September 2025

At I2N’s Startup Stories event on Wednesday 7 August, Archie Sampson shared the real story behind launching Prepped Talent, a startup helping people step into business ownership through smart, well-supported acquisitions. Drawing from his background in mergers and acquisitions, Archie offered a clear-eyed view of startup life, showing how consistency, simplicity and self-awareness have shaped both his business and his brand.

In a vibrant show of collaboration, creativity, and community commitment, the Healthy Ageing Innovation Challenge wrapped up this past weekend at the I2N Hub Honeysuckle, leaving participants energised, inspired, and more confident in their ability to innovate solutions for some of society’s most pressing challenges.

Construction has officially commenced on the University of Newcastle’s new City Campus Student Accommodation, with a sod turning ceremony taking place this morning at the site, located on the corner of Civic Lane and Worth Place, Newcastle.

Storm Menzies is the founder of ByStorm Beauty, a startup dedicated to accessibility and inclusion in the beauty industry. What began as a personal challenge has grown into a mission to transform how beauty products are designed - and who they are designed for.At I2N's Startup Stories on Wednesday 4 September, Storm described how a broken hand exposed the hidden design flaws in everyday makeup products. For someone with mild cerebral palsy affecting one side of her body, losing function in her dominant hand made even basic tasks difficult - and applying makeup nearly impossible.

The University of Newcastle’s Science and Engineering Challenge team has won an Australian Museum Eureka Prize, recognising its outstanding work in creating opportunities for students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The University of Newcastle is reminding Year 12 students to submit their Early Entry application before midnight on Thursday to receive an offer in the first round of early entry offers.

The Hunter region will lead a landmark new Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) tackling the debilitating lag in implementing proven healthcare programs and policies designed to tackle the nation’s most pressing chronic diseases.

An Australian team of public health professionals and academics based at the University of Newcastle will support Papua New Guinea to build its capacity to respond to emergencies, like pandemics or natural disasters.

Through innovative vocational education and training (VET) admission pathways, such as the school-based traineeship to nursing, the University of Newcastle is empowering students to build meaningful careers, particularly in high-demand sectors like healthcare.

Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), in partnership with Newcastle Permanent, has named Dr Aleona Swegen from the University of Newcastle as the inaugural winner of the Newcastle Permanent Innovation Accelerator Program. She has been awarded $200,000 to fast-track the commercialisation of her groundbreaking fertility technology, SpermSafe.

Claire Jones and Jared Lawlor, co-founders of Cloud Grow, are innovators in automated irrigation technology for green infrastructure. Their journey began with Herb Urban, a community gardening startup that evolved into a tech-driven solution for watering green roofs and walls.