LaunchVic 🚀

As an early-stage founder, making the wrong hire can set you back six to twelve months. That’s why we built Basecamp, LaunchVic’s program to help founders make their first hires with more confidence and clarity. Basecamp gives you the tools and resources to understand when to hire, who to hire, where to find that talent, and how to manage and retain them once they’re on board. Over two months, you’ll learn from mentors, experts and coaches who have built and scaled teams in startups and scaleups in Australia and around the world. If you’re raising capital, feeling pressure to grow, or unsure how to build the right team for your next milestone, this is a practical place to start. To learn more about Basecamp, check out our website. Link in bio.

⭐ Speaker Drop #2 — Flip the Pitch🎉 We’re pleased to introduce the next speakers joining the lineup: 🎤 Elle Phillips, Head of Startup Development, and Josh Lipscombe, Head of Startup Success, @launchvic Victoria’s startup agency, fueling the growth of the state’s startup sector—building the capability and confidence of Victorians to start, grow, invest in, or work for globally impactful tech startups. 🎤 Juan Polanco, Entrepreneurial Program Manager, RMIT Activator @rmitactivator supports founders from idea to scale, building entrepreneurial capabilities that deliver real impact and shape sustainable, inclusive communities. 🎤 Liz van Zyl, Head of Partnerships, Tractor Ventures Tractor Ventures helps ambitious Australian and New Zealand businesses grow with fast, flexible non-dilutive capital—without giving up equity, ownership or control. 🎤 Blair Smith, Owner, Greywoods Growth Coaching Greywoods is a strategy and coaching service helping start-up founders move from idea to revenue with clarity and structure. Greywoods focuses on positioning, go-to-market execution, and building scalable growth systems —so founders avoid guesswork and generate traction fast. 📅 Tuesday 26 May 🕔 5pm – 9pm 📍 State Library Victoria + online . . . #StartSpace #StateLibraryVictoria @library_vic #startupevent #pitching #leaders #Melbourne #Victoria

Day 2 of our Basecamp Program saw Matthew O'Leary share tools, principles and frameworks to help executive teams hire with a clear strategy. LaunchVic’s Basecamp program is a six-week initiative designed to support founders at a critical growth stage, when early hiring and leadership decisions can make or break a startup. With a background in executive People and Culture at companies such as Spotify, Canva, Livestream (Vimeo), and Honey, Matthew brought a wealth of knowledge to our cohort in the first week. We’re excited to see what our coaches and facilitators have in store over the coming weeks! Learn more about Basecamp: Link in bio.

How has AI changed the way investors look at a deal? AI can speed up execution, but that is not what makes a business compelling on its own. Investors are still looking for a clear customer case and a real edge that will hold up as the market gets more crowded. Watch the full video - Link in bio. Featuring: Shuyun Zhang (Boson Ventures), Hugh Stephens (Galileo Ventures), Samantha Ng (Pacific Channel), Brett Ogilvie (Pacific Channel), Nicholas Ooi (Investible)

What do founders need to prepare before raising capital? Raising capital can help startups grow faster, but investors want to see strong foundations before they commit. Explore the Get Ready for Investment guide to understand what investors look for and how founders prepare for a capital raise. Link in bio. What makes a business ‘venture backable’? • Scalability • Product-market fit • A defensible business model • A pathway to growth and exit • A strong team Preparing to Raise • Know your audience • Get your pitch deck in order • Create a data room • Know what you want • Network #LaunchVic #Startups #StartupFunding #VictoriaStartups

Are you unintentionally giving off red flags to investors? We asked some of Victoria's top VCs what makes them pause or walk away in founder meetings. The biggest red flags usually come down to how a founder shows up. Investors notice when the communication is unclear, the team dynamic feels off, or the business does not look like the right fit for venture. Watch the full investor red flags video - link in bio. Featuring: Brett Ogilvie (Pacific Channel), Nicholas Ooi (Investible), Betty Zhang (Boson Ventures), Hugh Stephens (Galileo Ventures)

How do you know if your startup has achieved product–market fit? Product–market fit is one of the most important milestones in a startup’s journey. Explore the Product–Market Fit guide to learn how founders test and validate whether their product truly meets customer needs. Link in bio. Understand your customer • Identify the real problem you’re solving • Build solutions based on deep customer insight • Feedback with early users to refine your product Indicators of product–market fit • Strong customer retention • Word-of-mouth referrals and organic demand • Growing interest from new customers or partners How founders test for product–market fit Quantitative signals • Sean Ellis Test (how disappointed users would be without your product) • Net Promoter Score (NPS) to measure customer advocacy • Conversion, engagement and revenue growth metrics Qualitative insights • Customer surveys and interviews • Direct feedback from early users • Continuous testing and iteration • Learning from real customer behaviour #LaunchVic #Startups #Entrepreneurs #VictoriaStartups

Preparing for a capital raise? We asked some of Victoria's most active VCs what they look for in a pitch and how to make sure you're getting your point across in that first investor meeting. "The really important part is being succinct in what you are trying to say. Even when helping founders with Series A decks, we ask: what is the one message you want this slide to get across, and is that obvious? Founders often keep adding more information, but that can dilute the message." - Hugh Stephens (Galileo Ventures) Watch the full video: Link in bio.

What does the startup journey look like from idea to scale? Building a startup isn’t a straight line. Explore the Startup Journey guide to understand where you are, and what comes next: Link in bio. Most founders move through a series of stages as they validate ideas, build products and scale companies. Ideation: Pre-seed Stage • Explore and refine your startup idea • Validate the problem you’re solving • Identify your target customers • Test early concepts Launch: Seed stage • Build your minimum viable product • Test product-market fit • Acquire early users or customers • Raise early-stage funding Growth: Series A • Scale your product and operations • Expand into larger markets • Grow your team • Strengthen your business model Scale: Series B, C and beyond • Enter international markets • Secure larger investment rounds • Build strong leadership teams • Position your company for long-term growth Exit • Realise returns for founders and investors • Exit through a public listing (IPO) or merger/acquisition • Navigate legal and regulatory considerations • Plan leadership succession and long-term growth Support along the way • Join pre-accelerator and accelerator programs • Access mentorship, advice and founder networks • Connect with investors as you prepare to raise capital • Attend startup events and learn from experienced founders #LaunchVic #Startups #Entrepreneurs #VictoriaStartups

Founder communities: a valuable network that can work faster than AI. 📹 Here's Edrolo’s Anthony Meek on why the Melbourne startup ecosystem still runs on relationships. Watch the full episode of BOLD Episode 2 - link in bio. #BOLD #LaunchVic #Leadership #Startups #Founders

For startups, exits are critical. They recycle capital, build experienced founders and investors, and support the next generation of startups through flow of capital. Without strong exit outcomes, that cycle slows. New research from KPMG High Growth Ventures highlights that while exit activity is expected to increase, there is a clear gap between founder expectations and actual exit readiness. Read our summary of the findings - link in bio.

AI adoption in startups: what founders should consider when the innovation curve is moving this fast. 📹 Here's Michael Delaney on why founders shouldn't play it safe with AI. Watch the full episode of BOLD Episode 2 - link in bio. #BOLD #LaunchVic #Leadership #Startups #Founders