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Student wins Co-Lab award with quantum-resistant cybersecurity innovation

Liam New has won the ACU Co-Lab Student Business Idea Award 2025, taking home $1,000 for the cutting-edge cybersecurity platform he co-founded.

The ACU Bachelor of Information technology student's innovative venture, QuantumGuard AI, is poised to revolutionise financial security by delivering the world's first quantum-resistant financial compliance platform.

It addresses the vulnerability of current encryption systems to quantum computing attacks - a critical emerging threat in cybersecurity that could compromise every bank account and transaction withisn the next five years as technology advances.

By combining NIST-approved post-quantum encryption, AI-powered AUSTRAC risk detection and an intuitive 3D visualisation interface, the venture aims to enable Australian financial institutions to future-proof their data security infrastructure now, and ultimately position Australia as the world's first quantum-safe financial hub.

The concept emerged from Liam and co-developer Lucas Grange's technical expertise and forward-thinking approach to cybersecurity, demonstrating that successful innovations often stem from anticipating future threats before they materialise into crises.

Liam and Lucas developed QuantumGuard AI through the ACU Business Incubator Series, transforming a proof of concept into an enterprise-ready platform in just six months.

"When I started QuantumGuard six months ago with my co-developer Lucas Grange, we had very high ambitions, but to win the Student Business Idea Award makes me feel extremely blessed," says Liam.

"It is an honour to be a part of the ACU Co-Lab community. It has welcomed me with open arms and provided us with the resources to make a proof of concept into an enterprise-ready product.

"This competition has allowed me the opportunity to showcase the institutional adoption of QuantumGuard with future interoperability in mind. The Student Business Idea competition is an amazing program."

The Co-Lab team was thoroughly impressed by the exceptional quality and commercial viability of solutions presented by the talented student entrepreneurs who participated in the Student Business Idea Award challenge.

We extend our sincere appreciation to all participants for their entrepreneurial spirit, innovative thinking, and commitment to developing and presenting compelling business pitches. The calibre of commercial innovation continues to inspire our work in fostering the next generation of Australian entrepreneurs.