Solai Valliappan

Founded in 2014, the Observership Program facilitates the involvement of talented, energetic and diverse individuals with a wide range of skills and backgrounds in a structure experience on not-for-profit boards. It is a powerful tool to engage emerging community leaders while giving participating not-for-profit boards insight into the next generation’s perspective. Over 250 Observers have participated in the Program, observing on the boards of over 100 not-for-profit organisations. The Observership Program has run in Sydney since 2014 and in Melbourne since 2017. The program provides Observers with first-hand exposure to the role of the board, its decision-making and operations as well as targeted training delivered by AICD and mentorship designed to give Observers important skills to bring to the boardroom. “The Observership Program is in my opinion an outstanding way for the future directors of all levels of Australian business to gain experience in what to do and indeed what not to do around the board table.” David Gonski AC (Patron, The Observership Program)

Tiger Financial Group is an independent financial services firm for growing companies. We back the best technology founders at every stage. We provide tailored financial and business solutions to leading businesses in the technology and energy sectors. We operate in Australia / New Zealand and the US.

EnergyLab is Australia’s leading hub, connector and accelerator of new business and technological initiatives that move Australia and the world toward net zero.

EnergyLab is Australia’s leading hub, connector and accelerator of new business and technological initiatives that move Australia and the world toward net zero.

Sydney Angels is an angel group whose members invest in innovative early-stage companies with high growth potential. Sydney Angels offers entrepreneurs an efficient path to capital, expertise and experience from its members, who are backed by the $10M Sydney Angels Sidecar Fund. Entrepreneurs should apply online via www.sydneyangels.net.au . Sydney Angels provides its members with quality deal flow, a collaborative investment process, and an opportunity to support entrepreneurs and the early-stage ecosystem. Individuals interested in becoming a member of Sydney Angels should apply online via www.sydneyangels.net.au .

A weekly newsletter about Indian startup news and the ecosystem. Chai & Capital is your warm, weekly pour of India’s thriving startup scene, brewed with curiosity, insight, and a pinch of spice. It started with a simple idea: Let’s understand the Indian startup ecosystem better. But the deeper we explored, the clearer it became, this isn’t just an emerging market, it’s a superpower that needs to be understood. India’s startup engine is growing louder, bolder, and more global by the day. It needs to be watched. It deserves to be celebrated. So we’re here to share what we learn one cup, one founder story and one trend at a time. Chai and Capital is co-founded by Preethi Mohan and Solai Valliappan

Press Play is a springboard for ambitious women who want to go from employment to entrepreneurship. With personalised guidance, empowering resources and a supportive community, women graduate from the program with the skills and tenacity to take their business ideas to the next level. Press Play is designed to focus on mindset, strategy and execution - critical tools needed to bring an idea to life. This program blends operational intelligence with purpose-driven decision making that provides a strong foundation to create sustainable businesses. The program runs for 12 weeks and is led by startup experts whove wanted go beyond the traditional 9-5 and live a life of greater impact. Applications for cohort 1 are now closed. But were accepting expressions of interest for our upcoming cohorts.

Scale is a female focused angel investor network. At Scale we empower Australian investors to connect, invest and succeed. We provide investment and support to diverse founders in early stage businesses. Since 2013 Scale Investors have been activating early stage female led organisations and building a supportive and sustainable network that invests in female founders today to create the female investors of tomorrow. The Scale Angel network is an exceptional cohort of accomplished people who believe that investing in and supporting talented diverse teams will create the iconic businesses of tomorrow. Of the total venture capital funding available only 2% is deployed to women, yet female owned companies generate more revenues with less investment. Women are two times more likely to take social impact of a deal seriously however are not taken seriously despite having 50% of the good ideas. The evidence is clear, McKinsey and Company’s 2015 “Why Diversity Matters” research found the top quartile of gender diverse public companies are 15% more likely to outperform industry medians. It starts with us; the Scale Investor network has a powerful role to play to activate early stage female led organisations. We welcome all investors who share our vision of maximizing returns by supporting early stage businesses that value gender diverse leadership.

Techstars helps founders scale their startups into world-changing businesses. Founded in 2006, Techstars is on a mission to invest in startups to enable more capital to flow to more entrepreneurs around the world in order to deliver exceptional returns to our investors. We do this by operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, as well as by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities. Our results show why Techstars is Better for Founders than any other global accelerator: On average, 74.5% of Techstars companies will raise money within 3 years of their program; 18.5% of Techstars portfolio companies have exited 5 years after their program and 31.1% after eight years. (PitchBook June 2023)

Sydney Community Foundation was established in 2004 and has almost 20 years of experience connecting philanthropy with Sydney communities in most need. The foundation has overseen the distribution of almost $11 million to innovative, grassroots charities who design and run projects that support vulnerable people in the Greater Sydney area. Grants range between $5,000 to $100,000 and have supported projects that create belonging; education and employment pathways; build safety and independence; and transform place.