Graduates of the program are fielding inquiries about Enlight AI, an artificial intelligence platform that screens eyes for glaucoma with a much higher accuracy rate than standard testing. It has global potential.

A Genesis graduate from the 2014 cohort, Seamus Thompson, developed one of the first cardiovascular 3D printing services. His invention, VasoPrint, assists surgeons with accuracy in procedures. He is now employed by NASA.

Then there’s Breathe Well, a medical device that helps patients regulate their breathing for more accurate radiation therapy. Sean Pollock heads up the enterprise and was working on his PhD thesis at the University of Sydney. The project recently received a $1.3 million grant from the NSW Health Medical Devices fund to help scale its production and operations internationally. Buy-in interest has come from hospitals across the US, Denmark and Korea.

Professor Leanne Cutcher heads the Discipline of Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Sydney. She says Genesis is a community of innovators.

"Our enthusiastic facilitators and mentors are passionate about helping develop innovative ideas that can have real impact," she says.

The culmination of each semester's program is a pitch night, when teams of young entrepreneurs present their ideas and seek funding from venture capitalists in front of an audience of academics and students at the Sydney School of Entrepreneurship. In addition to seed funding, two of the four winners are then fast-tracked through the INCUBATE program and receive ongoing support from the Sydney Innovation Hub at the University of Sydney.

More than a thousand entrepreneurs have completed the course; more than 500 successful start-ups have been launched.

"As an early-stage incubator, Genesis plays a key role in mentoring and coaching the next generation of entrepreneurs in Sydney," Cutcher says. "We have created a rich ecosystem of entrepreneurship at the University of Sydney, of which Genesis plays a vital part."

For more information on the Sydney Genesis StartUp Program, see sydney.edu.au.