John Kapeleris

After completing my Bachelor of Science (Honours) at the University of Queensland, I began my career as a Medical Immunologist before moving into medical product development. My experience as a health practitioner laid the foundation for a productive career in research and development. In 1995 I completed a Graduate Diploma of Management from CQUniversity, and the same year I was appointed as the Research & Development Manager at Panbio Pty Ltd. While there, I managed the development of 16 new medical diagnostic products, including assays targeting diseases such as Whooping Cough, Barmah Forest Virus, Q fever, Leptospira, Brucella, Epstein-Barr Virus, Human Herpes Virus 6, Japanese encephalitis, and Dengue Fever. I later transitioned into the role of Business Development Manager, where I oversaw the global market adoption of these products and contributed to Panbio’s transformation into a global enterprise.

Building on my achievements in medical services, I broadened my focus to encompass research and development, commercialisation, and business leadership. I spent nearly a decade leading the Australian Institute for Commercialisation and later became a founding member of Technology Reserve—an international expert community grounded in innovation, collaboration, and the support of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of guiding a range of enterprises, offering leadership and strategic advice across industries, with a focus on innovation, capital-raising, and market entry. Currently, I serve as CEO of BirdSol Pty Ltd, a pioneering technology company behind Cherrp™, an artificial intelligence-based avian deterrent and wildlife management system. Cherrp™ uses visual and auditory recognition to identify target bird species and communicates with them using their own ‘language’ to steer them away from protected areas and towards safer, alternative feeding zones. The technology promotes humane wildlife treatment and has proven to improve agricultural yields, with trials showing a crop loss reduction of over 96%.

With more than 30 years of experience in medical biotechnology, product development, commercialisation, and executive leadership, I’ve led BirdSol to notable recognition. We were finalists in both the 2023 THRIVE Agrifood Global Impact Awards and the 2023 Future Food Asia Awards, and we featured at AgriFutures Evoke. In 2024, BirdSol was also selected for the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) GroundUp program, which accelerates innovative solutions for the grains sector.

I remain passionate about bridging the gap between industry and education through ongoing academic engagement. At the Queensland University of Technology, I contributed to the Innovation Space Incubator project, and at the University of Queensland—where I hold the role of Adjunct Associate Professor—I’ve served in positions including Biotechnology Program Facilitator, Bioentrepreneurship Course Coordinator, and Industry Advisory Board Member. I regularly lecture on topics such as Commercialisation of Biotech Products, Bioentrepreneurship, Innovation, and Nanotechnology, ensuring my industry experience supports and inspires the next generation of innovators.