Frequently asked questions

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It's important that you feel safe to share the challenges you're facing and get the support you need.

One of the Ladymates core values is confidentiality, and Chatham House Rules must be upheld by all members.

• Many of our members have been able to secure sponsorship through their workplace! We’d highly recommend at least having the conversation with them.
• To help you navigate this, we’ve put together this handy guide on how to get your company to invest in your Learning & Development

• Peer mentoring
  • We group all Ladymates into 'peer advisory groups', where women can work through challenges, soundboard ideas, and get feedback from other Ladymates who are facing similar challenges. Learn more here.
• Masterclassess
  • We bring in a subject expert and/or a woman in tech a few steps ahead of you to provide tangible advice, frameworks, and support to help you build your skills and navigate challenges.
  • Some masterclass examples include ‘asserting influence through storytelling’ with Arabella Macpherson, ‘presence and body language’ with Lucy Allen, ‘having difficult conversations’ with May Samali, etc.
• Role/functional mentoring
  • You have the option to join any of the different ‘functional groups’ (i.e. Ops, Marketing, Customer Success, etc.), where you will receive role-specific support and resources.

• This isn’t the end of the world. We encourage a healthy work/play balance (and talk about it all the time in sessions!). It should be fine to go overseas or take some holidays, just be sure to give your group members a heads up.
• However, we prefer participants are not absent for months at a time or miss more than one session.
• Note that we also put all sessions on pause for the end of year holiday period!

• We believe you get out what you put in. Given the limited intake size, we want members who are ready to commit to their growth and are present to support their fellow Ladymates.
• For this reason, attendance is mandatory. Participants who miss more than one session may be withdrawn from the membership*, so please get in touch if you have concerns around your availability (*except in extenuating circumstances).
• Think of us as your accountability buddies - we’re here to help you help yourself!

At Startmate we like to keep it simple without hooks or surprises.

Startmate invests AUD $120,000 with the following investment terms:

• Founders who have not previously raised: at a AUD $1.5m post-money valuation. 
• Founders who have previously raised capital: we match the terms and valuation from their previous round.
  • Note: You must have already raised AUD $250,000 or more. During the selection process you'll need to provide signed documents.

You get to choose whether we invest via a SAFE, or in your priced equity round.

Startmate is able to match the valuation of your last raise.

There are a couple of conditions that need to be met for Startmate to match the valuation of your last raise: 

1. You need to have raised at least AUD $250,000 from VC or angel investors (i.e. not friends or family). 
2. The investment needs to be completely finalised (i.e. executed documents) prior to you being invited for interviews.. 

‍Note: We will ask for executed investment documents (i.e. a SAFE / Subscription Agreement / Term Sheet) as part of the selection process to confirm the above.

Startmate Accelerator selection is a 3 step process over the course of 3 weeks at the end of which we make an offer to join the cohort.

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Stage 1 - online application + 90sec video (~1h)

Each application is reviewed by at least 3 mentors independently. Mentors are all personally invested in the fund and are looking for the founders who stand out the most - connection to the problem, size of ambition, customer conversations etc.

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Stage 2 - round robin interviews (2.5h) - remote

At this stage you get to meet 10 mentors in 10mins back to back conversations. This is a high energy fast speed interview round that allows you to really hone the story of your company.

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Stage 3 - in depth interview (1h) - remote

Finally, you’ve got an hour in-depth interview with 3-4 of our mentors including a Startmate team member. Here we’re going deep into your product, vision and any open questions from the previous rounds.

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You can read about the application questions and top tips for your application here!

You’re still a great fit for the program! We’ve invested in startups with angel, pre-seed, and seed funding. The program’s laser focus on customer feedback and market validation is incredibly relevant to companies that are looking to scale. Additionally, handpicked mentors in your corner helping you address challenges as they arise continues to be invaluable for more established teams.

Launch Club costs $1,100 (incl. GST).

This isn’t just a fee, it’s your skin in the game. Everyone in the cohort has made the same commitment, which means you’ll be surrounded by founders who are serious about showing up, building momentum, and backing themselves.

PS: If cost is a barrier, talk to us. We don’t want money to be the reason you don’t start.

No, you do not need to be full time on your startup.

However, based on previous cohorts, we do recommend that you are in a position to want to start something now and commit the time to validating your idea. You will get much more out of the program.

Launch Club runs for 8 weeks, designed to spark real momentum without derailing your day job or studies.

• Live sessions run on Mondays, Tuesdays, and occasionally Wednesdays
• Can’t make one? All sessions are recorded
• Expect 5–7 hours/week of core content sessions
• Beyond that, what you put in is what you get out. Founders often spend extra time talking to users, building, and testing ideas

This isn’t passive learning, it’s hands-on, high-energy, and built to push you forward.

Here’s how it works:

Stage 1: Online Application

You’ll answer 3 short written questions (max 250 words each) and submit a personal elevator pitch — either as a 1-minute video or written answer.

We’re looking for ambition, insight, and momentum. We don’t care if you have an MVP — we care if you’re ready to start.

Short Answer Questions:

1. Why are you hungry to be a founder — in general, and right now?
2. What’s one thing you believe that not many others do?
3. Tell us about something you’ve done that you’re proud of.

Elevator Pitch (Video or Written, Max 1 Minute or 250 words):‍

You’re stuck in an elevator with Michael Batko (Startmate CEO). You have 60 seconds. What do you tell him about yourself? Go.

Stage 2: Speed Interview

If your application stands out, you’ll be invited to a 15-minute call with the Startmate team. It’s fast, fun, and focused on your goals and why Launch Club is right for you.

Stage 3: Outcome

We’ll let you know if you’re in. If selected, you’ll join a powerful community of early-stage founders ready to go from idea to launch in just 8 weeks.

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The program is designed for aspiring or early-stage founders who have identified a problem they want to solve, but have yet to start a company.

It’s a common misconception that you have to be technically minded to found a startup. This is simply not true. Whether you’re studying arts, engineering, music, science, law, business or anything in between, the Student Fellowship can help you determine whether a career in startups is the right fit for you.

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Our Student Fellows come from all backgrounds, experiences and walks of life. However, they are all:

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• Tenacious and willing to create their own opportunities;
• Fast-moving individuals who thrive in chaos and uncertainty;
• Problem-solvers who love finding creative solutions; and
• Team players looking to make authentic connections and join a community for life.

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We’re especially interested in you if you would like to found a startup in the future (or now)!

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All university students are welcome to apply, regardless of age, race, disability, cultural background, gender or sexuality.

The Student Fellowship runs for 2 weeks, during which time Fellows team up and found a startup.

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From coming up with a startup idea, testing and refining it, validating it with customers and pitching the finished product at the end of the program. And if you’ve already got an idea or started talking to customers - great!

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You’ll also be added to a talent pool that will open you up to internship and job opportunities at Australian and New Zealand startups.

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And the journey doesn't end after 2 weeks. Our Student Fellows join Startmate’s community of operators, founders and investors for life, and make meaningful connections with other ambitious, passionate students and coaches from all over the country.

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Check out this program reflection from Summer23 cohort student fellow, Melody Wu.

Sessions will run in the evenings, with occasional lunchtime optional check-ins.

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With approximately 15 hours of content across the program, come prepared for an intense and transformative learning and networking experience. You’ll get out what you put in!

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Sessions will be recorded and available after the program ends, but you will get the most out of the program if you can attend the live sessions.

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In general, the program follows a set operating cadence. Live sessions will run after work hours:

• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 5-7PM AEST

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****In addition to the content sessions, there will also be Friday in-person drinks in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as regular catch-ups with your founding team and Coach.

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Depending on your own bandwidth and personal objectives, you can then scale up from there - dive into bonus resources, connect with other Fellows & Coaches, build your network, etc.

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The Student Fellowship is a two-week bootcamp that runs twice a year during the winter and summer student holidays.

Content and resources are entirely virtual, and there are in-person socials.

Each cohort is made up of about 150-300 students and recent graduates (up to six months post-graduation).

Startmate is the most active early-stage investor in Australia. We invest at the very beginning of a founder's journey, making us best-placed to help budding angel investors. We help founders to realise their bold ambitions every day. We’ve been accelerating founders for more than a decade and we want to open this world to you.

We focus on the things you can't Google and provide unparalleled hands-on investing opportunities.

Over 14 weeks, you'll learn the craft of investing from world-class investors through the Startmate network, while simultaneously being exposed to 500+ early-stage startups. This is not about passively learning abstract concepts. It's about learning by doing and making real investment decisions on real companies with real outcomes.

Alongside other First Believers, you'll refine and develop your investment strategy, establish clear next steps in your journey to investing, and be supported in realising them.

Investing is a decade-long journey. We’re building a community to be there with you every step of the way. You'll develop deep relationships with First Believers and be a part of a community for life.

You also get ongoing exposure to Startmate's deal flow, and have opportunities to learn-by-doing (even if you don't have capital to invest right now).

If you want to build confidence in making early-stage startup investments, better understand the investor lens, or build life-changing relationships with other ambitious investors and founders, First Believers is the place for you.

You don’t have to be a sophisticated investor. You don’t need to have $$$ to invest. You can join with or without any prior experience.

First Believers come from a range of backgrounds, including past founders, corporate venture capitalists, high-growth technology company employees, and ecosystem champions.

No! First Believers is about developing future investors.

We understand the ambition to be an investor might come before the financial position to back your belief in founders.

Amongst a number of pathways for non-sophisticated investors, we have uniquely raised a $1 million Small Bets Fund exclusively for First Believers of all backgrounds to invest into founders at the very beginning (and earn carry in the fund while doing so).

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The First Believers program fee is $5,500 including GST.

We're committed to seeing better representation in the startup ecosystem, and we don't want financial limitations to be a prohibiting factor from participating in First Believers. Startmate offers full and part scholarships for the First Believers program. This fee will only be invoiced after program acceptance. The fee can be paid upfront or via instalments.

NZGCP proudly sponsor one NZ position per cohort.

The best way to gauge if the program is right for you is to check out the Program Overview outlined above and have a look at what will be covered. If you believe that content might be beneficial to you, I would absolutely encourage you to apply.

It’s also worth noting that the session content is only one part of the program. The other main component of the Fellowship is the community.

You will be joining a cohort of other ambitious and inspiring women who are here to support you on your journey.

You will also be joining the ‘Startmate Community’, which is a powerful network of some of the best startup operators, founders, and investors in Australia and New Zealand.

If you think you would benefit from being a part of this community, I would also encourage you to apply.

Yes absolutely - this Fellowship is for anyone looking to pivot their career. We will have women working in corporate, government, startups, scale ups, big tech, multi-national corps, healthcare- you name it. If you want to change roles and are seeking skills, motivation and support to do so, come join us.

The program is mostly virtual. All of the content is delivered in a virtual format (and will be recorded if you can’t attend live). However, we will also be hosting a few in-person events in the major capital cities as we find this helps facilitate stronger connections.

On average, 2-5 hours per week. Sessions will primarily take place on Mondays (evening), Tuesdays (lunchtime), and Thursdays (evening). Sessions are recorded in case you can’t attend any sessions! There will also be some optional in-person activity throughout the program.

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Yes! We would hate for epic women to be limited by financial hardship. If you are unable to participate due to the program fee, you may be eligible for a scholarship. If this is the case, please reach out to kelly@startmate.com.au

Startmate is building the ecosystem that startups need to thrive in Australia and New Zealand. 

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We bring the most ambitious founders, operators and investors together in our programs.

Founders - we help you get started and invest in your company

Operators - we help you launch and perform in your career in startups

Investors - we help you work through angel investing and have funds to invest in

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Through Startmate’s community, wildly ambitious ideas flourish and powerful solutions are built.

Startmate was founded in 2010 when there was latent creativity and potential in Australia, but no venture capital or accelerators to support it.

Niki Scevak (who would go on to found Blackbird Ventures in 2012) and a bunch of successful founders (including Mike and Scott from Atlassian) put their money where their mouths were. Everyone invested $10k into a micro-fund to invest in the next generation of early-stage founders, and started building a community of successful founders to support them.

Startmate and Blackbird go a long way back, as we have the same founder: Niki Scevak, who first founded Startmate in 2010, then Blackbird in 2012. Upon founding Blackbird, Startmate became a wholly owned subsidiary of Blackbird. Startmate is owned 85% by Blackbird, and 15% by the Startmate team.

Startmate is operationally independent of Blackbird, which means we run our own funds, team and decision-making.

We love working with the Blackbird team, in particular through legal/operational know-how spillovers. We sit under the Blackbird financial license (AFSL) but raise our own funds every 6 months.

Since ~2016 Startmate has become the Switzerland of VC in Australia and New Zealand. Whilst we work closely with the Blackbird investment team, we have most VC funds in the countries investing, selecting and mentoring in our programs such as AirTree, squarepg, Main Sequence, rampersand, Skip Capital, Grok Ventures to name a few.

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We’ll create a world where Aussies and Kiwis can find meaning and purpose in their careers. 

Where Australia and New Zealand will be known as the most innovative nations in the world.

And we’ll solve some of the biggest existential threats to humanity along on the way.

We have all the potential to make this dream a reality and our legacy at Startmate will be defined by how well we can unlock and unleash that potential.

Startmate Nation will change the world as we know it.

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Startmate Nation is the place people come to change the world.

Startmate Nation brings together the dreamers, believers and builders who start, fund and work in startups.  In nature, we call this kind of symbiosis ‘mutualism’ - a type of relationship where all species involved benefit from their interactions. None can exist without the others.

We’re building an ecosystem within Startmate bottoms-up instead of waiting for nation-wide government or systemic changes.

Our main focus is on building the ANZ startup ecosystem. We want to make Australia and New Zealand a leader in technology. So the people who apply for our programs and memberships are generally people who are living, working, building & investing in Australia and New Zealand.

However, the Startmate community is a global community. We have founders, mentors, investors, operators and partners scattered around the world.

Founders who apply and are accepted into our Accelerator program receive an investment of 120k. Applications open Sep-Nov & May-June. Check out the program and our investment terms. We also invest in founders via our Spark Fund all year round. More information here.

Pre-product and pre-revenue.

Roughly 50% of the companies we back are pre-revenue and often pre-product. We love being your first investor and backing you right from the beginning. We just want to know that you’re obsessed with your customers and the problem you’re solving for them.

We’re industry agnostic, check out our portfolio page to see all the different problems our founders are solving. 

We invest in “Spikes”… sounds weird - we know (But it works for us).

1. Team - We would buy stock in this founder. They have unbridled ambition, off-the-charts determination, want to learn-it-all, and have a unique connection to problem.
2. Progress - Things are happening, fast. # customer interviews, # users, $ revenue, engagement, technical progress, top brand names signed up - they’re moving at speeeeeed.
3. Invention - Invented a new technology or a significant leap in technology.
4. Unique Vision - The founders see the future differently from everyone else and it’s compelling.
5. 10x - The product is not incrementally better than alternatives, but 10X better. It could be 10X faster, 10X cheaper, 10X easier to use or 10X better quality.

There are a range of different ways to join the community. The most common way is by participating in one of our programs or memberships. Check them out here. However you can also get involved as a partner, mentor or coach. Better yet, join us at our next event, meet some people already in the community, hear their story of how they came to join Startmate Nation.

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Startmate programs usually take place over a sprint period ranging from 2 weeks to 12 weeks. They are high impact, high commitment (~2-4h per week).

Startmate memberships usually take place over a year long period. They are high impact, low time commitment (~2-4h per month).

To help coach the next generation of talent in the ANZ startup ecosystem, check out this page.

There are a few stages to becoming a mentor for the Accelerator. To help coach the next generation of talent in the ANZ startup ecosystem, check out this page.

Coaches dedicate their time to people in our programs/memberships while mentors are 100% focussed on Accelerator founders.

There are a tonne of different ways you can partner with Startmate, check them out here.

We have offices in Auckland, Sydney and Melbourne. Our HQ is in Surry Hills. Reach out to the team if you’d like to get in touch.

Take a look at our careers page and our LinkedIn for live roles.