“ At Startmate, we help exceptional people build iconic companies. We are backed by the most powerful community of entrepreneurs and venture capitalists in Australia and New Zealand.
Since our inception, we have invested in 110+ startups with a combined valuation of $1B+. “
And that’s why we’re thrilled to announce that out of 450+ applications, we have been offered a prestigious spot in this year’s Startmate cohort. The news could not have come at a better time. We have supportive and loyal foundation partners in UniSA and CSL Limited and ready to reach thousands of other organisations who have the appetite to supercharge mass spectrometry to accelerate medical research and drug development.
The process
It has been a whirlwind and rewarding process. It started with Office Hours - which proved one of the best ways to get a taste of the ‘founders helping founders’ and ‘radical honesty’ culture that makes Startmate. In the space of just 2 weeks, we got the opportunity to leverage the experience of 5 seasoned entrepreneurs and investors and in each 30 minute meeting we received advice gold dust. This alone was worthwhile doing.
Off the back of this, we were convinced we should apply to be part of the 12-week accelerator and went through a simple and straightforward submission process. From there, we progressed into Interview Day. It sounds much more chillaxed than it actually was. 15 meetings. 10 minutes each. 17 mentors. That’s 3 hours, including a short intermission. It was fast-paced and furious and it made us appreciate the value of time. You can read more about what it’s like here.
Weary, we were pleased to hear that we had made it through to the last round - in-depth interviews - which involved a 45 minute meeting with 3 mentors. It was a completely different pace to the Interview Day, and a chance to talk passionately and in detail about our journey and what we love - mass spectrometry. We think it was pretty clear that Startmate or no Startmate, we were on a mission to bring it to the masses.
What next?
The ‘unprogram-style’ program officially kicks off on July 13th. We cannot wait to elbow-knock the rest of the cohort.
There will be a lot to be excited about over the next 3 months. The hyper-focus, the fresh eyes, the connectedness. The extended startup family, the support and being enlightened by the cohort, mentors and alumni. And who could look past the San Fransisco trip (and we’re totally ok with it being virtual, thanks COVID-19).
Thanks to the Startmate crew for the opportunity. They’ve been nothing short of professional, efficient, welcoming and generally awesome. And an extra special shoutout to Ben Armstrong @ Arch Angel and Matt Allen @ Pick and Shovel for encouraging us to apply.
If you’re interested in hearing more about a certain aspect of the program, drop us a line and we will be sure to share our thoughts throughout the journey