How mDetect turned scientific research into startup success
Swinburne scientists discovered how to see through rock. Then, leveraging Swinburne Innovation Studio’s support, they turned their research into a real-world product and secured funding.
mDetect is a highly successful spin-out company from Swinburne’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. It started when a team of Swinburne scientists, led by Swinburne astrophysicist Professor Alan Duffy, saw potential to use muons – subatomic particles from space – to visualise conditions underground, underwater or within structures.
Muon technology can offer an X-ray like scan through any substance to create a 3D image of the density of the structure, allowing identification, monitoring and evaluation. For example, it can provide an early warning system for buildings and infrastructure, looking through concrete and steel to prevent structural failure. It can also help detect weaknesses in tailings storage dams, to keep secure these waste outputs of the mining process.
The team founded mDetect to take the technology to market. But to turn their research into a real-world product, mDetect needed the right support. Enter: Swinburne Innovation Studio (SIS). Through SIS’s Elevate program, mDetect gained critical support and resources – from entrepreneurial training to equity-free funding and more.
mDetect’s Success through SIS
Elevate Program
The program offered mDetect entrepreneurial training, workshops, $30,000 in equity-free seed funding, and the chance to pitch their prototype to investors.
Cross-divisional Partnerships
Support from Swinburne Innovation Studio helped mDetect to build cross-divisional partnerships within Swinburne’s Innovation & Enterprise stream.
Swinburne Ventures Limited
mDetect secured SVL investment in their $1 million seed round to build staff, capacity for manufacturing for the first commercial units, go-to-market strategy, and more.
Accelerating mDetect’s Growth through Elevate
In 2018, mDetect was co-founded by Professor Duffy (CEO) with a team of Swinburne experts, including Dr Shanti Krishnan (CTO), Prof. Jerome Donovan (COO), Dr Eryadi Masli (CFO), and Craig Webster (Chief Engineer).
Together, the team began honing the business model and operational designs for a unique muon-based scanning system that could scan through any substance. By 2019, they’d submitted a patent application for their first detector design.
In 2020, mDetect was officially established as a deep tech startup, and the mDetect team sought entrepreneurial training to turn their research into a real-world product.
They applied for Swinburne Innovation Studio’s Elevate Program – a 12-week program that helps founders scale their ventures and become investment-ready – to validate and build the venture further.
Through the program, the mDetect team received:
entrepreneurial training in intellectual property (IP), marketing and supply chain management
one-on-one workshops with successful entrepreneurs
$30,000 in equity-free seed funding to translate their research product into a commercial offering
the chance to pitch their muon detector prototypes to an international audience of industry, investors and mentors.
With the support of Swinburne’s Innovation Studio, the mDetect team also connected with business units across the university.
Through cross-divisional partnerships within Swinburne’s Innovation & Enterprise stream, they received valuable and timely advice on the next steps in their innovation journey – from field-testing prototypes through industry partnerships, to developing further product offerings.
“This training turbo-charged our venture from an exciting research product to a commercial offering for the construction and mining industries,” mDetect CEO Professor Alan Duffy says.
“The $30,000 in seed funding created the first prototype detectors for deployment to an industry partner’s site, revealing commercial insights within their subsurface structures.”
From the First Commercial Prototype to Industry Awards
mDetect's work with Swinburne Innovation Studio helped the team move swiftly into the market.
In 2021, mDetect built their first commercial prototype – an advanced telescope detector deployed to analyse through a tailings dam wall.
That same year, mDetect received a $1.5 million total value investment grant from the Federal Government's Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) Commercialisation Fund and partners to fast-track commercial production.
The team used the AMGC grant to develop and automate their mass-manufacturing processes for their patented muon technology devices, along with undertaking a world-first deployment in BHP’s Prominent Hill Tailing Storage Facility.
They worked with Swinburne’s Factory of the Future, a business-led engineering facility, to develop the automation and mass-manufacturing processes for the muon devices.
The team were also finalists in the Research Commercialisation category of the AFR Higher Education Awards 2022.
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“This training turbo-charged our venture from an exciting research product to a commercial offering.”
Professor Alan Duffy , mDetect CEO
Further Investment through Swinburne Ventures Limited
Fast-forward to 2023, and mDetect secured further investment through Swinburne Ventures Limited in their $1 million seed round.
The raise was targeted at onboarding mDetect’s business development staff, establishing contract manufacturing for the first commercial units, and funding overheads associated with building their go-to-market strategy.
Today, mDetect continues to go from strength to strength. By giving an X-ray style scan through any substance, their muon technology is set to change how the world sees mining projects, long-term storage solutions, and construction sites.
Turn your research into reality
Swinburne Innovation Studio’s Elevate program is open to the whole Swinburne community.
“If you’re brimming with ideas and eager to turn them into a startup reality, the Swinburne Innovation Studio is your go-to,” says Abhay Seth, Director of Commercial Innovation.
“We’re here to empower aspiring founders by connecting them with relevant content, opportunities and networks in the vibrant startup community.”
Ready to innovate?
If you have any questions, need more information or want to know how we can help turn your big idea into a real thing, email us at innovationstudio@swinburne.edu.au.