UNSW Founders is introducing its Mergers, Acquisitions, IPOs & Secondaries (MAIPOS) program, the first of its kind initiated by an Australian accelerator program.
This course aims to offer founders and entrepreneurs essential insights into the exits and liquidity processes.
Launching this program, which is entirely free and accessible to all founders in Australia, coincides with a pivotal moment in Australia’s startup ecosystem. Figures from 2023 indicate that 1,299 startup companies are transitioning into the next scale-up phase. Despite growing attention on successful exit announcements, spanning from significant financial mergers and acquisitions to ASX IPOs, the understanding of liquidity remains in its infancy, with a noticeable lack of educational resources for founders on this critical subject.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from esteemed speakers, including Will Davies, CEO of Uber Carshare; Alan Taylor, CEO of publicly listed Clarity Pharmaceuticals; David Jones, who sold Threatmetrix to RELX Group for $1.01 billion; and Noga Edelstein, who sold UrbanYou to Oneflare.
Beste Onay, Investments and Portfolio Manager at UNSW Founders who is spearheading the program said: “Almost half of all exits happen by Series A, leaving many founders unprepared for successful exits when the moment arrives. I’ve seen first-hand how this can impact startups, with lots of money left on the table due to the lack of access to education currently on the market. The launch of UNSW Founders MAIPOS program exists to remedy this, offering founders key insights and advice from experts who have successfully been through the tricky process themselves.”
Noga says, “It may feel counterintuitive to think about exit strategies early in the life of a startup. But as soon as a founder raises external capital, they need to understand that investors will ultimately be looking for liquidity and that typically comes via an exit. Being educated and prepared for an exit event can make a significant difference to the ultimate outcome for both founders and investors”.
The course is meticulously crafted to furnish founders with the comprehensive knowledge and skills necessary to make informed and strategic decisions regarding exits.
The program commences with a one-day, boardroom-style session on March 21st in Sydney at the University of New South Wales. While open to startup founders nationwide, the program is specifically tailored for founders at the Pre-seed to Series A stage.
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