Join a community obsessed with backing and believing in the next generation of great founders.

Startmate’s First Believers isn't just theoretical, it's practical.

First Believers not only learn the investing craft from the best investors in ANZ, but they have the exclusive opportunity to pressure-test their thinking by helping select founders for both our Small Bets Fund and Accelerator Fund.

It's this invaluable learn-by-doing approach that sets First Believers apart from the other angel investing courses in market.

Cohort 6 kicks off in September

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Invest alongside an inclusive community

First Believers come from all walks of life, including founders and operators from...

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Accelerate your journey to becoming a world-class investor

First Believers is a 14-week immersive onboarding program into a community-for-life. From day 1, you'll learn the craft of investing and build lasting relationships.

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Learn early-stage startup investing by actually investing

6 weeks of theory, covering everything you need to launch your angel journey. Followed by 6 weeks stacked with hands-on investing. You will be reviewing real pitch decks, meeting real founders, and making real investment decisions.

Our First Believers invest alongside the likes of...

"First Believers transformed me into an Angel Investor, it’s part of my identity now, and I am thrilled. Being able to support Australia’s newest Founders is a huge privilege, sometimes I still pinch myself. First Believers has been a pivotal life moment for me. I’m excited by the possibilities."

Melissa

"The FB program gave me everything I hoped it would and more. After completing I felt confident building a network of start-up opportunities (deal flow), how to interview and what to look for, how to value and how to invest."

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Ben

"First Believers is the must-do program for any aspiring or current angel investor as it took my understanding and connections within the start-up ecosystem from 1 to 100. I could not recommend this program more highly to anyone who is keen to learn more about the ANZ start-up ecosystem and how to back aspiring founders."

Matt

"First Believers is like getting thrown into the deep end of the pool -- with all your friends! Bad metaphors aside: whether you're in the beginning of your investing journey or a seasoned investor, the hands-on experience and the community at First Believers are truly incomparable. You learn quickly that investing is a team sport, and First Believers = one of the best teams!"

Chenelle

"As a very new entrant into startup world, nothing like getting thrown in the deep end. Like some of the best investors, don’t overthink it, just do it. This program is a unicorn if there ever was one."

Celeste

"I went from someone who has never angel invested to an angel investor in a couple of funds, a couple of direct investments, an advisor complete with my trust all setup and all the documentation completed."

Luke

How is Startmate different?

Startmate is the most active early-stage investor in Australia. We invest at the very beginning of a founder's journey, making us best-placed to help budding angel investors. We help founders to realise their bold ambitions every day. We’ve been accelerating founders for more than a decade and we want to open this world to you.

How is First Believers different?

We focus on the things you can't Google and provide unparalleled hands-on investing opportunities.
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Over 14 weeks, you'll learn the craft of investing from world-class investors through the Startmate network, while simultaneously being exposed to 500+ early-stage startups. This is not about passively learning abstract concepts. It's about learning by doing and making real investment decisions on real companies with real outcomes.

Alongside other First Believers, you'll refine and develop your investment strategy, establish clear next steps in your journey to investing, and be supported in realising them.
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Investing is a decade-long journey. We’re building a community to be there with you every step of the way. You'll develop deep relationships with First Believers and be a part of a community for life.

Who is right for First Believers?

If you want to build confidence in making early-stage startup investments, better understand the investor lens, or build life-changing relationships with other ambitious investors and founders, First Believers is the place for you.
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You don’t have to be a sophisticated investor. You don’t need to have $$$ to invest. You can join with or without any prior experience.
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First Believers come from a range of backgrounds, including past founders, corporate venture capitalists, high-growth technology company employees, and ecosystem champions.

Do you need to have money to invest?

No! First Believers is about developing future investors.
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We understand the ambition to be an investor might come before the financial position to back your belief in founders.
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Amongst a number of pathways for non-sophisticated investors, we have uniquely raised a $1 million Small Bets Fund exclusively for First Believers of all backgrounds to invest into founders at the very beginning (and earn carry in the fund while doing so).

When does the onboarding program run?

The program runs virtually twice a year, kicking off in March and September, with applications due the month before.

As the program is run remotely, we encourage you to apply from anywhere in Australia or New Zealand.
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Each cohort is made up of ~50 people across a range of industries, locations and levels of experience.

What's the time commitment?

First Believers requires a time commitment of three hours per week to engage with the content and community.

How much does the program cost?

The First Believers program fee is $5,500 including GST.
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‍We're committed to seeing better representation in the startup ecosystem, and we don't want financial limitations to be a prohibiting factor from participating in First Believers. Startmate offers full and part scholarships for the First Believers program. This fee will only be invoiced after program acceptance. The fee can be paid upfront or via instalments.