After launching programs in Singapore and Stockholm, global startup generator and early-stage VC Antler today debuts in Amsterdam, London and Sydney.
Founded by Magnus Grimeland, co-founder of Zalora, the Rocket Internet VC backed e-commerce platform, Antler builds companies from the ground up, starting with one ambitious individual with a specific skill, strong inner drive and grit.
Many individuals come from tech companies like Google, Spotify, Uber and Klarna and have on average 10 years’ work experience. Antler pushes them out of their comfort zones by paying them a nominal grant so they can quit their job and focus on building their startup.
Founders are coached throughout their entrepreneurial journey by a panel of 150+ advisors – many meeting with participants on a weekly basis. Antler’s Advisors are all global business royalty, including Andreas Ehn, Spotify’s first CTO, Lawrence Summers, former US Secretary of the Treasury for President Clinton; and Dominic Barton, Global Managing Partner Emeritus of McKinsey & Company.
The firm’s wider team also comprises accomplished tech and business professionals who can support founders every step of their way. These include industry leaders from the likes of Bloomberg, PayPal, Harvard, Google and Stanford. Many have first hand experience of building their own startup.
The program consists of two phases over five months.
The first lasts two months, connecting individuals to create founder teams. This is facilitated through workshops, personality tests and focused hackathons where teams rapidly develop product ideas, with support from Antler coaches, advisors and VCs.
At the end of phase one, Antler invests in the best teams for a minority equity stake.
The second phase lasts three months. Teams build their companies and former founders help with product launches and connect companies with their first customers.
At the end of the program, teams pitch their business to investors to secure seed funding. Post-program, founders continue to receive advice and tools and enter Antler’s alumni network.
The first program in Singapore in 2018 generated 13 new high growth tech companies, including Sampingan, a task-based workforce platform that has recently secured $500k from Golden Gate Ventures.
All open locations (London, Amsterdam, Sydney, Stockholm and Singapore) are now accepting applications via www.antler.co. Antler will also be launching programs in New York and Nairobi in H2 2019.
FinSMEs
28/02/2019