Startup Finance Mastery Program
Learn how to manage money, build budgets, and understand investor expectations in Australia's startup ecosystem. Our six-month program starts September 2026 and brings together people who want to get better at financial planning.
Express Your InterestMeet Your Instructors
We've brought together people who've actually worked through the messy parts of startup finance. They're not here to lecture—they want to share what worked and what didn't.
Gideon Thorne
Financial StrategySpent twelve years helping tech startups in Melbourne figure out their numbers. Gideon prefers spreadsheets that tell real stories over fancy presentations. He'll show you how to build models that actually help you make decisions.
Bridget Lavelle
Investor RelationsBridget raised capital for three different ventures and sat on the other side of the table as an angel investor. She knows what questions you'll face and helps you prepare honest answers that build confidence.
Saskia Drummond
Budget ManagementAfter working with over forty early-stage companies in Sydney, Saskia developed practical frameworks for tracking money when everything changes weekly. She focuses on systems that scale as you grow.
What You'll Actually Learn
We skip the theory you can read in textbooks. Instead, we work through real scenarios—messy ones where the answer isn't obvious and you need to make judgment calls.
Financial Foundations
Build models that show you where money comes from and where it goes. Learn to spot problems three months before they become emergencies.
Fundraising Realities
Understand what investors look for in financial documents. Practice explaining your numbers in ways that build trust rather than confusion.
Growth Planning
Figure out when to hire, when to wait, and how to balance spending against runway. Work through scenarios that test your assumptions.
Crisis Management
Revenue drops unexpectedly. A major client delays payment. Learn frameworks for making tough decisions when time is short and stakes are high.
Program Timeline
Six months of weekly sessions, practical work, and peer collaboration. You'll join a cohort of fifteen people tackling similar challenges in their own ventures.
Financial Foundations
We start by building your core financial model. You'll learn to track cash flow, project expenses, and understand what your numbers actually tell you about your business health.
Investor Perspectives
Guest sessions with active investors who explain what they look for in financial documents. You'll practice your pitch and get direct feedback on how you present numbers.
Scenario Planning
Work through what-if scenarios that test your assumptions. Learn to build flexible models that help you make faster decisions when conditions change.
Application Period
Apply everything to your own startup. Weekly check-ins help you tackle real challenges as they emerge. This is where theory becomes practical skill.
Applications Open May 2026
We're accepting fifteen people into the September cohort. If you're running a startup in Australia and want to get better at financial decision-making, reach out early. We prioritize people who are already building something and need practical skills they can use immediately.