INCUBASE Explore Ventures Present
A presenter introducing INCUBASE to students during the programme briefing.
TISSA × NOVAC / Digital Venture IncubatorCohort 2026/27

Learn by asking.
Grow by building.

A six-month programme supporting student venture teams as they develop validated digital prototypes and prepare for further demonstration or potential commercialisation.

Commencement
1 November 2026
Duration
Six months
Participants
13 student ventures
Validation target
TRL 4
THE COLLABORATION

Built together.
Room to grow.

The TISSA × NOVAC Digital Venture Incubator is organised by AISRED in collaboration with NOVAC, within the TISSA academic ecosystem at Universiti Utara Malaysia.

01 / PROGRAMME ORGANISERS

Expertise meets
student initiative.

Organised by AISREDCentre of Excellence within TISSA
In collaboration with NOVACNorthern Varsity Accounting Club
02 / ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS

Grounded in an
academic ecosystem.

THE PURPOSE

A bridge from
classroom to context.

Practical digital solutions start with a clear understanding of a real problem.

The TISSA × NOVAC Digital Venture Incubator brings a structure to that work. Associated with Universiti Utara Malaysia, the current programme supports 13 student venture teams exploring needs across different industries and communities.

Teams are encouraged to question assumptions, learn from potential users, develop working prototypes, and test what they build. The focus is on evidence and learning through development.

Meet the participating ventures
THE PROCESS / FOUR CONNECTED PHASES

Make the question better.
Then make it real.

  1. 01

    Discover

    Start with a real context. Explore the needs, routines, and challenges of the people a digital solution could support.

  2. 02

    Validate

    Use research and conversations to question early assumptions. Let evidence shape the problem before deciding what to build.

  3. 03

    Build

    Turn a focused idea into a practical digital product. Develop, test, and improve a prototype around what the team has learned.

  4. 04

    Demonstrate

    Show how the prototype works, document its limitations, and use controlled testing to inform further development.

A CLEAR DIRECTIONTRL4PROGRAMME TARGET
VALIDATION, WITH EVIDENCE

A prototype that
can be put to the test.

Technology validated in a laboratory or controlled environment, as appropriate to the innovation.

TRL 4 is the programme’s target. Reaching it requires evidence from appropriate testing; participation alone does not establish that a venture has achieved this level.

The journey may open pathways towards further development, demonstration, or potential commercialisation. Those possibilities depend on the solution, its evidence, and the opportunities available.

WHAT COMES NEXT

One cohort.
A longer view.

INCUBASE is the ecosystem identity around this work. The current programme is a starting point for a longer journey of student venture building, collaboration, and documented learning.

Programme milestones and approved updates will be shared through the journal as the work develops.

Follow programme updates
EVERY VENTURE HAS A BEGINNING

The next big idea
starts somewhere.

Explore the ventures. Discover the people. Follow the journey from ideas to real-world digital solutions.

Explore Our Ventures Discover Incubase