Cortical Labs CL1 wins gold at 2025 Australian design awards

The Cortical Labs CL1 has been named a Gold Winner in the Engineering Design category at the Australian Good Design Awards for 2025.

The Australian Good Design Awards is recognised as one of the world's longest-running international design award programmes, celebrating projects that show excellence in design across multiple disciplines and categories.

Award for CL1

This year, the awards carried the theme "Design for Better", highlighting the significance of design in building a more inclusive and sustainable world. Projects were judged for their role in driving positive change for people, the environment, and prosperity.

The Cortical Labs CL1 was among the select group recognised as an Australian Good Design Award Gold Winner in the Engineering Design category. Gold Winners represent the leading projects within each sub-category and are selected for their outstanding design quality, innovation, and positive sector impact.

Hon Weng Chong, Founder and CEO of Cortical Labs, described the recognition as significant for the company and the broader Australian technology landscape. He said, "Great design bridges the gap between imagination and implementation. In science and technology, good design is what turns complex research into tools that people can actually use to explore, create, and change the world. That's exactly what we've set out to achieve through the CL1, a world-first innovation born right here in Australia. These awards represent the enormous potential that exists within our local ecosystem when we invest in and back homegrown innovation, and reminds us why continued support is critical to keep Australia at the forefront of the global stage."

Jury remarks

"Building on four billion years of evolution, the Cortical Labs CL1 is the world's first commercially available biological computer. Designed for researchers, scientists, and developers, it enables direct code deployment to living neurons. Combining biological learning with digital systems in a self-contained, programmable platform for AI research, drug discovery, and disease modelling. The attention to detail and meticulous design in every part of this project is very evident. Incredible technology coupled with world-class design and engineering. Smart, innovative and impactful design at its very best and deserves to be Awarded the Australian Good Design Award Gold accolade. Well done."

Awards ceremony

The 2025 Australian Good Design Awards Ceremony will be held at the International Convention Centre Sydney, with more than 1,000 guests from the design, engineering, architecture and business sectors expected to attend. Award winners will receive their official Good Design Tick Trophy, while Gold Winners, such as Cortical Labs for its CL1, will be in the running for the Good Design Award Best in Class accolade. The ceremony will also reveal the Best in Class winners, recipients of special accolades, the Good Design Award for Sustainability, and the Australian Good Design Award of the Year.

View from organisers

Rachel Wye, Managing Director of Good Design Australia, reflected on the standard of this year's winners, stating, "The standard of Award Winners in this year's Australian Good Design Awards was the highest we've seen, with game-changing projects that push the envelope of good design, design innovation and design impact. These Awards clearly demonstrate the transformational power of design to create a better and more sustainable future."

She added, "The projects awarded this year show how thoughtful design can drive meaningful change - from the way we live and work to how we care for our planet. The Australian Good Design Awards are proud to recognise these world-class examples of design excellence, which not only enhance human experience, but also make a profound contribution to creating a more balanced and sustainable world."

Overview of the Awards

The Australian Good Design Awards cover 13 Design Disciplines and more than 35 categories. Entries are submitted from across the globe and range from the built environment and product design to engineering, digital, social impact, and policy design.

Each submission is assessed by over 80 international jurors and evaluated on three main criteria: Good Design, Design Innovation, and Design Impact. The awards programme, established in 1958, continues to recognise projects that contribute to a fairer and more sustainable future.