The Australian startup ecosystem has all the ingredients for success: hardworking founders, world-class talent, and abundant capital.
We have enormous amounts of potential, so how do we make sure we realise it?
Most people think we are held back by our inherent tall-poppy syndrome. I think this has historically been true, but this is certainly changing at the grassroots level.
Instead, what I believe is truly holding us back is a lack of meaningful and sophisticated knowledge transfer between founders, investors and other operators.
Abhishek Maran
Our ecosystem is rich with resources, from dedicated accelerators and advisors to a full events calendar. These initiatives have done an excellent job of laying the foundation, helping founders understand the fundamentals of building a business. However, I believe we can aim higher.
As a VC, I’ve seen that founders need more than just the basics. I want to inspire more transparency in our ecosystem, one that includes honest discussions about a range of topics such as fundraising, case studies of successful pivots, and masterclasses in distribution. These are the true lessons that founders need to learn.
Why I wrote The Fundraising Blueprint
Over the last four years, working as a VC, I have seen founders struggle through all stages of their fundraise. Whether it is crafting a pitch deck, understanding the true question being asked or grappling with conflicting and confusing investor feedback, fundraising for a startup is a gruelling process.
The Fundraising Blueprint by Abhi Maran
In an ideal world, it shouldn’t be this hard. Unfortunately, this is real life and there are hidden rules and practices that exist that can make it tough for founders.
This is why I wrote The Fundraising Blueprint. Not because I can single-handedly fix the systemic issues in our startup ecosystem, but I can pull back the curtain on how fundraising actually works.
By demystifying everything from cap table structures to fundraising timing to investor psychology, I aim to give founders the insights they need to make informed choices about the venture pathway.
Indeed, exposing the unsaid things in public might make my job as a VC more challenging but I see this as a good thing. We need more balance in this ecosystem if we want everyone to win.
Catalysing the next wave
Australia’s startup ecosystem is evolving. While investors have played a lead role in shaping the ecosystem, and have commanded the prevailing narrative, I am starting to sense a shift.
From intimate operator and founder dinners to curated events there are more opportunities for talented people to share their experience more freely. That being said, there is always an opportunity to do more.
The path forward isn’t about creating more events, it’s about fundamentally changing how knowledge flows through our ecosystem. We need more people willing to transparently and honestly share back their experiences in building and scaling world-class startups.
At Rampersand, we’re actively working to pioneer this change through two key groups.
First, experienced founders like Sam Kroonenburg and Rod Hamilton are actively reinvesting in the ecosystem by not only building new companies but also mentoring the next generation of founders.
Second, we’re seeing investors like Andrew Poesaste return from overseas markets, bringing valuable global perspectives and tangible experience having closely worked with a number of unicorn founders.
We already have all the ingredients for a world-class startup ecosystem. What we need now is the courage to break down the barriers to knowledge that hold founders back.
The next generation shouldn’t have to learn everything the hard way, they should stand on the shoulders of those who came before them.
Abhishek Maran is a Senior Investment Associate at Rampersand and a writer at Superfluid
