Startmate CEO Michael Batko has stepped as CEO after eight years of leading the startup accelerator and investor, effective immediately. Taking over is chief operating officer Phoebe Pincus, who’s been with the Blackbird-backed organisation for four years. Batko, who was also a startup founder on the side, most recently exiting his side hustle, Startup Striders, last month,… Read more »
Startmate is getting into the streaming business with the next evolution of its Accelerator program – dedicated Founder Streams. Streams is designed to deliver more focused, hands-on support for founders across key startup sectors. It also features Stream Leads, experienced founders who’ve lived the journey themselves, to guide startups through tailored 12-week programs focused on… Read more »
How do you land a brand deal with global music superstar Robbie Williams? Easy – send him a song via voice note. At Startmate’s recent Alumni Demo Day in Sydney, Andy Miller from non-alcoholic beer startup Heaps Normal (Startmate class of winter 2020) recalled how he heard from the singer’s team that Robbie was a… Read more »
The Winter ’25 cohort is full of founders chasing the edge of what’s possible and dragging the future closer. A future where period poverty is a thing of the past. Where anyone can service a machine like an expert. Where AI doesn’t just answer questions, but books your Uber, edits your work and fills a… Read more »
New York online health multinational Teladoc Health (NYSE: TDOC) has acquired Victorian healthtech startup Telecare, in the first exit for LaunchVic’s Alice Anderson Fund. The deal closed last Friday, August 8, with the terms undisclosed, but Teladoc Health said it’s expected to be immaterial to its 2025 financial results. Telecare developed Australia’s leading virtual care… Read more »
A tech platform that helps doctors transcribe medical notes faster from conversations with patients has raised $12 million, valuing the two-year-old startup at $50 million. The round for Melbourne-based Lyrebird Health was led by Five V Capital and UK fund Octopus Ventures, with support from Startmate. The AI-powered medical scribe generates clinical documentation from patient-doctor… Read more »
Blackbird’s annual startup gathering, Sunrise, kicks off in Sydney tomorrow, culminating with Startmate Demo Day on Thursday night. The Summer ’25 Accelerator cohort of 16 startups will take the stage at Carriageworks to showcase their hard work over the last three months, with the event once again sold out. The ideas developed come from as… Read more »
Startmate’s Summer’25 Accelerator cohort is its biggest yet, involving 16 wildly different startups seeking to make a big impact is profoundly varied ways Driving them are 28 hungry, fast-moving, relentless founders who see a different future: one where Gen Z’s are more connected than lonely, where commerce is collaborative, and where the 4 million tonnes… Read more »
Talk is cheap when it comes to backing women in tech. But the surprising thing is that investing in them isn’t that expensive. Accelerator and investor Startmate, winner of Startup Daily’s Best in Tech Investor of the Year, has supported more than 800 women through its Women Fellowship programs over the last four years and… Read more »
Startmate CEO Michael Batko reckons founders ask him weekly about how to raise from US investors. So he decided to ask some of the best in the business directly, including Bill Tai, one of Canva’s first backers, and Uber angel investor Jason Calancanis, for a Q and A webinar series for ANZ founders, called the… Read more »
Sydney software proptech Sitemate has acquired fellow Startmate alumni software startup Nomad Fleet in a deal worth $2 million. Surprisingly, it’s the first time in Startmate’s 13-year history that two of the 250 startup to emerge from the accelerator program have teamed up in an M&A deal. Both Sitemate cofounder Hartley Pike and Nomad founder Will… Read more »
Accelerator and early-stage investor Startmate has revealed the 11 startups joining the program for its Winter cohort. They’re an eclectic bunch, spanning problems ranging from ending online abuse to rethinking firefighting, and supporting mothers post-childbirth. They’re also hoping to revolutionise tender processes, fitting rooms, oil extraction, physio-patient journeys, thermal systems, bug-catching software, and global digital… Read more »
At Startmate we’re industry agnostic. We invest in people first. People with deep expertise and unique visions, working to solve some of the thorniest problems frustrating industries worldwide. The role we play is simple. Accelerate their progress – avoid pitfalls, leverage opportunities, prompt customer conversations, advise sales, and marketing – do everything in our power… Read more »
Welcome to The Ask, our regular column for founders looking for capital. It may be venture capital, crowdfunding or another path, but if you’re on the hunt for cash, we’re happy to share the news with Australia’s startup community. This is your chance to pitch directly to them. This week it’s we have a special… Read more »
Startmate held Demo Day for its summer 2024 cohort at Blackbird’s Sunrise in Sydney last week and Startup Daily is profiling the 10 startups involved. Today it’s Telemattica, which is stopping transport going off the rails, literally. The ‘Check Engine Light’ on your car could very possibly be one of its most frustrating safety features.… Read more »
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