What’s Happening at SXSW Sydney Innovation Expo — Louder, Smarter, and Way More Immersive

Mark your calendars: from Wednesday 15 October to Saturday 18 October, SXSW Sydney’s Innovation Expo returns to take over Halls 6 and 7 at ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre—and trust us, this year’s edition is pushing every boundary.

Forget what you thought an expo could be. This is a full-on sensory and tech-fuelled experience. Think interactive showcases, hands-on demos, and next-gen storytelling zones that blur the lines between the physical and digital. It's not about just watching the future unfold—it’s about stepping straight into it.

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What’s Happening This Year?

The HUB, presented by Maincode

Visit the beating heart of the Expo and prime networking destination, where Maincode will be highlighting Matilda, Australia’s own Large Language Model and delighting attendees with complimentary coffee amongst other surprises. 

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The Robotics Arcade

Meet humanoid robots face-to-face—no glass barriers here! Featuring Unitree Robotics, you’ll be able to interact with them, pilot some of the tech yourself, and get up close with some of the most advanced robotics on the planet. If you're into AI, this is a must-see.

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The Discovery Stage

The epicentre of innovation and creativity, spanning four days with 30+ sessions and 100+ speakers, the Discovery Stage will offer founders and trailblazers a platform to share stories, launch bold ideas, create immersive experiences, and connect with future-focused audiences.

Program highlights this year include Dave Lemphers, CEO of Maincode, unveiling Matilda, Australia’s first sovereign large language model (LLM); Dr Riley Elliott, aka Shark Man, marine scientist and conservationist; and Dr Catherine Ball, scientific futurist and tech influencer, as guest MC.

Dive into bold sessions like Tech vs. Taste: Who Will Win?, Transforming Organ Transplants for Children’s Futures, Threads of Change: The Future of Circular Fashion, Redefining Art with Neuroscience, and Hello Robot! Reimagining Life with AI-Driven Robots and Agents. Attendees will experience a range of content and live performances spanning AI, art, music, fashion, sustainability, space, robotics, wellness, and design.

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Startup Village

Startup Village is back and better than ever in 2025. Meet the brightest new minds and early-stage ventures changing the game across every industry you can think of—from healthtech to hardware, fintech to femtech. This year, the village will also feature a selection of First Nations Startups from around NSW. To name a few, Native Botanical Brewery, Ashwater Films, Thirsty Turtl, Blackfisch Films, Welcome to Country, Barragi Mawang, Australian Indigenous Research Foundation, Dark Lightning Pty Ltd and Jarin Street. Whether you’re scouting for investment, collaboration, or inspiration, Startup Village is your launchpad. 

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Calling All Creators & Creatives!

Step into immersive digital worlds where storytelling, sound, light, and motion combine. For creators, dreamers, and disruptors, the Expo will boast tools and products to contribute to bigger bolder content - cinema-grade tools, VR, and interactive media collide. Expect magic from names like Musicbed | Filmsupply | Stills, Arts Korea Lab and Eufymake —all breaking ground in how we experience creative content.

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Who’s On the Floor?

This year’s Innovation Expo lineup is absolutely stacked—with returning icons and game-changing newcomers:

Returning favorites include Blackmagic Design, Too Far Media, Charitabl., Cyber Wardens, Sunswift Racing, Australian Government Collective, NSW Health and Monash University Faculty of IT, who continue to lead from the front.

But it's the fresh additions that are turning heads:

• Airspeeder – The world’s first flying car racing series, recently given the regulatory green light for manned electric speeders, is redefining motorsport by combining cutting-edge aviation with high-octane competition.
• Notion – The productivity powerhouse joins to showcase what happens when collaboration meets intelligent design.
• Eufymake – Providing everyday creators with world-class personal creative tools to turn bold ideas into reality. Check out their UV Printer and leave with a dope keepsake. 
• The Entourage – Australia's leading entrepreneurial education platform, here to help scale the next wave of founders.
• Vanta – A global star in security and compliance automation, Vanta is here to help startups stay secure as they scale.
• Musicbed | Filmsupply | Stills – Elevating creative storytelling with world-class cinematic resources.
• Lumin – The powerful PDF editor making document collaboration smarter, faster, and easier for teams working across borders and time zones.
• Arts Korea Lab – An accelerator nurturing art-tech startups, showcasing five different startups from South Korea’s dynamic creative scene that fuse art, tech, and innovation.
• Versent – Cloud and digital transformation experts bringing enterprise-grade solutions that help businesses scale securely and seamlessly.
• Magpai AI – A creative AI platform turning brand insights into smart, adaptive content—built for marketers who move fast.

Whether you're a founder, investor, creative, technologist—or just future-curious—The Innovation Expo is the place to connect, discover, and be inspired.

Explore more about the Innovation Expo here and secure your Pass now.