There are a whole heap of firsts we are inclined to remember in life, and for any angel investor, signing your first cheque is one of them.

Whether it’s over in the blink of an eye or more like pushing a rock up a mountain, most angels say your first investment sets the tone for what’s to come.

Lessons are learnt. Networks are expanded. Skin is well and truly in the game.

This Thursday, October 21st, we are bringing together four angel investors from the ANZ startup ecosystem to share their ‘first cheque’ stories and subsequent learnings.

There will be reminiscing. There will be real talk. There will be realisations — and dealflow — shared.

See you there.

From searchable, encrypted data-storage and fruit-picking robots to gamified financial education and on-call vets, Startmate’s W21 cohort is one of our most impressive yet.

Over the past three months, our biggest-ever Accelerator cohort has been pushing the boundaries of what they thought was possible.

Join us — and most importantly, them  for a celebration of everything they’ve accomplished to date, and for a peek at everything they plan to achieve in the future.

This year, we are taking it three steps further. Introducing Startmate 'Open House', a biannual, 2-week, entirely free, virtual festival packed with 1:1 mentoring, founder-to-founder relationship building, fireside chats and functional workshops.

You can think of it as having access to the whole house, not just the home office.

Want to be matched with a been-there-done-that mentor that has experience suited to the problem you’re trying to solve? Want to meet dozens of other founders? Want exclusive insights to catapult your startup forward?

Apply for Open House today so we can match the perfect mentor to the problem you’re trying to solve and grow your network for life.

If you’re intrigued by startups, come along to Liminal*. It’s an immersive, one-week series of online panels, masterclasses and high-energy breakout sessions with leading startup operators and coaches. You’ll end the week with a better understanding of how your skills and experience can translate into a startup job.

Liminal* is also a taster of our Women Fellowship, a two-month program helping ambitious women find their dream job in a startup. If you end the week convinced startups are for you, you’ll have until the 22nd of August to apply.

Register for Liminal* now and get ready to dive headfirst into startups.