Plus Eight (Spacecubed)

Plus Eight (Spacecubed) is a leading accelerator program based in Perth, Australia, dedicated to empowering early-stage Australian entrepreneurs and startups to achieve global scale. Launched in 2016 by Spacecubed, a prominent coworking and innovation hub founded in 2012, Plus Eight has quickly established itself as a critical component of Western Australia's burgeoning startup ecosystem. The accelerator is a community-driven initiative, fostering collaboration among startup advocates, partner organisations, and funding bodies to create a supportive environment for innovation. Their overarching mission is to support one million entrepreneurs and changemakers by 2030 through various programs and community-building efforts.

The program caters to ambitious founders across diverse industries, including technology, health, sustainability, and consumer products, with a particular focus on businesses demonstrating global potential. Plus Eight offers a comprehensive six-month program that combines structured learning, world-class mentorship, extensive growth networks, and crucial seed funding. This holistic approach is designed to challenge and support founders through a three-phase journey, starting with an intensive bootcamp, progressing through an eight-week sprint of masterclasses and one-on-one coaching, and culminating in seed investment and international immersion. They provide access to a seed-funding pool, structured as convertible SAFE notes, aiming for founder-friendly terms that encourage ecosystem growth.

What sets Plus Eight apart is its commitment to thinking global from day one, leveraging Perth's GMT+8 timezone to facilitate connections with rapidly expanding markets across the Asia Pacific region and beyond. The program includes an invaluable international immersion experience, with past cohorts travelling to major global innovation hubs such as San Francisco, Singapore, and London, and the 2026 cohort set to visit San Francisco. Beyond the accelerator, Plus Eight expanded its offerings in 2018 with the Plus Eight Academy, providing world-class entrepreneur education for earlier-stage founders. This comprehensive support system, from pre-accelerator to post-program investment, distinguishes their offering.

Plus Eight boasts a significant track record of success, having accelerated 57 companies across nine cohorts since its inception. These participating companies have collectively secured over $4.4 million in direct investment through the program and facilitated more than $24 million in follow-on funding, resulting in a latest portfolio valuation exceeding $320 million as of October 2025. The program’s leadership team includes Dr Marcus Tan as Entrepreneur in Residence and Juliette Lucas as Program Lead, who work directly with founders on strategy, growth, and scaling. Ophelie Cutier serves as the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Spacecubed, the parent organisation. These achievements underscore Plus Eight’s vital role in cultivating a resilient and thriving innovation ecosystem in Western Australia.