Cicada Innovations Appoints New Venture Growth Experts
The deep tech incubator has hired two specialists to support founders through commercialisation and market growth.
Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Remote Work
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Cicada Innovations has appointed Rob Gorkin and Sam Bruce as Venture Growth Experts to assist founders in the deep tech sector. These experts will provide guidance on product design, regulation, and market entry as ventures transition from technical research to commercial growth.
Why it matters
The company has expressed concerns that proposed changes to the Research and Development Tax Incentive may reduce vital support for deep tech businesses with long revenue-generation cycles. This recruitment aims to provide essential coaching to founders navigating these long-term financial hurdles.
The proposed changes to the Research and Development Tax Incentive introduce a 10-year company age limit on access to the refundable offset. This move targets the support structure for deep tech companies undergoing extended periods of research and development.
The players
Cicada Innovations
Cicada Innovations operates an incubator for deep tech founders in Australia.
Rob Gorkin
Rob Gorkin is a Sydney-based expert specialising in the BioMedtech field.
Sam Bruce
Sam Bruce is a Victoria-based expert specialising in the energy and critical industries sectors.
The details
Rob Gorkin will serve as the Venture Growth Expert for BioMedtech in Sydney, while Sam Bruce joins as the Expert for Energy and Critical Industries based in Victoria. The pair will work directly with founders to address challenges in manufacturing, funding, and regulation throughout their business lifecycles.
Timeline
20 October 2026 is the date of the announcement.
Market Landscape
Cicada Innovations is reinforcing its advisory model to counter potential funding gaps created by the proposed Research and Development Tax Incentive amendments. This strategy positions the incubator as a buffer for deep tech ventures facing a more restricted regulatory and financial environment.
Founders and operators within the deep tech ecosystem may need to adjust their long-term financial strategies to account for the proposed age limits on government tax offsets. These appointments offer a new resource for navigating these policy shifts through expert coaching and commercial guidance.
The takeaway
The appointment of specialist growth experts signals a proactive effort to insulate deep tech startups from policy-driven financial risks. Startups in this space should prioritise early commercialisation planning to mitigate potential losses from changes in government tax support.
Further reading
Learn more about the evolving landscape for distributed teams and professional support in the Australia Remote Work section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by IT Brief Australia.
Live Poll
Should government research tax incentives prioritize deep tech companies that take longer to become profitable?
