The Merton Monthly: October
October has arrived, and the hardworking Merton team shows no signs of slowing down. With sleeves rolled up and minds focused, we dive headfirst into our work, ready for another busy month ahead.
Merton Updates
Anthony Curtin has been appointed as a mentor to SVG Ventures - Thrive APAC Program. SVG Ventures | THRIVE is the leading global agrifood investment and innovation platform headquartered in Silicon Valley, comprising top agriculture, food & technology corporations, universities, and investors. The THRIVE APAC Accelerator is a 12-week program that supports early-stage agrifood tech startups from across the value chain whose technologies drive us towards a more efficient, sustainable, and secure agricultural future. Supporting companies across the agrifood value chain, the THRIVE APAC Accelerator strongly emphasises companies creating a sustainable future through innovation.
US trip - New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco and Los Angeles
It was a great opportunity to spend some quality time with our Australian and US clients who are expanding or investing in the ecosystem. We observed a lot of activity not only from a perspective of capital raising but also from an M&A standpoint.
We also had the privilege to meet with the Australian federal and state government agencies on the ground in the US. We consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to have these resources available when we expand. It's essential to leverage these relationships.
“Raising and Scaling in the US – Panel Discussion” hosted by Rampersad
On Friday 15th September, members of our team attended “Raising and Scaling in the US – Panel Discussion” hosted by Rampersad. The panel discussion was facilitated by Paul Naphtali, cofounder and managing partner of Rampersand, an early-stage technology venture capital fund established in Australia a decade ago. Amongst Rampersand’s portfolio are companies including Assembly, Expert360, PredictHQ, Sendle and Stackla, just to name a few.
It was fantastic to hear from panel members, Priya Saiprasad, US Investor, and Matt Fairhurst, Founder of Skedulo, on each of their unique perspectives on raising and scaling in the US.
A big thank you to Rampersand for hosting this great event.
What we’re listening to
Airbnb faced a crisis in 2011 when a host's apartment was ransacked, and it led to a period of soul searching for the company. This crisis became a turning point, as the company's efforts to rebuild trust helped it become the global behemoth it is today. Brian Chesky, the CEO of Airbnb, believes that the lessons learned during this crisis can be applied to the company's next defining moments, including the recent pandemic that shut down global travel.
What we’re watching
In this episode, Ryan Petersen, Flexport's co-CEO and Founder, speaks with Das Rush, a16z Growth Editor, about the challenges of supply chain management in the era of ecommerce. They discuss the complexity of the supply chain, the importance of building resiliency into the system, and the need to rearchitect the supply chain in order to meet evolving customer expectations.
Prioritising founders' mental health could pay off for VCs
Amid the current downturn, startup founders are under increased pressure and are finding it hard to maintain their mental well-being. According to Startup Snapshot, 72% of founders reported that launching their own business had a negative impact on their mental health. As a result, more venture capitalists are putting resources towards supporting founders' mental health, but many in the industry believe more needs to be done.
Upcoming*
Victoria - Capital Raising Webinar Series - US Focus
Merton Lawyers have assisted Global Victoria in curating a three-part webinar series that focuses on helping companies prepare to raise capital domestically and in the US.
Webinar 2: Preparing to Raise
Covers how to successfully 'pitch' and attract investors.
Date: Wednesday 11 October
Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Webinar 3: The Realities of Expanding into the US and Raising Money Abroad
Requirements to successfully raise capital in the US.
Date: Wednesday 25 October
Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
LaunchVic's 30x30 - Expressions of Interest are open
Expressions of interest are now open for 30X30, LaunchVic's executive education program for the behind-the-scenes operators fuelling Victoria's fastest-growing scaleups.
We're also announcing our latest CivVic Labs cohort with VicHealth, spotlighting women in Life Sciences and celebrating all the fun when the Global Entrepreneurship Congress came to town.
Applications are open for Startmates Accelerator program
The Startmate Accelerator unleashes the ambition of Australia and New Zealand’s best founders and propels them toward their goals.
