Our partners

The Canberra Innovation Network (CBRIN) is a not-for-profit organisation that accelerates the innovation and growth of businesses and entrepreneurs by linking them to services, facilities, resources and stakeholders. CBRIN helps innovators, researchers and SMEs make a meaningful impact by connecting them to world-class research and encouraging innovative relationships with industry and government. 

In partnership with Launch, CBRIN provides an opportunity for defence and security businesses to communicate and collaborate, discovering world-changing solutions and initiating lasting strategic connections.

Canberra is Australia’s innovation capital. The city has championed urban innovation for many years. The ACT has the highest rates of entrepreneurship and innovation in Australia, with a consistently high number of new business registrations, patent applications, top- ranked universities and ‘kickstarter’ projects.

The ACT Government’s vision for Canberra is ‘a modern city where research, innovation and government meet’. This is a city a city increasingly being recognised as a significant driver of the nation’s intellectual capital for the following reasons:

• close proximity to government
• highest number of patents per capita in Australia
• most educated city in Australia
• highest rate of business creation in Australia in 2018-2019.

Through the CBRIN network organisations can access events, mentoring, professional services and funding expertise, while gaining investment advice, building corporate and government connections, and more. 

Collaborate with CBRIN

Penten is a 100% Australian-owned secure technology business delivering future cyber and AI technologies to defence and government agencies. The company has actively contributed to challenging the difficult problems facing Defence and National Security agencies with a clear focus on creating a digital advantage for Australia and its allies through technology to make sense of, make mobile and protect vulnerable data from modern adversaries.

Penten arrived at Launch on Northbourne in 2020 and is the ‘anchor’ tenant, attracting other cyber companies looking to co-locate. The company has seen phenomenal growth, increasing from a team of 5 to 143.

As a company creating and delivering security solutions, a secure environment to operate in at Launch was an imperative. As such, special efforts were made to ensure that Penten workspaces would meet the demands of government and defence clients, in addition to benefiting the wider Launch tenants.

“If we wanted to have a global impact on the technology we were creating, there was only one place to do that. Canberra is where the toughest problems are, and we’ve got direct access to federal government decision makers.”

Matthew Wilson, Penten CEO

Skykraft is an Australian space services company specialising in the design, manufacture and operation of satellite constellations for the delivery of global services. Skykraft is currently focused on the development and deployment of a space-based Air Traffic Management (ATM) service. The ATM service addresses the gaps in surveillance and communications for aircraft travelling across regions not covered by existing systems, such as oceanic or remote areas.

Skykraft arrived at Launch in 2020. With support from UNSW Canberra, the start-up has experienced phenomenal growth and the team has increased to 30 staff. Following this incredible growth, Skykraft moved to the UNSW Canberra City campus Space Hub in 2021 for even greater access to research, security and connections.

“Sovereignty is about having people like UNSW backing small companies by setting up precincts like this. It gives you an opportunity to grow and develop your company with a little bit of security.’”

Air Vice Marshall Mark Skidmore, (retired) Executive Chairman, Skykraft

Viden is a national security-focused professional services and cyber security company, owned and run by veterans. Operating the only secure, sovereign-owned, full stack cyber-physical security lab in Australia, Viden is putting Canberra firmly on the map as the nation’s cyber security location of choice. The firm works alongside Government clients specialising in providing cyber security assessments and cyber-worthiness evaluations of ICT networks and other operational technologies, at a hardware, software and supply chain level.

Viden moved to Launch at Northbourne in 2020 with a team of 10. Success in the ACT Government Cyber Accelerator grant program allowed the company to purchase additional equipment and extend its testing procedures. Viden has since grown to a team of 45, with plans to double in size by 2025.

“Canberra is a mecca for cyber security roles. It really is unrivalled in Australia for some of the most interesting and important cyber security work there is. For high-profile complex problems, Canberra is where you need to be.”

Anthony Barnes, Chief Executive Officer, Viden