Startmate Advisors and Mentors
Startmate’s Accelerator is driven by our world-class Mentors and Advisors
For founders, the Startmate network is powerful and uplifting: once plugged in, they can access some of the top startup expertise in Australia and New Zealand.
Mentor
Startmate’s mentor pool is invite-only where each mentor has a defined role. They’re the founders’ first point of contact to seek advice and typically spend 1-3hrs weekly with the founders.
Advisor
Advisors are a trusted network of experts that our founders can tap into. It is a flexible role where you can lean in as much as you’d like to help the founders. Top-rated Advisors will be considered for a Mentor role in the following cohort.
Empowering the innovators of today and tomorrow
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First you become an advisor
You'll be asked to meet with founders, coach them and add value throughout the Accelerator program.
Top advisors are invited to mentor
Invest in the Accelerator fund and mentor founders throughout the 12 week program.
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Become a partner mentor
If you're an SME, you'll be invited to become a partner mentor to share your unique expertise with founders.
Eligibility
Our cycle of success relies on Startmate maintaining very high calibre support network, so to become a Startmate Advisor, you must meet one of the following criteria:
Founder
Previously founded a company and led it past Series A fundraising, or bootstrapped revenue beyond $1m ARR.
Investor
Be investing in 2+ early-stage start-ups each year and have invested >$500k previously.
Operator
Previously established a business unit within a seed-stage start-up that is now valued at >$10M, or lead the expansion of a startup to a new country.
WHY SHOULD YOU MENTOR AT STARTMATE?
Mentoring a Startmate startup might just be the most impactful thing you ever do in your career.
Skin in the game
Unlike any other program in the world, our Mentors and Advisors provide more than just guidance – they invest their own money into each Startmate Accelerator Fund, which is then invested in to the companies in the cohort. The magic is that everyone in Startmate is incentivised to work together and provide as much value as possible to all teams in the cohort.
A network like no other
To become a Startmate Mentor or Advisor is to join the hallowed halls of some of the top founders, investors and operators from across the ecosystem. Join the beating heart of ANZ's startup ecosystem.
Mentor ANZ's next tech darling
Dubbed 'Australia's Unicorn Factory', we have an incredible track record of unearthing the best new founders. Those first few months are the riskiest time, which means they're also the most pivotal time for the best guidance and wisdom. Let's put it this way: mentoring a Startmate startup might end up being the most impactful thing you do in your career.
our Mentors
Unlike most other accelerators, the $120k we invest in your startup comes directly from our mentor community. This means every mentor has skin in the game and is personally invested in seeing you succeed.
Kendra Vant
Founder and Director @ Europa Labs
Nikhil Singh
Co-Founder @ Deciphr.AI
Karla Belista
Director of Product @ GumGum
Nathan Merzvinskis
Founder & CEO @ Freckle
Kate Andrews
CTO @ CipherStash
Anthony Drury
Partner @ Accelerate Growth
Talia Wachtel
COO @ Programa
Kristin Perchal
Product Director @ Atlassian
David Kenney
Founder @ Prop Data IQ & Advisor @ Epic Execution
Gemma Clancy
Co-Founder & Head of Marketing @ Stella Startups
Tania Clarke
Fractional Product Marketer
Catherine Keating
Advisor @ Eucalyptus, Moregooddays & Ovum AI
Alex Bertram
General Manager Americas @ Greenroom Robotics
Niki Scevak
Founder @ Blackbird & Startmate
Bill Kerr
Founder & CEO @ Athyna
Christina Hobbs
General Manager @ Future Super & Founder @ Verve Super
Adam Milgrom
Partner @ Giant Leap
Take the leap as an Advisor
Kickstart your journey as a key partner in the success of ANZ’s most promising startups.
EXPRESS INTEREST
EXPRESS INTEREST
Frequently asked questions
When is the intake?
4-8 weeks before each Accelerator cohort.
What does the application process to become an Advisor entail?
- Submit an EOI with details about your experience
- Startmate reviews EOI
- If your experience fits what we’re looking for, you’ll receive an email with an invite to meet with our Chief of Staff for Founders
- Meet with our Chief of Staff for Founders via Zoom
- If selected, onboard to the Startmate systems and join the next Accelerator cohort as an advisor
How do the Startmate funds perform?
Unlike any other program in the world, our mentors invest their own money into each cohort’s Startmate Fund. And, advisors have the option to as well.
You can check out the Startmate fund performance here.