We're Honest About Fundraising
Started in 2018 after watching too many Australian founders burn out chasing unrealistic funding expectations. We teach what actually works—not what sounds impressive in pitch decks.
View Course ScheduleWhat We Actually Stand For
These aren't just nice words we put on our website. They're the principles we argue about internally and the reasons we've turned down partnership offers that didn't align.
Realistic Timelines
Fundraising takes longer than anyone tells you. We plan programs 6-12 months out because that's when you'll actually be ready to raise capital.
Honest Numbers
Most startups won't raise VC funding. That's just math. We focus on helping you figure out if you should even try—and what alternatives might work better.
Regional Reality
Melbourne and Sydney have different ecosystems than Geelong or Ballarat. We don't pretend everyone should move to a capital city to succeed.
Common Problems We Actually Address
What Founders Struggle With
1 Valuation Confusion
You read about billion-dollar valuations but have no idea how to price your seed round. And every advisor gives you different advice that ranges from conservative to completely wild.
2 Cap Table Anxiety
Someone mentioned SAFE notes and now you're worried you'll accidentally give away too much equity or structure things in a way that scares off Series A investors later.
3 Pitch Paralysis
Your pitch deck has been through 47 versions and you're still not sure if you should lead with the problem, the solution, or the market size. Also, is 15 slides too many or not enough?
How We Help
1 Real Comparables
We walk through actual Australian seed rounds from the past two years. You'll see what companies in similar industries raised at similar stages—with context about why investors valued them that way.
2 Structure Workshops
Our October 2025 sessions include lawyer-reviewed cap table examples. You'll model different scenarios and understand the long-term impact of early decisions before you sign anything.
3 Pitch Practice
You'll pitch to former investors who give feedback that's specific and actionable. Not "make it more compelling"—more like "slide 6 loses me because the unit economics don't make sense yet."
Who You'll Learn From
We're not trying to be guru figures. Both of us have made fundraising mistakes—sometimes expensive ones—and we share those stories alongside the successes. Our commitment is showing up prepared and being genuinely useful to founders who are figuring this out.
Petra Whitlock
Lead Instructor
Raised three rounds between 2016 and 2021 for a fintech that eventually got acquired. The second round almost didn't happen because I structured the first one poorly. Now I teach founders how to avoid that specific headache.
Gwen Hartley
Strategy Advisor
Spent six years on the other side of the table at a regional VC fund. Saw hundreds of pitches and passed on most of them. I'll tell you what actually made me say yes—and what red flags we looked for that founders never realized they were showing.