Student Fellowship

University students Kai Van Lieshout and Linus Talacko are using AI to create a new kind of grad job: startup founder.‍The second and third-year university students are the creators of Lyrebird Health, Australia's first and most widely used AI assistant for allied healthcare practitioners. ‍Lyrebird took out the top prize in a two-week hackathon in the Startmate Student Fellowship, a national program challenging a generation of young people to look to startups as an alternative career path. ‍Following this mighty win, Kai and Linus got a one-way ticket to Launch Club, where they spent the next ten weeks validating their idea, talking to customers and preparing for launch. 

“I didn't go to university because I just didn't know what I wanted to study there. It was the best choice I’ve ever made, even if the motivation might’ve been more rebelliousness or indecision than insight.”

Time-poor founders and operators are often hesitant to take on interns. But the right intern can “be a dream”, says Normal Founder Lucy Wark.

Tsamara Ramadhanti comes from a family of accountants, so while tech has always caught her eye, she saw herself studying business and following in her family’s footsteps. 

To disrupt the notion of a traditional career pathway, more students need to choose startups as their first option upon graduation.

Eddie Atkinson discovered startups at university when a mate took the plunge and has been hooked ever since.