On 17 July 2026, WAITTA's INCITE Awards marked
a milestone: the 35th edition of Australia's longest-running technology awards program, and the first under WAITTA's new name.
353 guests. 120+ nominations. A night of reflection and celebration.
The 35th INCITE Awards gala was held at The Westin Perth, bringing together founders, researchers, investors, students, government leaders and community organisations - every corner of Western Australia's technology ecosystem, in one room.
It was a year of firsts. Two new judge-selected awards were introduced - the Chief Judge Award and the Lead Judges' Choice Award - and the WA Tech Hall of Fame was relaunched to celebrate 35 years of homegrown innovation.
Attendance was up nearly seven percent on 2025, with a record-breaking nomination round judged across nine solution categories and five honorary and judge-selected awards.
Attendees called it the most inclusive and energising night yet.
"So much better than the 2024 awards! More inclusive, more fun."
— Attendee feedback
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120+
nominations - a record for the program
8.06/10
overall attendee satisfaction rating
353
guests attended - up 6.97% on 2025
14
news media stories across 12 outlets in Australia and globally
6,752
website sessions - up 88% year on year
25,192
website page views - up 107% year on year
92,622
LinkedIn impressions at a 14.8% engagement rate
45.27%
eDM click-through rate
8.11/10
how attendees rated WA as a progressive technology state
The INCITE Awards are Western Australia's official pathway to the national AIIA iAwards and the international Asia-Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards. In 2026, that pathway delivered.
Thirteen INCITE winners and merit recipients travelled to Sydney in August to compete at the 2026 national iAwards. Five WA innovations went on to win seven national honours -including a clean sweep of the Not-for-Profit and Community Solution of the Year category, led by Materia Health's MateriaPOD with three wins.
The campaign was capped off with WA also taking home the Chief Judge Innovation Award, with Curtin Institute for Data Science and BHP being selected from more than 90 eligible nominees.
The impact didn't stop there. Three Western Australian teams are confirmed to compete at the APICTA Awards in Jakarta in December 2026 - representing WA and Australia on the world stage.
Half of all winners and merit recipients were women or women-led teams
Finalists ranged in age from 15 to 80 - both the youngest and oldest were winners
Two awards went to LGBTQIA+ innovators
41% of gala attendees were women
The Perth Biodesign iPREP prize was awarded to Tidal Moon, a First Nations and regional entrepreneur-led business
LipReader - co-designed with Noongar community at Fiona Stanley Hospital - won two awards
This is what a technology community that reflects all of Western Australia looks like.
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From AI-powered healthcare to world-first sustainability solutions, the 2026 INCITE Awards recognised the innovators shaping the future of Western Australia and beyond.
The 35th INCITE Awards would not have been possible without the generosity and commitment of our partners.
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Thank you for backing Western Australian technology innovation & talent.
Whether you're building something remarkable or want to back the people who are, there's a place for you in the 36th INCITE Awards.
WAITTA acknowledges Traditional Custodians of country across the region. We pay respects to Elders past and present.