-week accelerators, incubators, scaleup selection, and growth labs) for large Australian enterprises, connecting them with startups and scaleups to drive commercial outcomes. The offering combines program design and delivery with a $15M co-investment venture fund managed by Artesian and access to a global network of 300+ accelerators, incubators, VCs, and ecosystem partners via the CoVentured platform.
Is Slingshot Accelerator a public or private company?
Slingshot Accelerator is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Slingshot Accelerator founded?
Slingshot Accelerator was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Slingshot Accelerator based?
Slingshot Accelerator is headquartered in Newcastle, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Slingshot Accelerator make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Corporate Innovation Program Fees are the primary driver. The others are slingshot Venture Fund.
Who are Slingshot Accelerator's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Hatch Quarter (by River City Labs), BlueChilli, Stone & Chalk and Cicada Innovations. Broad incumbents are Startupbootcamp and Techstars. Direct peers are Plug and Play Tech Center, Antler and Muru-D. KPMG Emerging Giants / Innovation Practice is listed as an others.
Does Slingshot Accelerator have an API?
No public API is recorded for Slingshot Accelerator.
What industry is Slingshot Accelerator in?
Slingshot Accelerator's product category is Corporate Innovation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAHAD, Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs, with a secondary code of FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated). Its NAICS code is 525 and its SIC code is 8742.