Plain | Techstars '24’s Post

Over the past 5 years, 26 visionary startups across Africa have successfully raised over $6.9 billion, contributing to nearly half of the $15 billion invested in the continent’s burgeoning tech scene. At Cach, we are committed to fueling this growth by connecting startups with investors who believe in their potential. Join us in shaping the future of African innovation. PB Africa: The Big Deal

Five V’s Chris Gillings, the Cut Through Venture team, and Folklore Ventures just released The State of Australian Startup Funding, and it’s jam-packed with intel on the startup ecosystem. Headline funding volume was down, but there is a lot to be happy about as we enter 2024. 1) Competition for deals at the early stage is up, which is better for founders. We’ve never shied away from a little competition! 🏃 🏃♀ 2) Valuations have stabilized, making for better clarity for founders and smoother founder/investor deal negotiations 🤝 3) International interest in Australian startups remains robust, with 43% of all deals involving at least one of our international peers 🇺🇸 🇮🇳 🇸🇬 4) After a challenging year of navigating tough operating conditions, investors are positive about the health of their portfolios, and founders are confident about the year ahead ⛵ 5) And, for Five V plays, B2B Software attracted more funding than any other segment for the first time — reaffirming our thesis that the capital efficient and globally scalable are well positioned to continue strong Australia's traditions in the space 💻 Thanks to all the people involved in pulling together another great edition of the report. Check it out in the link below. https://lnkd.in/g8FftwZM

2023 posed considerable challenges, particularly for women who found themselves disproportionately impacted. However, amidst these adversities, we maintain steadfast optimism for the future of the Australian startup ecosystem. 🌟 Almost all recent reports, especially those highlighting noteworthy achievements like CTV, now feature a dedicated gender section. Make sure not to miss 'The State of the Gender Equity Gap' starting from page 68 for a comprehensive understanding. Our intriguing hypothesis revolves around the idea that, given the relatively compact size of the Australian ecosystem, we possess a unique opportunity to surge ahead globally and capitalize on existing gender gaps. At Scale Investors, we firmly believe that to maximize returns, one must invest in women entrepreneurs and gender-diverse teams—a sentiment underscored by the emphasis on this trend in the report. 🚀 We invite you to connect with us if you haven't already joined the Equity Clear initiative. If you're looking to make strategic investments that maximise your financial goals, this is an opportune moment to act. Get in touch and invest in the future, invest in diversity; and let's embark on this transformative journey together. 💪

These reports just keep getting better. This year's edition is a fascinating snapshot in time of the Australian startup ecosystem, and does a great job of pulling in the full spectrum of voices and perspectives. It's worth remembering that funding rounds are primarily spent on hiring people, so we can think of that $3.5B of investment as representing the hundreds of thousands of technology jobs that we can now sustain in Australia. Short-term comparisons aside, $3.5B of investment into startups is another step in the journey towards changing the shape of the Australian economy to include technology as a long-term pillar.

After a turbulent 2023 for a lot of our clients, it's interesting to see the wider effects across the whole startup landscape through the fantastic reporting by Cut Through Venture and Folklore Ventures Deals are down, deal size is down, no new unicorns, very few of the existing unicorns tested their valuation in the market. Layoffs were the norm as the move to sensible practices and sustainability took hold. To quote a capital adviser I work closely with: "Last year couldn't have gone worse from a funding perspective. This year has to be better." I couldn't agree more. Whilst it'll never get back to the insane heights of 2021 (thankfully), I look forward to renewed optimism and good businesses getting funded this year and beyond. As an ecosystem, given the importance of angel investors and smaller LPs in funds, we can only hope that the government's proposed changes to sophisticated investor tests are radically changed or abandoned to avoid another hibernation like we've seen this past year. A really fascinating read. Check it out.

CHART: Top investors in African startups for 2023

Angel investing in Australia has grown significantly in the last 3 years. Most excitingly, the quality of people (including founders themselves) who are entering the space and deploying meaningfully is amazing and will see positive reverberations across the ecosystem. At the same time, we are at a critical tipping point as a country, trying to pivot from digging things out of the ground to tech now being the third largest contributing sector to Australia’s GDP. It is imperative that the policy and standards we set as a country continue to foster this community. #startups #australia #investing

The much-awaited #report is finally published! Here's a quick snapshot of Australia's #fundraising scene in 2023, and a link with the full report in the comments posted by Cut Through Venture. For those planning or considering raising external capital to fund your startups, it's critical to ask if your business essentially fits the VC model. Once you raise it's almost certain that you'll have to do it continuously for the next 5 to 10 years, for investors to get back their returns upon exit - something I learned during my #startup #journey at Duckrow, and something I learned that many aspiring founders aren't aware of. Thanks to Roo Harris and Samar Mcheileh at Scale Investors Pty Ltd who shared this piece to demystify if VC is right for everyone: bit.ly/3wfMFfC #entrepreneurship #funding #askquestions #soonerthanlater #business101

Good news for startups is good news for giving. 👍 🎉   Despite a year of uncertainty and challenges, the outlook for 2024's startup landscape is optimistic, as detailed in this insightful report by Cut Through Venture.   ✅ Although it might take time to rebound to the levels of activity seen in 2021, both investors and entrepreneurs are optimistic that the worst is now behind them.   ✅ 82% of founders expressed confidence in securing funding in 2024-2025.   This anticipated recovery and growth in the startup sector bodes well not just for founders and investors, but also for philanthropy. As more tech entrepreneurs see success, I’m confident we'll see an increase in their philanthropic efforts. This could create a powerful ripple effect, extending their positive impact from the startup world to broader global challenges.   Here’s hoping for a better year for all. 🤞

The data has landed! Awesome insights as always from our friends at Cut Through Venture. Whilst there is plenty to digest from the year that has been, we have looked to the future... What are our takeaways? 🚀 Founders, Get Ready for a Thriving 2024 in Australian Startups! 🌟 📈 The forecast for startup investment activities in Australia is looking increasingly promising as we head into 2024. With 66% of investors expect startup investment activities to rise this year. 🔍 Sector-wise, AI/Big Data remains a hot favorite, closely followed by Enterprise Software, Climate Tech/Cleantech, Healthtech, and Cybersecurity. 💡 What does this mean for you, the founders? It's time to polish your pitches, fine-tune your models, and be ready to seize the opportunities that lie ahead. 2024 is shaping up to be a year of opportunity. If you're ready to take your startup to the next level, investors are ready and waiting at OnePitch VC #StartupAus #investmenttrends #foundersjourney #entrepreneurship #innovation #2024outlook #startupgrowth