Start investing alongside the most active early-stage investor in ANZ

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Startmate’s First Believers program isn't just theoretical, it's practical.

‍You’ll learn from the best early-stage investors in Australia and New Zealand, then have the exclusive opportunity to make real investment decisions with your own funds or through the Startmate Funds. Plus learn how to become the kind of startup mentor every founder wants – adding value beyond the funds you invest.

📌 Questions? Watch this overview with Ben (Investment Manager @ Startmate)


Cohort 10 applications are open. Spots are limited.
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Apply nowBook a 15-minute call

Applications Close: 30th March
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First Believers come together in person and online.

The program comprises of two parts: theory and practice.

First Believers blends two days of in-person connection and theory with 7 weeks of real, hands-on learning and investing online. You'll be guided by Brady Flockart, Ben Simai, and Sam Monkhouse.
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‍The program fee is $5,500 including GST. This fee will only be invoiced after program acceptance. The fee can be paid upfront or via instalments.

First Believers questions? Book at time with Ben Simai here.

PART 1. THEORY

Join a two-day, in-person conference in Melbourne (27-28 Oct) or Sydney (30-31 Oct), that slingshots you into the epicentre of the ANZ startup ecosystem. You’ll hear directly from the best investors in ANZ – from pitch deck tear-downs to live interviews masterclasses. Learn how to become the kind of mentor every founder wants, not just an investor. Dive into investment frameworks, legals, and early-stage portfolio-building. All while building your network of mentors, founders, and future co-investors.

PART 2. PRACTICE

This part is all about doing the reps to build your investor muscle. Over 7 weeks (4 Nov – 16 Dec), you'll be a core component of Startmate's intensive online selection for the Summer 2026 Accelerator – as we invest in the top 2% of startups that apply for funding. Nothing is off limits as a First Believer. You'll get direct access to the most exciting startups in ANZ – reviewing decks, interviewing top founders, and making real investment decisions alongside the region's most active early-stage investors.

"Startmates track record of investment returns place it alongside the best in the world "

First Believers are diverse

From corporate leaders, exited founders, musicians, lawyers, event-planners, doctors, bankers, and more – First Believers are as diverse as the startups they back. We also proudly have alumni who are founders and top operators from...

Learn.
Invest.
Connect.

Learn

The two-day in-person conference focuses on the theory, shaped by all the learnings we've had at Startmate from over a decade of investing. We cover the exact investment frameworks we use and everything you need to launch your angel journey. Regardless of your experience - we teach First Believers how to be an amazing mentor for the next generation of founders.

Invest

Part two of the program is all about putting the theory into practice. Over 7 weeks, you will be reviewing real pitch decks, meeting real founders, and making real investment decisions. Real-ly awesome.

Connect

Arguably the best part of the program is the people you will meet. At the conference and online, you’ll join a community of wildly successful individuals who are passionate about investing in the next wave of founders. Never invest alone. Early-stage investing is a team sport and First Believers is your team for life.

First Believers testimonials

"This program really opens doors! I really loved the practical and hand-on nature of the learning which was always geared toward action. It was an excellent way to take my knowledge from near-zero to hero in only 12 weeks."
nick sinclair
airbnb - head of marketing apac
"First Believers transformed me into an Angel Investor. It’s part of my identity now and I am thrilled. Being able to support Australia’s newest Founders is a huge privilege, sometimes I still pinch myself. First Believers has been a pivotal life moment for me."
melissa beaumont lee
skip capital - Head of Philanthropy
“My experience on the First Believers program was beyond expectations. First Believers provided an inclusive, expansive community to share and explore how to get involved in angel investing. The SM team were awesome. No BS, no egos, just great people. Would highly recommend!”
Verity tuck
LVLY - cofounder
"If you’ve ever wanted to start investing in the people who are building big things for the future and solving high-value problems but don’t feel like you’d know where to start or feel there are barriers to getting involved, First Believers is for you. What you’ll find is a powerful community of some of the most ambitious and open-minded investors, operators and founders in the world."
joel hassin
cambooya capital - investor
"First Believers is like getting thrown into the deep end of the pool -- with all your friends! Bad metaphors aside: whether you're in the beginning of your investing journey or a seasoned investor, the hands-on experience and the community at First Believers is truly incomparable. You learn quickly that investing is a team sport, and First Believers is one of the best teams!"
chenelle Tanglao
investor - trawalla group
"First Believers is the must-do program for any aspiring or current angel investor. It took my understanding and connections within the start-up ecosystem from 1 to 100. I could not recommend this program more highly to anyone who is keen to learn more about the ANZ start-up ecosystem and how to back aspiring founders."
matt herring
kpmg - partner
“I was working from a super low base from a knowledge perspective and didn’t feel like a idiot at any point (rare!) content was super inclusive. WOW! I loved the HANDS ON EXPERIENCE. Actually getting to meet founders with real investment outcomes was an incredible way to apply knowledge immediately.”
claire bull
rainmaking - Head of Ecosystem
9.3 from 100+ Reviews
Learn From The Best
// Past Speakers
Niki Scevak
Founder of Startmate
Sam Wong
Partner at Blackbird
Ali Tamaseb
Partner at DCVC and Author of Super Founders

First Believers impact

We created this program to give transparent access to how the best investors make investment decisions and allow you to invest alongside the most active early-stage investor across Australia and New Zealand.
400+
First Believers
25,000+
Investment Decisions
$4.5M+
Invested
230+
Companies Invested
"Startmate, Australia's unicorn factory..."

Startmate's track record

Startmate is the most active early-stage investor in Australia.
250+
Companies Startmate is the first investor in
$3.5 Billion
SM companies are worth collectively
$250M
SM companies raised in the last 6 months

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Inspired by Startmate’s original mentors.

First Believers is a six-month program inspired by Startmate’s original mentors. Back in 2010, these mentors believed in and backed early-stage Aussie founders. We're on a mission to find more people like them.We believe that to create a truly diverse and powerful startup ecosystem across Australia and New Zealand, we need fresh perspectives, thinking and networks at the investment table. First Believers is the catalyst for a new generation of investors to hone their craft.

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Technical to non-technical

“By the third day of my internship, I was already pitching to the Queensland Small Business Commission.”
— Tsamara, Student Fellow (Summer 2020/21)

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Solo founder to founding team

“The great thing about hiring through Startmate is the people who join through one of the Fellowship programs are already pre-selected for being amazing. They are looking for change and roles where they can have a big impact, and everything that working for a startup can provide.”
— Gridcognition (Startmate, Mel20 Alumni)

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Solo founder to founding team

“Why does the UK have such a financial services driven economy? Basically … ask the smartest undergraduates ‘what are you going to do next?’, they're all like, ‘oh, I'm going to go work at Goldman Sachs’ or whatever. … The reason Silicon Valley is so special? It is the one place in the world where [ambitious students] say ‘we’ll start a company’.”
— Matt Clifford, Founder at Entrepreneur First.

The magic of an inclusive community investing in the future of ANZ

Join a community obsessed with backing and believing in the next generation of great founders.
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Diverse people. Diverse dealflow. One community.

Ask Your Questions

Meet the program leader. Ask any questions you have regarding First Believers.

Frequently asked questions

How is Startmate different?

Startmate is the most active early-stage investor in Australia and New Zealand. 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.

How is First Believers different?

Join a community obsessed with backing and believing in the next generation of great founders.
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You'll learn the craft of investing from world-class investors through the Startmate network, while simultaneously being exposed to 700+ 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.
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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.

Who is right for First Believers?

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 money to invest today. You can join with or without any prior investing experience.
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First Believers come from a range of backgrounds, including past founders, corporate venture capitalists, high-growth technology company employees, and ecosystem champions.
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You might be:
- An exited founder or high-growth operator
- A family office lead, VC scout, or emerging fund manager
- A senior exec looking to expand into venture

If you are not sure that it’s the right fit, you can book a quick 15-min call with Ben Simai, our First Believer's Lead and Investment Manager, to talk it through.

Do you need to have money to invest?

No! First Believers is about developing future investors.
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We understand the ambition to be an investor might come before the financial position to back your belief in founders.
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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).

When does the program run?

The program runs twice a year.
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Each cohort is made up of the top ~70-80 people who apply. These people come from a range of industries, locations and levels of experience.

What's the time commitment?

First Believers requires a time commitment of 2 full days in-person (in either Sydney or Melbourne), then 3 hours a week online, for the next 7 weeks.

How much does the program cost?

The First Believers program fee is $5,500 including GST. This fee will only be invoiced after program acceptance. The fee can be paid upfront or via instalments.
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‍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.
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NZGCP proudly sponsor mutliple positions per cohort

Apply to
First Believers

Apply now