We're thrilled to announce that HEX, in partnership with MLAI and Stone & Chalk, has been selected by LaunchVic to deliver VICTOR:AI – a new pre-accelerator program designed to help build Victoria's next generation of AI-native founders and startups.

The announcement forms part of LaunchVic's latest investment into Victoria's startup ecosystem, with Victorian Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs, Steve Dimopoulos, unveiling $3.5 million in funding to support programs that help founders test ideas, build capability, connect with customers and move towards commercialisation.

As artificial intelligence transforms every industry, Victoria has a unique opportunity to lead. This investment recognises that the next wave of high-growth companies will require a new combination of technical capability, entrepreneurial thinking and responsible innovation.

Together, LaunchVic, HEX, MLAI and Stone & Chalk are helping create the pathways that emerging founders need to turn ambitious ideas into scalable ventures.

Introducing VICTOR:AI – Victoria's AI-Native Pre-Accelerator

VICTOR:AI is an intensive 8-week pre-accelerator built specifically for founders developing AI-native startups.

Designed for entrepreneurs at the earliest stages of the journey, the program supports founders well before technical and commercial assumptions have been validated, helping them move from idea through to proof-of-concept, customer validation and commercial readiness.

Across two cohorts, 26 Victorian startup teams will gain access to:

• AI-focused education and capability building
• Technical mentoring and AI clinics
• Venture development and founder coaching
• Customer discovery and validation support
• Ecosystem introductions and community connections
• Pathways into accelerators, investment opportunities and future growth programs

Participating startups will also be eligible for up to $5,000 in cash and token support, helping accelerate their progress beyond the program.

Why Now?

Dr Sam Donegan, Vice President of MLAI, believes the changing nature of entrepreneurship makes founder education more important than ever.

"What it means to be a startup founder has drastically changed over the last three years. We're seeing small teams achieve far more with far less. MLAI is stoked to be working with HEX and Stone & Chalk to usher in a new era of startup education and acceleration in this new paradigm," he said.

AI is dramatically lowering barriers to entry, enabling smaller teams to build products faster, launch sooner and compete at a scale that was previously impossible. At the same time, founders face a rapidly evolving landscape of technologies, tools, regulations and ethical considerations.

VICTOR:AI was designed to bridge that gap in both Venture and AI skills.

The program combines practical startup education with AI-specific expertise, responsible AI frameworks, founder coaching and real-world validation support –giving founders the confidence and capability to build ventures that can thrive in this new era.

A New Era of Startup Education

Jeanette Cheah, CEO & Co-founder of HEX said, "HEX is thrilled to partner with LaunchVic, MLAI and Stone & Chalk to deliver VICTOR:AI. 

What excites me most about VICTOR:AI is our dual-expertise model. Founders won't just learn how to build a startup; they'll learn how to strategically leverage AI as a competitive advantage. These are capabilities that are valuable not only for startup founders, but increasingly across the entire economy.

As a Victorian founder myself, and someone who has previously been supported by LaunchVic through the Alice Anderson Fund, it's incredibly meaningful to now help create opportunities for the next wave of innovators."

A Partnership Built for Founders

VICTOR:AI brings together three organisations with complementary strengths, creating a uniquely powerful support network for emerging founders.

MLAI contributes deep technical expertise, AI leadership and access to one of Australia's most engaged communities of AI practitioners, researchers and builders.

Stone & Chalk brings startup ecosystem leadership, founder support infrastructure, investor connections and a thriving innovation community that has helped thousands of startups scale.

HEX brings a decade of experience designing and delivering entrepreneurship, innovation and founder development programs that help ambitious people move from idea to impact.

Together, we're creating a stronger pathway for founders building the next generation of AI companies in Victoria.

Looking Ahead

Over the coming months, we'll begin founder outreach, ecosystem engagement and recruitment activities ahead of the first VICTOR:AI cohort.

We're grateful to LaunchVic for backing this vision and investing in Victoria's founder ecosystem.

The future of AI innovation won't be built by technology alone.

It will be built by founders bold enough to turn possibility into reality.

VICTOR:AI exists to help them get started.

Applications will open soon. If you're building an AI-native startup—or thinking about taking the leap into entrepreneurship—we'd love to hear from you. You can sign up here.

Be the first to know when applications are open:
Or contact us at future@startwithhex.com