AI Pre-Accelerator
for Women
Proudly Supported by LaunchVic
Turn your expertise into an AI-powered startup.
Helping women founders build the next generation of AI startups through AI capability, founder education and community support.
Applications open in August 2026. Only 25 scholarship spots. Register your interest to be the first to know and apply
"There's no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish"
MICHELLE OBAMA
Our Amazing Partners
Our incredible partners are committed to helping make your startup successful.
Why Press Play
Build the next generation of AI startups.
AI is transforming every industry, creating unprecedented opportunities for founders to build the next generation of businesses. Yet women remain underrepresented among the entrepreneurs shaping this future.
At Press Play, we help ambitious women turn their expertise, insights and ideas into AI-native and AI-enabled startups. You don’t need a technical background or a fully formed idea – just curiosity, ambition and a desire to solve meaningful problems.
Over the past two years, we’ve supported more than 150 women on their founder journey, with alumni going on to raise investment, secure major customers and launch successful ventures. Our AI Pre-Accelerator combines AI fluency, startup know-how and expert support to help you build with confidence.
Build AI & Business Smarts
What we
Offer
Discover & Validate Opportunities
Identify real-world problems worth solving and validate AI-enabled solutions that address genuine customer needs.
Gain AI Fluency
Develop practical knowledge in AI, data literacy, ethics, privacy and entrepreneurship to become a confident AI founder.
Prototype & Test Your Idea
Make meaningful progress by creating and test ingAI-enabled prototypes, gathering customer feedback and developing an early go-to-market strategy.
Access World-Class Guidance
Access coaching, practical guidance and real-world insights from founders, operators and AI specialists who have successfully built and scaled businesses and establish pathways that lead to clients, accelerators and investors.
What our
Founders Think
What 150+ Founders Say
Made for You
What you can expect
Scholarships & Zero Equity
There are up to 25 scholarships up for grabs at 95% off.
Plus the program is equity-free which means whatever you build is always yours.
No Technical Background Required
You don’t need to be a software engineer, data scientist or AI expert to participate.
We’ll help you understand the opportunities AI creates and give you the tools, frameworks and support to bring your ideas to life.
Built for Busy Women
Expect to commit around 4–5 hours per week across workshops, learning and practical activities.
The rest of your time is yours, whether that’s focused on work, family, friends or simply creating space to think and build.
How we
do it
Built Around Your Founder Journey
Everyone starts from a different place. Whether you’re exploring AI for the first time, refining an idea, or looking for your next career chapter, we’ll meet you where you are and help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
Through guided workshops, practical tools and expert support, we’ll help you answer the critical questions that turn ambition into action.
Discover Opportunities
Learn how AI-native and AI-enabled businesses create value, explore practical business models and understand the unit economics that drive successful AI companies.
Find Your Founder Fit
Use our proprietary AI to accelerate your startup journey while gaining guidance from founders and operators who have walked in your shoes before.
Learn by Building
Build and test AI-enabled solutions through hands-on workshops covering opportunity discovery, customer validation, prototyping, MVP development and go-to-market execution.
Connect, Grow & Lead
Develop your founder capabilities with guidance from experienced AI founders and operators while building connections across the broader AI ecosystem, including mentors, partners and investors.
Who is behind it?
Expert Support
Led by startup founders and AI experts, Press Play helps ambitious women turn their expertise into AI-powered startups.
We’ve experienced the challenges of building businesses firsthand and created the program we wish we’d had when we started. Combining practical tools, expert guidance and a supportive community, we help women move from curiosity to confidence and from idea to action. If you’re ready to play a role in shaping the future of AI, Press Play is where your journey begins.
Frequently Asked Questions.
The AI Pre-Accelerator for Women is designed for ambitious women who want to explore entrepreneurship and build AI-powered solutions to real-world problems.
Whether you work in corporate, technology, consulting, healthcare, education, finance, government or another industry, the program is for women who are curious about the opportunities AI creates and want to turn their expertise into impact.
You don’t need a technical background, startup experience or even a fully formed idea. We’re looking for women who are curious, resourceful and motivated to learn, experiment and solve meaningful problems.
If you’re excited by the possibility of building something of your own, contributing to the future of AI and joining a community of ambitious women, we’d love to hear from you.
While the program is currently designed for women, we’ve received interest from people of all genders and from around the world. Register your interest and we’ll keep you updated as we explore future opportunities to expand the program
An AI startup is a business that uses artificial intelligence as a core part of how it creates value for customers. Rather than simply adding AI as a feature, AI is fundamental to the product, service or business model.
This could include using AI to automate complex tasks, generate insights from data, improve decision-making, personalise experiences, create entirely new products, or solve problems in ways that were previously impossible or prohibitively expensive.
Importantly, you don’t need to build your own AI models to create an AI startup. Many successful startups leverage existing AI technologies and foundation models to address specific customer needs or industry challenges.
At Press Play, we define an AI startup broadly. We are interested in founders who identify meaningful problems and use AI as a key enabler to deliver a better solution, whether in healthcare, education, finance, sustainability, professional services, government, consumer products or other sectors.
Ultimately, an AI startup is not about the technology itself. It’s about using AI to create significant value, solve real problems and build a scalable business.
During the duration of the program, each week you need to commit a total of 4 to 5 hours to the program and your startup. There will be 2 hours of compulsory programming per week and then other optional activities to help you get ahead in building your business.
The program will be primarily delivered online, with in-person events and practical sessions.
Applications open August 2026. Register your interest, keep an eye on our LinkedIn or subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to hear when the next round of applications open.
Not ready to take the leap yet?
We completely understand. Dip your toes in the water and get on the list to hear about the incredible events and network opportunities we host.