Image: Courtney Clemence Founder & CEO and Ash Hoey Co-Founder & CTO of Gloss Guide

In just 12 months, StartClub_BNE – the flagship Pre-accelerator Program delivered at The Precinct – has become a cornerstone of early-stage startup support in Queensland. 

Backed by the Queensland Government, StartClub was built to support idea-stage founders as they validate their business models, test product-market fit, and build confidence as future startup leaders. 

Since launching in 2024, the program has supported more than 30 early-stage startups, with many now scaling and securing external funding, grants, and placements in highly-competitive accelerators.

Among the standout success stories is StartClub alumni Gloss Guide, led by Courtney Clemence (Founder & CEO) and Ash Hoey (Co-Founder & CTO) who have been recently accepted into Startmate and Tech Ready Women Academy.

Courtney draws on her firsthand experience in the beauty industry, having worked as both a lash technician and fashion manager, to connect with and grow a thriving community of over 1,200 beauty professionals. Her deep industry insight, paired with Ash’s track record as a seasoned tech founder with an ASX-listed exit, makes for a powerful founding duo. 

With complementary strengths in community building and technical execution, they’re on a mission to reshape the beauty services space through a scalable digital platform built for impact.

Other standout alumni include:

• Voulla Fronis (Cohort 1), accepted into the UQ Ventures Momentum program
• Andrej Maletic (Cohort 1), awarded an Advance Queensland Ignite Ideas grant and now part of the Ignite+ program
• Jesse Costelloe (Cohort 2), selected for the UQ Ventures iLab
• Inventico (Cohort 1),  selected for the current UQ Ventures iLab

A key ingredient in StartClub’s success is its exceptional network of mentors, which includes some of Brisbane’s most successful founders, experienced business leaders, and dedicated ecosystem supporters. Their ongoing support has been critical in helping participants sharpen their ideas, validate with customers, and gain the confidence to pitch for growth. This spirit of collaboration is a longstanding hallmark of Brisbane’s innovation community, and one that StartClub continues to foster.

Program Manager Holly Hudson has seen firsthand how quickly founders can go from idea to investment-ready when given the right guidance, connections and community.

“The results speak for themselves. With over 100 applications in just the first year, StartClub is clearly meeting a growing demand for hands-on, early-stage startup support,”

“Many of our participants come to us with no prior startup experience, and within a few short months, they’re launching a product, validating in market, pitching to investors and getting accepted into follow-on accelerator programs. It’s a real privilege to be part of their journey.”

StartClub Brisbane will continue to back founders who are brave enough to start, build, and test new ideas, and The Precinct remains committed to delivering high-impact programs that catalyse Queensland’s innovation economy.

Applications for Cohort 4 are now open. If you’re an early-stage founder that wants to find peers on a similar journey, learn from the best in Brisbane, and validate your startup idea to test in market, apply now.

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