Antler AMA | Frontier Tech | What Investors Look For in Hardware Founders
Building in defence, space, robotics, compute, hardware or any other frontier vertical?
Join James McClure, Partner at Antler Australia, and Ani Goswami, Founder of Oscorp Energy, for an open Q&A on what it takes to back, and to build, a hardware company. If you’re looking for your first cheque, they’ll share their views on what investors look for in hardware, from both sides of the table: what makes a team backable at day zero, how to prove the hard parts early, and how to raise when the product takes years, not months, to build.
Oscorp Energy builds intelligent machines that autonomously sort used batteries so they can be safely recycled, giving recyclers and MRFs the confidence to accept batteries without fear of fires, contamination or costly disruptions.
Bring your toughest questions on:
What investors want to see before backing a hardware startup
How Ani went from a hard problem to a company, and what he’d do differently
Long build cycles, procurement and capital intensity
Finding a co-founder with the skills you’re missing
Whether you need a working prototype, or just a strong idea and the right team
Antler is a global early-stage VC, not an accelerator. We invest at inception, so founders can go further, faster. Applications for the next Antler Australia residency (kicking off Feb 8, 2027 in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) are open here.
📅 Wed 18 Nov, 5pm AEDT
📍 Online