AFC Presents: Backed by the Crowd - What Happens When VC Stops Being the Door
AFC Presents: Backed by the Crowd - What Happens When VC Stops Being the Door
Early-stage VC in Australia has narrowed. The cheques that are moving are going to AI infrastructure, defence, space and hardware. If you're building a consumer brand, a services business, or anything community-led, the problem isn't that raising got harder. It's that the door was never open to you in the first place.
This month at Aussie Founders Club we're sitting down with Birchal and two founders who've raised from their own communities. The first half is the market: what's actually happening to early-stage capital, and who crowdfunding is genuinely right for. The second half gets practical. What a raise takes, what it costs, and what founders underestimate before they start.
📅 Key Event Details
Date: Thursday 1 October
Time: 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Location: Everest Engineering, 2/39 Little Collins St, Melbourne
Food & Drinks: Provided by Everest Engineering 🍕🥂
Who Should Attend
Founders thinking about raising in the next twelve months, especially if you've been told you're not a VC fit, you're building something with a real customer base, or you've been running a process that's going nowhere.
The Panel
Kirstin Hunter, CEO, Birchal: Kirstin sees every raise that comes across the platform. She's covering what's working right now, what founders get wrong before they launch, and where the market is heading.
Michael Nuciforo, Thriday: Michael raised $3m on Birchal in 2022 and has since exited to Tyro. He's talking through the full arc, from running the campaign to what a crowd-raised cap table looks like when you get to an acquisition.
Our third panelist to be confirmed soon!
What You'll Learn
Where early-stage capital is actually going, and what that means if you're not in those categories
How to tell whether crowdfunding is right for your business, or whether you're reaching for it too early
What a raise costs, in money and in founder time
What you need in place before you launch a campaign
What a crowd-raised cap table means down the track, including at exit
Thanks to Our Sponsors
🌱 Our Event Partner: Birchal
Birchal is Australia's leading equity crowdfunding platform, helping founders raise capital from the people who already know and use what they've built. Since launching, Birchal has helped Australian companies raise from thousands of everyday investors, turning customers and community members into shareholders.
🛠 Our Venue & Catering Sponsor: EverestEngineering
We’re stoked to be hosted by EverestEngineering, a world-class product development partner that helps startups build, scale, and accelerate their software dreams. With a sharp focus on engineering excellence and collaboration, EverestEngineering takes the hassle out of product delivery - so founders can stay focused on what matters most.
Proudly Supported by Innovation Victoria
Innovation Victoria exists to grow Victoria's startup and innovation ecosystem by helping more people turn good ideas into successful, scalable companies. By connecting entrepreneurs, founders and investors with the right tools, advice and pathways to capital and customers, we help accelerate progress, unlock opportunity and drive long-term economic benefits for Victoria.
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