The 34th INCITE Awards was, by every measure, our strongest year yet.
On 18 July 2025, more than 330 people filled The Westin Perth to celebrate Western Australia's most exciting technology and innovation talent. The night delivered something we'd been working toward for years - not just a great event, but a great program.
Our post-event experience score reached 8.7 out of 10, the first meaningful shift in almost three years, and a result we're genuinely proud of.
But INCITE was never just one night or about a score. It's a 12-month program powered by WAITTA volunteers, and 2025 reflected that in every detail.
Program Co-Chair
Program Co-Chair
330+
Attendees at The Westin Perth
8.7/10
Post-event experience score
13
WA projects into iAwards
3
Teams at APICTA Awards
We opened nominations in January, welcomed the community to a launch event in February, and spent months supporting nominees through
judging, coaching, and marketing masterclasses - giving every entrant tools to tell their story, not just enter a competition.
By July, we had a field of finalists that reflected the true depth of WA's innovation ecosystem: startups tackling battery waste,
researchers detecting speech disorders in children, platforms empowering First Nations women, and AI solutions protecting vulnerable
people from phone scams.
The 2025 field also reflected something broader happening in WA tech: a sector becoming more inclusive, more diverse, and more deeply connected to community impact.
This year's finalists drew on lived experience to build solutions that were technically brilliant and deeply human - from MedTech and sustainability to digital inclusion and culturally safe platforms.
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The 2025 winners demonstrated the breadth and caliber of innovation emerging from Western Australia, with recognition extending from local success to national and international acclaim.
Tech Company of the Year & Research & Innovation (Industry)
Won a Merit at the national iAwards and then won Gold in Industrial and Infrastructure Solutions Award at the Asia-Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards in Kaohsiung. Their OpenSpan™ Call Protect technology is now internationally recognised, and proudly made in WA.
Achievers of the Year
Recognition well overdue for two changemakers from Women in Technology Western Australia (WiTWA) who have reached 8,000+ students and raised $2.4 million to grow women's participation in STEM.
Even more special was having the 2024 Achiever of the Year, the Hon. Dr Parwinder Kaur MLC, present the award to Tina and Kay.
Emerging Leader
Recognised at INCITE for Roborigger, an autonomous robotic racking system designed to improve safety and efficiency in mining operations. Cody then carried that momentum to the national iAwards, winning the Student & Education Award outright.
January
Nominations Open
February
Launch Event
March – June
Judging, Coaching & Masterclasses
July 18
Gala Awards Night
To every winner, merit recipient, finalist, sponsor, judge, and volunteer: this program exists because of you. You are what INCITE is for.
We step into the 2026 INCITE Awards, our milestone 35th program, with momentum, pride, and a clear sense of what this program can be - for WA, and for the world.
13 WA projects earned entry into the 2025 iAwards. Three teams represented Australia at APICTA. That's a record.
As we look toward the next chapter, we carry with us the lessons of 2025: that a great program is built on great people, that meaningful change takes time, and that Western Australia's innovation ecosystem continues to produce work that matters, on the national stage and beyond.
Thank you.
WAITTA Patron Professo Lyn Beazley AO reflects on Western Australia's innovation achievements across 2025, and the organisation's renewed identity as the Western Australian Innovation, Technology & Talent Alliance.
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Co-Chairs Jess Etheridge and Cameron Zivkovic reflect on the 2025 INCITE Awards, celebrating Western Australia's innovation and technology talent with record attendance, national recognition, and community impact.
President Premila Jina reflects on the 2025 year for WAITTA, from a new name and renewed purpose, to growing STEM impact and celebrating success.
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