As a founder who has successfully navigated the choppy waters of fundraising through the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and the Covid-19 pandemic, I find myself facing yet another storm, this time, stirred by Trump’s recent trade policies. The current funding environment bears an uncanny resemblance to those past crises, and the implications for early-stage startups… Read more »
So you’ve e-signed the docs, transferred the funds (nobody writes an actual cheque these days when they say “I’ve written a cheque”). You’ve joined the cap table. You’ve posted the obligatory celebratory LinkedIn update. Congratulations — you’re officially An Angel Investor™. But now what? If you’re a new angel investor, the post-investment phase can feel…… Read more »
In April 2024, I started my eighth business, CapXcentric, a pre-seed to Series A capital raising coaching business. And I made a deliberate decision: I’m not scaling it. I know, it sounds ironic. CapXcentric exists to guide founders through the capital raise process, often for high-growth, hyper-scale startups. But despite working in a space that’s… Read more »
As a developer at DataStax, I often find myself trying to explain what I do for a living. For people working in tech and using AI tools or coding copilots, telling them I work with generative AI is often well understood. Sitting around the table at Christmas lunch with the family can be a different… Read more »
This time last year, Chaz and I were in the closing stages of our $7m Seed round. From the outside, raising capital may seem… exciting and sexy? That’s the Instagram version, you know it well. The reality is it’s an all-consuming and exhausting grind with zero margin for failure and the potential of changing an… Read more »
When Zeller CEO and cofounder Ben Pfisterer raised $100 million in a Series B that valued the then two-year fintech at $1 billion, he was talking to his US investor from behind a $19 IKEA desk. Pfisterer has spent his career in payments, including six years building Square in Australia for Jack Dorsey, and has… Read more »
Two Tractor Ventures OGs have teamed up to help deeptech founders with their funding plans. Warwick Donaldson’s CapXcentric has partnered with GROUP GROUP, the new specialist advisory and storytelling curation firm founded by Garry Williams. CapXcentric helps Australian technology startups access funding on the best terms, from the most appropriate investors. works with a range… Read more »
In entrepreneur Jamie Pride’s book, Unicorn Tears, he states that the failure rate of startups is 92% – alarmingly high, but there are things that founders can do to improve these odds. Based on my own experiences in founding and leading software companies, I discovered a way to steward SMEs. I call this way ‘succession… Read more »
“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.” This insightful quote from the famous 1960s American baseball player Vernon Law perfectly encapsulates the entrepreneurial journey. While experience may be a hard teacher, the spirit of winning and losing is governed by lady luck. Entrepreneurs must navigate continual learning, with… Read more »
The federal government has chosen four organisations under its AI Adopt Program to give small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to provide expert advice on how to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) in their operations. Each centre will target businesses in key priority areas of the National Reconstruction Fund. The centres will demonstrate how AI can modernise… Read more »
Anxiety is a huge issue that many in society go through. It is considered the most common mental health condition in Australia and America. More than one in six Australians had an anxiety disorder such as social phobia or post-traumatic stress disorder in the previous 12 months, while in America, over 40 million adults accounting… Read more »
Over the past five years, accelerator and incubator programs in Australia have had their ups and downs. Some have opened, while others have closed, and through it all thousands of startups have applied for a chance to increase their odds of survival and growth. Having now completed three corporate run accelerator programs (with KPMG, PepsiCo,… Read more »
(Note: the following are general observations only and do not constitute tax advice) News this week of Macquarie Bank writing off its $46 million investment into software company Plutora has once again brought to light the devastating impact that denied R&D tax incentive claims can have on a startup. Whilst the exact circumstances of Plutora’s… Read more »
In our journey through the business world, we often encounter hurdles that test our resolve, creativity, and strategic thinking. Transitioning from corporate burnout to building a six-figure business within a year, I learnt the indispensable role of essential systems in achieving scalability and profitability. I want to take some time to share with you the… Read more »
‘Reformed’ founder turned academic, Chris Edwards, analyses the most prevalent startup failure factor. In today’s competitive marketplace, it’s more important than ever to put customers first. But how do you find the time to do that when you’re running a startup or small business, where seemingly everyone and everything is vying for your time and… Read more »
SLIP, SLOP, SLAPDASH: Choice tested 20 SPF 50 sunscreens – and 80% failed 
Why the next wave of unicorns will be female-founded consumer brands rather than tech 
Leigh Jasper leads a new $50 million fund backed by Australian unicorn founders 
AI-powered healthcare transcription platform prescribed $12 million 
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