Real Stories Behind Real Funding

We've spent years learning what actually works in Australian startup fundraising. Not the glossy success stories you read about, but the messy, complicated reality of building something from nothing.

How We Actually Started

Back in 2019, Marcus was sitting in a cramped Melbourne co-working space, watching his third startup pitch get politely declined. He'd done everything the blogs said to do. Perfect pitch deck, solid financials, even wore the right shirt. But something wasn't clicking.

That's when he realized most fundraising advice comes from people who got lucky once, not from people who've seen hundreds of deals from both sides. So he started documenting what actually worked. Not the theory – the real conversations that led to real cheques.

Today we work with Australian founders who are tired of generic advice and want someone who's been through the actual grind of building a business worth investing in.

Early team meeting in Melbourne co-working space

Three Things We Learned the Hard Way

Every mistake we made became a lesson we now share with founders who are serious about raising capital

1

Investors Fund Stories, Not Spreadsheets

Took us eighteen months to realize that perfect financial models don't matter if you can't explain why your business needs to exist. We help founders find their actual story, not the one they think investors want to hear.

2

Timing Beats Everything

Great ideas at wrong times still fail. We spent 2021 watching brilliant founders get rejected because they approached funding during market uncertainty. Now we help founders read market signals and time their raises properly.

3

Networks Matter More Than Pitches

The best deals happen through warm introductions, not cold emails. We've spent five years building genuine relationships with investors who actually write cheques for Australian startups.

Marcus Chen, Founding Partner

Marcus Chen

Founding Partner

Former startup founder with three exits. Spent two years in Silicon Valley before returning to Melbourne. Still codes on weekends and makes terrible coffee.

Why Founders Actually Work With Us

  • We've raised money ourselves, so we know what rejection feels like and what traction actually looks like to investors
  • We focus on Australian market realities, not Silicon Valley fantasy stories that don't work here
  • We're honest about timelines – most raises take 6-9 months, not the 3 months everyone hopes for
  • We help founders build businesses worth funding, not just pitch decks that sound impressive
  • We only work with startups we genuinely believe can succeed, because our reputation depends on founder success
M
Total Raised by Clients
89
Startups Supported
2019
Founded
Strategic planning session with startup founders

Real Strategy Sessions

We dig into your actual business model, not just your pitch. Most founders discover gaps they didn't know existed.

Investor meeting preparation and practice

Investor Introductions

Access to investors who actually fund Australian startups. No generic email lists or outdated contacts from 2018.

Ready to Talk About Your Fundraising Strategy?

We work with founders who are serious about building fundable businesses. If that sounds like you, let's have a conversation about what's actually possible.

Start the Conversation