Annie Liao 🇦🇺

[HIRING] Help me out here LinkedIn - looking for a legend who will help hundreds of founders ❤️ 💥 FOUNDERS ASSOCIATE #1 Find the most ambitious early-stage founders to invest in ANZ #2 Your tools: run Launch Club and Buildmate to help hundreds of founders start and grow their startups every year >> which feeds back into #1 Link in the comments! Give this a like or tag a legend 🔥

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Caught up on the latest First Cheque episode yet? Don’t miss this interview with investor and author Ash F. to learn what it’s really like investing millions into early-stage AI startups. Join co-hosts Cheryl Mack from Aussie Angels and Maxine Minter from Co Ventures as they interview prolific AI investor Ash Fontana about: 🧠 Mapping an understanding of neuroscience to an analysis of competitive advantage 📈 Understanding that a competitive advantage must be validated over a long duration - at least a decade - sheds light on long-term VC fund management strategies. 🤖 In the dynamic world of AI, identifying where true competitive advantages lie today is more crucial than ever 🔍 Investors should take note and niche down into specific technologies rather than broad industries 🎯 Reflecting on the 'first cheque' strategy, it's not just about funding - it’s about belief, backing, and building from ground zero 💡 Rethinking management fees might just be the disruptive change the VC industry needs 🌐 How networking is central to being a standout VC - shoutout to Mark Gorenberg from Zetta Ventures In this episode, Ash shares more about his investing journey writing cheques between $20K to $20MM to invest into early-stage startups - and what he would do if he had to start all over again. Learn more about the author of The AI-First Company: How to Compete and Win with AI on the latest episode of the First Cheque podcast. Follow the First Cheque show wherever you listen to podcasts. —- Thanks to our sponsors for helping to make this episode of First Cheque possible. Vanta: Vanta automates up to 90% compliance, getting you audit-ready quickly and saving you up to 85% of associated costs. Join 7,000 global companies like Atlassian and Dovetail that use Vanta to build trust and prove security in real-time. Get 10% off here: https://lnkd.in/gzcRN4jA Scendar: Scendar is the OG startup accounting firm in Australia. Free 1-hour consultation about your Business' growth plans and finance needs. https://dayone.fm/scendar Turo: Turo is the world's largest carsharing marketplace and it's the perfect app for travel. Download the Turo app and book cars from $38/day. https://dayone.fm/turo

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[Startup News] Check out the latest tech trends happening in the global startup ecosystem and VC funding overview this week (Issue 132- June 9)🌍🚀 Top startup news to follow this week: 📌 Brandon Capital raises $180M fund to support Australia, New Zealand biotechs 📌Regeneron Launches $500M Venture Capital Fund Skewed Toward Biotech 📌Biotech’s road to recovery with 46% increase in Q1 venture funding 📌Women-Led Startups Grabbed 25 Percent of Venture Funding in 2023 📌Qatar’s Rasmal Ventures launches $100 million debut fund, hits $30 million as first close 📌Novel battery manufacturer EnerVenue is raising $515M, per filing 📌QARGOS raises $14M to digitize and decarbonize the trucking industry 📌Berlin-based Quantica increases Series A to €19.7 million to fuel growth of its additive manufacturing tech 📌Copenhagen-based early-stage VC BlackWood secures €14.7 million in 2nd closing of Fund I 📌Zurich-based Synthara Capital raises €10.5 million to expand the embedded computing market https://lnkd.in/e6gQrSQd via iFund Lab Narine Emdjian, MBA #startups #innovation #tech #technews #techtrends #venturecapital #artificialintelligence #newsletter #technology #biotech #healthcare #womenfounder #europe #europeanunion #founders #deeptech #cleantech #climatechange #battery #qatar #newzeland

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Venture-backed founders sign up for a binary outcome: Go Big or Go Home. Which is why it is so puzzling to see so many of these founders pivot away from growth to "sustainable" low-growth profitability, according to Tim Doyle, founder of Eucalyptus. Low-growth, sub-scale venture-backed companies have no future -- even if they are able to turn a small profit. Don't waste your life force building a zombie company! -- It was heaps of fun getting some of Tim's hot takes in today's BONUS episode of The Startup Podcast, with me and Chris Saad.

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Why American Companies Should Check Out Aussie SaaS Startups In the ever-evolving world of Software as a Service (SaaS), staying ahead means embracing innovation. While Silicon Valley (along with Austin TX) has long been the go-to for tech solutions, there’s a new player making waves: Australian SaaS startups. U.S. companies should start paying attention to these down-under innovators. 1. Global Mindset with Local Smarts Aussie startups often think global from day one. With a smaller domestic market, they’re geared towards creating solutions that work worldwide, including in the U.S. Their multicultural society also means they get the diverse needs of American businesses better than most. 2. Top-Notch Tech Talent Australia’s strong education system, especially in STEM, has produced a pool of highly skilled tech pros and down-to-earth founders. By choosing Australian SaaS solutions, U.S. companies tap into this talent, ensuring they get innovative and reliable software! 3. Innovative and User-Friendly Aussie startups are known for their fresh approaches and user-first designs. They make sure their software is easy to use and solves real problems, which can help U.S. businesses boost efficiency and customer satisfaction. 4. Awesome Support and Collaboration Collaboration is a big deal in Australia’s business culture. Aussie SaaS companies focus on building lasting relationships with clients, offering great support and always looking to improve based on feedback. For U.S. companies, this means getting solutions with reliable and responsive support. 5. Competitive Pricing Thanks to favourable exchange rates, Australian SaaS startups often have more competitive pricing than U.S. companies. This means American businesses can get top-quality software without breaking the bank. 6. Proven Success Stories Australian companies like Atlassian, Canva, and SafetyCulture have already made a big splash in the U.S., showing they can deliver at the highest level. These success stories prove that Aussie SaaS solutions are worth considering. There is a HUGE crop of Aussie SaaS that you've not heard of yet either!! American companies can gain a lot from adopting innovative, high-quality, and affordable solutions from Australian SaaS startups. Looking beyond traditional options, U.S. businesses can boost their tech game, improve operations, and achieve greater success. #SaaS #Innovation #TechStartups #AustralianTech #BusinessGrowth #GlobalMarket #AussieSaaS #USABusiness Connect with us to chat more about the potential of Australian SaaS solutions or for more insights into the tech landscape!

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Many Aussie/Kiwi founders eventually face the decision of: what market should I go to next? Often, the answer they land on is the US. The key decision points then become: 1) when should I enter the US? 2) how should I break in? I spent the last 2 weeks with US VCs in San Francisco and New York, exploring those two questions and understanding what they've seen work and what they've seen fail. If you're in the early stages of building a venture scale business, I wrote the below as a simplified guide for thinking through those two decision points: https://lnkd.in/gY2JzByV

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📢 Awesome Startup Event Alert!!! 📢 If you're thinking about funding for your Startup, then this is a not to be missed event! Joe Young and the team at Mayfly Ventures & Aussie Founders Club are putting on an event to help Founders understand the funding landscape better and make an informed decision as to what's the right solution for you! Join the likes of Aprill Enright-Allen & Matt Vitale as a star studded panel runs you through the funding choices and answers your questions. Register in the link below! #founders #startups #scaleups #gtmstrategy

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When you talk to Pete Tran and Ethan Trang, one thing is clear: their raw talent and ambition as young founders. From a simple idea born out of their personal struggles with learning, to winning at Build Club's pitch competition, we have loved watching their growth. Hear about DoryAI's journey in NextGen Ventures first 'Founder Spotlight' 💡 Full blog in the comments ⤵ #studentfounders #venturecapital #australiauniversities #studentVC

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💡 We live by this advice from Lee Lam, which she shared with founders during our Masterclass on Bootstrapping. It was one of the key learnings we shared again with founders who attended our Best of Breakthrough Labs session this week. 🤑 The only way you can sell your product to get the early revenue necessary to bootstrap is if people know about you. So get out there and make yourself visible! ✔ Follow us here or on Instagram (@brkthrulabs) for more advice and connections for female entrepreneurs. #bootstrapping #femalefounders #womenentrepreneurship #womenintech

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💥 𝙎𝙊𝙐𝙍𝘾𝙀𝘿 💥 Last month, Gabriel Shin launched SOURCED - a fortnightly newsletter providing insights and analysis on the venture ecosystem. It's quickly grown to over 1k subscribers, and is read by leading investors at some of the worlds biggest venture funds, with an open rate >50% and click rate of ~11% 📈 Here's a summary of what we covered in Edition 5 👇 👻 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 We highlighted 6 high profile founders that recently entered stealth mode, including an Ex-Snr Director of Product from Shopify. 🚛 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 & 𝗟𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 We uncovered 5 super early stage supply chain & logistics startups, being founded by amazing talent including an ex-VP from Flexport. ⏰ 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗹𝗽𝗵𝗮 We took a look some of the latest funding rounds, and compared them to when we first uncovered them at Landscape - including the $15m Seed round for Prodia. 🗺️ 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀 We identified 9 Pre-Series A companies focusing on supporting the energy efficient transition for global data centres. 𝑁𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑘, 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 👇🔗

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The Creative Co-Operative* spotted in TechCrunch! Through our 2022 report led by Dr Sana Ashraf*, the State of the Startup Ecosystem for Bla(c)k and Women of Colour Founders in Australia, we released the continent's first intersectional datapoint around financial inequality experienced by early stage First Nations, Black and Women of Colour founders. The funding discrepancy was 0.03% (link to Executive Summary in comments below). Since then we’ve seen the ecosystem start taking steps to do something about it - its a start. We look forward to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency collecting and reporting on the intersectional pay gap. Making this start is long overdue but it’s better late than never. #intersectionalpaygap #blackwomen #womenofcolour #startups *PS The Creative Co-Operative has been referred to as a consulting services agency as I assume the journalist referenced our old website. Unfortunately it is out of date as of 2021! We only consult on very specific projects, our focus is on building Maya Cares and programs such as the Anyone Can Community Startup Program to create mental health and economic access, equity and justice for the communities we serve. ** Dr Sana and I are not related, we just happen to share the same surname 🙂

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Why do investors sometimes get more than founders in a big exit? 💸 Liquidation preferences. These two words decide who gets paid first and how much when a company is sold. It’s an investor’s safety net—but it can significantly impact founders. A Quick Example: Imagine a startup raises $10M from a VC at a $50M valuation. 1. With a 1x liquidation preference when Exit at $40M: The VC takes $10M first. Only $30M is left for founders and employees. 2. Now, what if the VC had a 2x preference? They’d take $20M, leaving just $20M for the rest. Why It Matters: For VCs, it’s protection against risk. For founders, it can dilute their rewards—even in successful exits. Liquidation preferences are like insurance—but make sure you’re not signing away the whole house. We cover such termsheet clauses in depth in our fellowship, accepting applications for Cohort 4 & 5. Apply now: https://lnkd.in/gEpRQ3ym

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Don't Rush Into A Business Marriage 💔 Choosing The Right Co-Founder Selecting a co-founder is like finding the right partner. It could be a lifelong commitment. So don’t rush into it. Shadow Ventures Founder KP Reddy draws a clever analogy to the world of dating. Just as you wouldn't propose to someone after a single date, you shouldn't rush into a co-founder relationship without truly getting to know the person. Key Takeaways: ✅Take the time to understand your potential co-founder through shared experiences and activities ✅Introduce them to your friends and observe how they interact ✅Approach the process analytically, rather than getting emotionally attached too quickly Tune in to the complete episode to hear more of KP Reddy's wisdom on building successful startups https://lnkd.in/ehqX8bNu ---------------------------------------------------  #podcast #construction #constructionindustry #bricksandbytes #startups  #architecture #design #civilengineering #engineering #constructiontechnology #engineer #architect #civilengineer #concrete #podcaster #podcasting #entrepreneur #podcasts #podcastlife #startups #entrepreneurship 

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$5M Milestone: Hear from the Founders Who’ve Just Made It! We’re bringing in 4 trailblazing founders who’ve recently hit the $5M revenue mark, and they’re ready to spill the beans on how they did it. Whether it’s advice, mistakes, market shifts, or the support they received, they’ll be sharing the top three learnings that got them there. Raghuveer Kancherla, Co-founder, Sprinto Ritish Reddy, Co-founder, Zluri Ranjan Kumar, Founder & CEO, Entropik Shashank Bijapur, Co-founder & CEO, SpotDraft Why listen to those who did it years ago when you can learn from those who just crossed the finish line? Don’t miss out on these fresh, practical insights—join us and get the inside scoop on what it really takes to hit that $5M milestone. Register interest here: https://lnkd.in/g5i4ADJS #saascon24 #b2b #investor #founder #saas #community

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New interview with Tim Schumacher on The Bootstrapped Founder podcast with Arvid Kahl 🚀 Check it out here ---> https://lnkd.in/g2JKq_VN And learn about: 1. What bootstrapped founders should focus on to make their businesses sellable 2. How businesses are evaluated 3. Acquisition and growth strategies in business and, of course, how saas.group is running and growing amazing profitable businesses while offering life-changing exits at the same time.

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🚨Are you passionate about the APAC startup ecosystem and want to get involved alongside a cool community of women? Are you looking to break into the venture capital industry and want to gain some experience while building your network? We have an epic opportunity for you. The Epic Angels Scout program! 🙋🏻‍♀️Who are we: Epic Angels is the largest all female network of investors investing in APAC from around the world. With about 400 investors from 30+ countries, our mission is to democratize angel investing by providing access to deals, lowering the barrier to enter, and providing education that helps women build the confidence to invest. 🕵️What is it:  The Epic Angels Scout program is a volunteer role (2-8 hours/week) where you get to learn the ins and outs of venture capital deal sourcing and analysis. Whether you have no prior knowledge or already have years of experience under your belt, the Epic Angels Scouting program caters to all levels of experience. 👭Who should apply:  - You are based in an APAC country (Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia preferred).  - You want to build a network and connect with founders/VCs in your local ecosystem.  - You are eager to learn and love to take ownership.  - You enjoy working in a small team. 📝What you’ll do: - Attend demo days and other events in your local startup community to scout for startups and build relationships with other VCs/accelerators/angel investors. - Learn how to review early-stage startups for investment.  - Join calls with founders.  - Participate in monthly learning sessions on various topics such data room analysis, pitch deck review, and more! ✨Don’t miss this chance to: - Learn from experienced investors and gain valuable insights into the VC ecosystem. - Build a strong professional network of founders and VCs. - Make a meaningful impact on the startup ecosystem. Apply before August 22nd: https://lnkd.in/g2nVBkDA The program starts September 2024! #VentureCapitalOpportunity #GetInvolved #APAC

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Antler has been selected for not one but THREE sessions at SXSW Sydney which are open for public voting for one more day. 🎉 And I need your help to vote! 1️⃣ “Decoding Founder DNA: A Blueprint for Startup Success” Startup category: https://lnkd.in/g9spjYJZ This panel session will feature myself alongside Square Peg’s Casey Flint, Sprint Ventures’ Georgia Barkell and Polipo Ventures’ Richard Cooney. It will be an energetic and open discussion on what Founder DNA is, what makes it sought after by VCs like Antler, how Australia’s leading VCs navigate the complexities of identifying the next generation of changemakers, and how the Founder DNA concept evolves in tangent with the world. 2️⃣ “Day Zero Investing , WTF is that?” Startup category: https://lnkd.in/guDny9rw This meet-up style session will feature Antler’s scouting team, Rani Heraputeri and Nina Leong, and myself as we discuss early-stage investing, how it compares to other fundraising stages, and what local VCs in this space have to say about it to get you ahead. 3️⃣ “The next industrial revolution is coming!” Future of Work category: https://lnkd.in/gXVsawgJ This talk will be presented by Antler’s CCO, Bede Moore, and will explore how the convergence of two major global shifts - the steep rise in economic challenges faced by Millennials alongside the innovation of cloud computing - is creating the next industrial revolution that is set to transform our lives and how future generations work. We believe these conversations are crucial to understanding and navigating the complexities of the startup ecosystem in 2024 and beyond. Your vote can make a difference! 👉 Vote by signing up here https://lnkd.in/gRfmjDTc and searching for each session. Thanks in advance!

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Yesterday we attended the 'Kiss my SaaS' at NZTE: Key Takeaways for Early-Stage Startups! 🚀 The event facilitated by Serge van Dam was packed with actionable insights for early-stage SaaS founders working to find their Product-Market Fit (PMF) and create a strong foundation in their niche. Here are some of my top takeaways: 1️⃣ Defining Your ICP: Understanding your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is essential! It’s more than demographics—know their pain points, needs, and aspirations. Pin down who benefits most from your solution to sharpen your messaging. 2️⃣ Creating a Niche: Specializing allows you to cut through the noise and resonate deeply with your ICP. Instead of casting a wide net, dive deep and dominate a smaller market segment. 3️⃣ Sales & Pricing Strategy: Align your pricing with the value you provide, especially in the eyes of your ICP. Consider both the problem solved and the outcomes delivered. Start by identifying who is involved in the buying process and why they prefer specific sales channels or methods. Questions like “If we could [solve a specific problem], would that interest you?” help validate your approach. Address the real problems of your buyers through thoughtful, tailored questions based on your ICP. 💼 Next Steps: Now it’s all about execution—building a sales strategy rooted in understanding, creating questions that reveal true motivations, and refining approaches based on responses. #KissMySaaS #EarlyStageStartups #ProductMarketFit #SalesStrategy #NZTE #SaaS

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We all know that in the fast-paced world of startups, pivots are often necessary. However, not every pivot turns out well. General Partner at a16z, Andrew Chen, recently wrote an excellent piece on the most common and unfortunate pivots he has seen founders make: ❌ 1. From B2B to Consumer ❌ 2. Adding social features to a weak product ❌ 3. Bolting on trendy tech (AI, Web3, etc.) ❌ 4. Prematurely trying to build a platform ❌ 5. Going from paid to free Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/dgEnAsvF #startups #pivots #venturecapital #VC #fundraising #B2B

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