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For women founders who are ready to raise funding and showcase their startups globally. Applications for 2026 are now closed and the program is underway.
Applications closed 25 June 2026 · Masterclasses: 1, 8 & 15 July 2026 · Membership note
Who should apply
TiE Women is a global competition to help you accelerate your business. Calling investable women founders ready to pitch to TiE Angels and learn from those who’ve built and exited.
What you can win
TiE Melbourne is the only pathway in Australia to the TiE Women Global Semi-Finals and Finale. Win locally, compete globally, and pitch for up to two rounds of funding.
The Melbourne final doubles as a TiE Angels pitch night. Finalists pitch to a panel of active investors with up to $50,000 available.
The Melbourne winner advances through the Global Semi-Finals (TiE LA, 17–18 Sep or TiE Hyderabad, 24–26 Sep) to pitch at the TiE Women Global Finale at TGS — competing for a $50,000 equity-free prize.
TiE Melbourne covers up to AUD $1,500 in flights for the chapter winner to attend the Global Semi-Finals (USA: 17–18 Sep, Newport Beach; or Asia: 24–26 Sep, Hyderabad). If you advance to the Global Finale at TGS, TiE Global covers your international flights and accommodation in full.
Global Knowledge Series access - exclusive online programming for all chapter winners and runners-up covering global scaling, investor relations and growth strategy. Runs between the Regional Finals and Semi-Finals.
Global Semi-Finals pathway - the chapter winner chooses between two Semi-Finals: TiE Los Angeles (17–18 September, Newport Beach) or TiE Hyderabad (24–26 September). TiE Melbourne covers up to AUD $1,500 in flights. Top 3 from each advance to the Global Finale at TGS.
Complimentary TGS passes - the top 6 finalists receive complimentary passes to TiE Global Summit alongside flights and accommodation, accessing the full TiE global network.
Up to 3× personalised 1:1 mentoring sessions - finalists receive dedicated mentor time to refine their pitch and business model ahead of the final.
TiE Melbourne network access - connect with charter members, angels and fellow entrepreneurs throughout the program.
Applications closed · Program underway
Program journey
A structured, competitive pathway built for growth-stage founders. Eight stages from applications through to the Global Final at TiE Global Summit. We are currently in Stage 2 — Investor Readiness Masterclasses.
Applications for TiE Women 2026 are now closed. Eligible applicants have been contacted directly while ineligible applicants are still free to attend our 3 online masterclasses.
All accepted applicants participate in three intensive masterclasses designed to sharpen your global pitch:
Masterclass 01 - Pitching Your Global Story and Growth Narrative (1 July 2026, 5:30 PM AEST): Turn your business journey into a compelling investment story that lands on any stage, in any room, anywhere in the world.
Masterclass 02 - Growth Stage Financials (8 July 2026, 5:30 PM AEST): Know your numbers the way investors do — unit economics, runway, and the metrics that unlock funding conversations.
Masterclass 03 - Go-To-Market Strategy (15 July 2026, 5:30 PM AEST): From local traction to global entry, build a GTM strategy that works beyond your home market.
All masterclasses are free and open to every applicant. Check our masterclasses here
Before submitting your video pitch, you will need to join as an Associate Member of TiE Melbourne at $225/year. This is the only cost involved in the program — applications and masterclasses are free. Current TiE members (any chapter) participate at no additional cost. Membership gives you access to the full TiE Melbourne network: events, mentors, investors, and the broader TiE global community — regardless of how far you progress in the competition.
$225/year · Current TiE members: no additional cost · Join hereSubmit a 3-minute recorded video pitch - your concise, compelling case for why your business deserves a global stage. A panel of TiE judges will review all submissions to select the finalists.
Judged on: Investibility · Team · Business Model · Scalability · Innovation · TractionSelected finalists receive up to three 1:1 mentoring sessions with seasoned and exited entrepreneurs in the TiE network - dedicated support to sharpen their pitch, financials, and narrative ahead of the Melbourne Final.
Finalists pitch live in Melbourne before a panel of investors and industry leaders. This event runs alongside a TiE Angels pitch night, with up to $50,000 AUD in investment available on the night. This is not a demo day — it is a live investment room. The chapter winner and runners-up advance to the Global Semi-Finals.
Up to $50K AUD investment opportunity · Chapter winner advances to Global Semi-FinalsThe Melbourne chapter winner can select which of two parallel Global Semi-Finals to attend. Both events select their top 3 finalists, with all 6 advancing to the Global Finale at TGS. TiE Melbourne covers up to AUD $1,500 in international flights for the chapter winner to attend. If you advance to the Global Finale, TiE Global covers all travel and accommodation.
| Venue | Renaissance Newport Beach |
| Arrive | 16 September |
| Depart | 18 Sep evening / 19 Sep morning |
| Stay | 3 nights |
| Venue | Woxsen School of Business & Hotel Oakwood |
| Arrive | 24 September |
| Depart | 26 September evening |
| Stay | 2 nights |
The top 6 Semi-Finals qualifiers pitch at the TiE Women Global Finale at TiE Global Summit, competing for the US$50,000 equity-free prize. TiE Global covers international flights and full accommodation for all 6 finalists to TGS, plus complimentary passes to the Summit. Prior to the final, all chapter winners and runners-up join the exclusive Global Knowledge Series — online sessions on global scaling, investor relations, and growth strategy.
Flights + Accommodation covered · Complimentary TGS passes · USD $50K equity-free prizeProgram content
All three masterclasses are free and open to every applicant.
SEE OUR MASTERCLASS EVENTS HEREThree focused sessions designed to take a growth-stage founder from a strong local pitch to a world-class global investor presentation.
A great pitch is not a product demo - it's a story about inevitability. This session helps you craft a global growth narrative that connects your traction, your market, and your ambition into something investors remember. You'll also work on delivery, Q&A confidence, and the cross-cultural dynamics of presenting to an international panel.
This is where founders win or lose the room. Not on vision - on numbers. This session builds the financial fluency to speak confidently about your unit economics, burn rate, runway, and growth trajectory. You'll understand what investors are really asking when they go deep on your model - and how to transfer with authority, not anxiety
You have traction at home - now what? This session helps you translate what's working locally into a credible, investor-ready global entry strategy. Who is your customer in a new market? What's your channel? What's your sequencing? You'll leave with a sharper answer to the question every global investor asks first: how are you going to get there?
Also open to the wider TiE community: Following the three targeted pitch and investment readiness masterclasses, an additional series of three general masterclasses will run for the broader TiE Melbourne audience - open to all members and the wider entrepreneurship community. You are welcome to attend as well, to further your business skills.
Three masterclasses. Up to three mentoring sessions. One shot at the global stage.
View the MasterclassesEligibility criteria
Applications for TiE Women 2026 closed on 25 June 2026. If you applied, check your inbox for updates from TiE Melbourne.
View Upcoming Masterclasses →Masterclasses are free and open to accepted applicants and TiE Melbourne members.
Applications closed 25 June 2026. Stay connected with TiE Melbourne for upcoming events and future programs.
Join TiE Melbourne →Global impact
Every TiE Women global finalist started exactly where you are — applying through their local chapter. Here is what the program has made possible.
"The program pushed me to think about my business the way global investors do — not just what we have built, but what we could become."
Common questions
New to TiE?
If you haven't heard of TiE before, you're not alone. It's one of the most influential entrepreneurship organisations in the world - and most Australians don't know it yet.
TiE was born in a hotel lobby in Silicon Valley in 1992. A group of successful tech entrepreneurs, many of them who had built companies like Cirrus Logic, Novell and early-stage venture firms - decided to formalise what they were already doing informally: helping the next generation of founders by sharing what they'd learned.
That small meeting became The Indus Entrepreneurs. Today TiE is a global non-profit with 61 chapters across 16 countries - from Silicon Valley and New York to Singapore, London, and Melbourne. Its members include some of the most accomplished entrepreneurs, angels and VCs in the world, all bound by a single principle: the virtuous cycle of wealth creation and giving back.
TiE Melbourne has been part of this global network for over 20 years, connecting Australian founders to one of the most powerful entrepreneurial ecosystems on the planet.
Impact data based on KPMG (2022) and Deloitte (2024) analysis.
TiE is one of the most extraordinary communities known to the industry — any industry.
N. R. Narayana Murthy — Founder, Infosys Technologies
The TiE Women pitch competition helped fine-tune our business model. The mentoring gave us an outside-in perspective and helped transform our idea into a global product.
Giada Bertola — Erotology, TiE Africa Chapter Winner
TiE Melbourne has been operating for over two decades, connecting Australian entrepreneurs with a global network of mentors, investors and fellow founders. Our charter members include experienced operators, angel investors and industry leaders who give their time to help the next generation of Australian businesses scale. Through TiE Melbourne, you're not just joining a local program - you're stepping into a global ecosystem that has helped build some of the most successful companies of the last three decades.
The team behind the program
An experienced group of entrepreneurs, investors and ecosystem builders — committed to helping Australia’s best women founders reach the global stage.
Third-generation entrepreneur and former corporate leader (ANZ, EY, Lufthansa). Has supported 600+ early-stage founders including 250+ women across Australia and Asia. Lecturer at University of Melbourne and Melbourne Business School. Author of Start Right.
LinkedInImplant surgeon and tech entrepreneur. Co-founded Restocq.com and raised a $2M round backed by Airtasker co-founder Jonathan Lui. TiE Melbourne’s 2024 chapter winner — now mentoring the next cohort through the program.
LinkedInFounder of one of Australia’s leading growth accelerators, working with tech led founders to become investment ready and scale globally. She has supported over 1,000 businesses from early stage to multi-million dollar exits.
LinkedInFounder & CEO of Aurora Early Education and President of TiE Melbourne. 25+ years of senior financial and business advisory experience at Time Warner, IBM and HCL Technology. Her CFO-to-founder journey offers a distinctive perspective on building from the ground up.
LinkedInSerial tech entrepreneur with six ventures co-founded since 2000 — four acquired by major Australian healthcare companies (eClinic, SamplesPlus, PalCare, Healthnotes). Champion of conscious entrepreneurship and published author of My Wednesdays.
LinkedInExecutive Director of TiE Melbourne with broad experience across SaaS, health and wellness, agriculture, logistics and recruitment. MBA and Master of Applied Linguistics. The operational engine behind TiE Melbourne’s programs and events.
LinkedInDisclaimer There is no fee to apply for the TiE Women Program. Participants who progress to the video pitch stage and beyond will need to hold an active TiE Melbourne Associate Membership ($225/year). Masterclasses are free and open to all applicants. Existing TiE Melbourne members can participate without any additional program fee. TiE Women does not provide grants, except for the equity-free prize awarded at the global competition. If you have been asked to pay any fee outside of official TiE membership processes in connection with the TiE Women Program, please be aware that this request is not authorised by us and may be fraudulent. All official communication regarding the program will come directly from TiE Global or TiE Melbourne. If you encounter any suspicious activity, please report it to us immediately at operations@tiemelbourne.org.
