Spotlight #16 - Startups & Operators

Batko OS - increase your surface areas for luck to strike.

Hi Team!

Apologies for the semi-regular Substack emails.

Cohort 2 of Puddle Pod (8 weeks P(roductivity) H(uddle)) is just about to finish and that’s where all my writing has happened. The community is now running itself and creating content for each other, so I will be back on Substack soon 🤞

If you’d like to join Puddle Pod Cohort 3 👉 sign up here.

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The Spotlights highlight Angel investors, Startups and Operators looking to join a startup, additionally, many of you are asking for a co-founder “feature” / search.

Startmate now has you covered 💪

Looking for a cofounder? Want to found a startup?

👉 Join the Founders Fellowship 🔥

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😇 Angel Spotlight

Do you want to be featured as an Angel? Fill this out (10mins)

💸 Startup Spotlight

Do you want to be featured to Angels/VCs? Fill this out (10mins)

🛠 Operator Spotlight

Looking for a job? Get featured in the next Operator Spotlight - fill this out.

Have an ops job you want featured? Hit reply and send it my way.

What’s in this Edition?

1. Get Investment - Angels keen to connect

2. Invest - Startups keen to connect

3. Hire - Operators ready for a startup job

4. Apply - Latest startup jobs

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1) Get Investment - Angel Spotlight

PB Ventures by Jason Atkins

>> Get Intro Here.

• Industry: B2BSAAS, Fintech, Regtech, and other shiny things

• Stage: Pre-seed, Seed

• Check Size: $25k.

• Investments to date: Just started. We have a couple lined up from the current Startmate cohort.

We are conviction investors, backing great founders with big visions early.
Mandate: Can lead under the right circumstances. Great skills and network in capital raising and ESOP.

2) Invest - Startups Keen to Connect

🚨 Disclaimer* 🚨  This is not financial advice, nor a recommendation. Please connect with the founders directly to hear more.

💆‍♀️ baresop.

Turn your tap water into body and hair wash in seconds

>> Get in touch here.

Problem

Carbon emission and single-use plastic waste from making, shipping, storing and using your bathroom products .

Solution

We have crystallized your body and hair wash into active ingredients concentrated powder to foam concept .

How do you know it's a problem?

Validated the concept by selling out of pilot (hand wash powder concentrate)
$30k in sales less than 6 months of launch with only one founder
Pipeline of $1M in less than 12 months if current contracts in the process are activated

What's your central unique insight?

Traditional personal care products are 90% water and 10% active ingredients. Essentially, we’re shipping and storing water and plastic around the globe. It makes no sense.

👃 ScentGod

Discover a new perfume every month.

>> Get in touch here.

Problem

Designer and niche perfumes are expensive, not everyone can afford to spend over $500 to try different perfumes or build their collection. Another problem is that people buy big bottles from the retailers and don't like them later so that's simply money wasted.

Solution

ScentGod is a subscription for designer perfumes that sends the customer a 31 day supply of their chosen luxury perfume starting at just $17.45 per month.
We use technology to help the customer find their perfect match. They just take a short quiz and get recommendations based on their taste, occasion, season and mood. The idea here is to make luxury fragrances affordable and accessible to everyone.

How do you know it's a problem?

We have heaps of customers telling us that we are saving them hundreds of dollars with our service and how much they love sampling a new perfume every month. We have 1600 active paid subscribers and have done $190,000 in revenue YTD.

⚽️ Treiner

Treiner enables players & teams to easily find professional soccer coaches near them

>> Get in touch here.

Problem

Find the right coach is hard for players & clubs. In 2019 it was the 2nd hardest job to fill according to Indeed. This is due to most parents and club officials (often the same) lacking a large coaching network. Coaches on the other hand have the same issue, as they move from club to club they struggle to market themselves and build up a network of good players that they work with, which is why they have resorted to buying franchises to date.

Solution

We are solving the problem with a multi-sided marketplace platform that enables players & teams to book coaches & support staff, and provides professional coaches & support staff or those that want to be, with the tools to better organise and manage their business

How do you know it's a problem?

We launched in late 2017 with 30 coaches and quickly grew to 250 and 1000 bookings in the first year. To date have had more than 10,000 bookings through the platform,

What's your central unique insight?

All founders have worked as coaches and are still coaching but have unique experiences in startups outside of football. Both Kogulan and James have large coaching & playing networks that they have leveraged to launch, build and test the marketplace to date.

🎥 Bettercast

The Hybrid conference and event platform AV teams prefer

>> Get in touch here.

Problem

Hybrid event platforms are expensive and pander to event managers while leaving the production teams out of the process.

Solution

Bettercast is building tools and features that allow smaller production teams to produce superior quality virtual end hybrid events on a low-cost platform. This allows the huge influx of AV teams now offering live streaming as a service to deliver for their client base.

How do you know it's a problem?

100% of AV production companies that have demo'd on the platform use it.
All customers use the platform more than once.
We generate all leads from referrals from AV teams that have either had a demo of the platform or have used the platform.
We have 10 events on the platform since launching in early 2021.
We have spent a total of $100 on marketing.
100% of our leads are referrals.
We've had over 2000 event attendees on the platform and have had 0 support questions or tickets.
We are up to 90% more cost-effective than other products on the market and have the same level of features.

What's your central unique insight?

15 years in building business, startups and products.
Many years in event management.
Many years in live Audio Visual and video production.
A large network of Audio Visual contacts in Australia and New Zealand.
An existing customer base of repeat users.

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3) Hire - Operators ready for a startup job

Mark Rosenberg

>> Get In Touch Here.

Location: Melbourne
Past Roles: COO/CTO (co-founder) @ Lasertrade, Senior Process Analyst @ AusNet Services, Principle Consultant @ e-Centric Innovations

I have the unique experience of having worked as a techie back in the day as a developer and then moved over to the business side. I am able to be the translator between the business and the technology side to do what's best for the company.

I am passionate about using the latest technology to innovate and improve processes within a business. I love building processes and strategies and find all the nitty-gritty stuff exciting. I've recently finished at a start-up I founded and looking for my next opportunity. I love working with the CEO to make the company amazing!

Ideal Next Industry: Innovative early-stage tech start-up
Ideal Next Role: COO

Callista Low

>> Get In Touch Here.

Location: Melbourne
Past Roles: Product Design Associate @ Supahands, Co-founder & Marketing Lead @ Crumble.melb, Social Media & Community Manager @ Bali Bustle

I started an online bakery with my roommate! We grew our Instagram from 0 to 500 within a month and garnered over 55k views on social media platforms through influencer marketing.

Ideal Next Industry: Technology, Mental Health, Consumer products
Ideal Next Role: Product Designer

Patrick Hamid

>> Get In Touch Here.

Location: Sydney
Past Roles: Product Manager @ Wholesale Investor, Pre-Sales Network Enginer @ Cisco, Co-Founder @ AssetSquared & Vesuvio

I have the battle scars of being a founder previously and love working in the ecosystem to support early-stage Founders, regularly mentoring in my spare time at Fishburners and UTS. I have broad technical knowledge, but also the ability to communicate in business terms.

Ideal Next Industry: VC, University, Incubators/Accelerators
Ideal Next Role: Program Manager, Ideally in program/operation support for Founders

Matthew Kelly

>> Get In Touch Here.

Location: Sydney
Past Roles: Flagship Store Manager @ Cotton On Mega, Operations/Assistant Store Manager @ Target

I run my own ecommerce store as a side hustle - draftco.com.au. I'm also a Qantas points ninja, let me help you use your business spend to your advantage.

Ideal Next Industry: Open to any but Fintech, Ecommerce stand out - I love a disruptor
Ideal Next Role: Vibe & Community Manager

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4) Apply - Latest startup jobs

These are new roles that were posted in the last couple of weeks.

Startmate Alumni

• Business Development Lead @ Josef (MEL)

• Biodegradeable Materials Scientist @ ULUU (Perth)

• Product Designer & Account Executive @ Clipboard (SYD)

Startups

• Legal Counsel @ Finder (SYD)

• Product Manager @ Qsic (MEL)

• Growth Operations Associate @ Partly (Christchurch)

• UX Designer & Customer Success @ Ally Assist (MEL)

• Marketing, Community & Social & Customer Success @ Pyn (SYD)

Ecosystem

• Analyst, Associate @ Australian Impact Investments (OZ)

• Investor Associates @ Folklore (SYD)

• Investment Associate @ AirTree (SYD)

• Investment Associates @ Flying Fox (SYD/MEL)

• Lead Instructor / Startup & Tech Generalist @ INCO (MEL)

• Investment Analyst & Head of Investor Community @ Investible (SYD)

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* The information contained in this Startup Spotlight Series (the Information) is provided for information purposes only. No warranties or representations are made by Startmate or myself with respect to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the Information and no part of the Information may be relied upon for any purpose whatsoever.

The provision of the Information to any person does not constitute, and may not be used for the purposes of, an offer of securities or interests of any kind to that person or an invitation to any person to apply for the issue of securities or interests of any kind. In preparing the Information, neither Startmate or I have taken any account of the investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs of any particular person, and prospective investors must not construe the Information as tax, legal or financial product advice. Before making any decision to invest, prospective investors should:

(a) connect directly with the founders of each portfolio company to find out further information;

(b) seek and rely on their own professional advice, in particular by obtaining appropriate tax, legal, financial and investment advice in light of their own circumstances; and

(c) conduct their own independent investigation and analysis regarding the Information.

No responsibility or liability is accepted by Startmate, its related bodies corporate, or any of their respective officers, employees, agents or advisers, for any of the Information, any omission from the Information or for any action taken by any person on the basis of or in reliance on the Information; and

The Information is only intended for persons who are “wholesale clients” within the meaning of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and to US persons who are “accredited investors” as defined in Regulation D of the US Securities Act 1933.