Pitch to Scale: Female Focused Angel Investing

Google Maps for indoors, finally right? And even better imagine never losing your car again! This is one of the many features Bindimaps has built, BindiLinks simply drop a pin at the exact location of where you parked your car and have the ability to navigate back to it! Life changing!Anna Wright is the cofounder of Bindimaps, an indoor navigation app. She built this company to help those in need. She herself has a vision impairment after being diagnosed with a rare eye disease years ago, she was directly faced with how she would navigate this setback and has been trying to give away her idea for decades! But it was hers to bring to life and got into the first ‘she starts’ accelerator program by Blue Chili with her brilliant idea.Bindimaps is three years young and has recently secured a contract to install the navigation system across all Australian Stockland shopping centres, has raised their first million dollars and Anna was recently nominated for Australian of the year - stuff entrepreneurs dream of! Her decades of experience in Finance as an accountant and consulting startups through to IPOs and trade sales as well as being part of the first ‘she starts’ cohort, positions her really strongly for success.Curious about Bindi Maps: https://bindimaps.com/Curious about Scale: scaleinvestors.com.au

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Samar McHeileh speaks with Lisa and Zoe Paisley of Aggie Global.Did you know that 90% of farmers live below the poverty line? This is a stat the Paisley twins will change. Having studied agricultural science and worked in developing countries for over 12 months, Lisa and Zoe Paisley have experienced first hand the challenges farmers face.The lived experience and insight they gained into this real problem quickly developed into a passion the twin sisters are determined to solve. They launched Aggie Global in Fiji in December 2019 after having completed the She Starts accelerator program.Their business aims to connect farmers with big markets and have already on-boarded some of the world’s largest hotels who are and are purchasing produce from local farmers. They have halved their costs and reduced time spent on procurement from months to minutes. But more impressive is those farmers are now making 6x more income and no longer being forced to waste food.The energy and fresh perspective these impressive founders bring is truly inspiring.Aggie Global: https://www.aggieglobal.com/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Samar McHeileh speaks with Karissa Mather and Cate Lilja co-founders of Optima NutricosmeticsDid you know that great skin starts in the gut? It's true, healthy, vibrant skin needs a healthy, balanced gut, one simply cannot exist without the other. The gut-skin connection is extremely complex but luckily, Karissa Mather and Cate Lilja co founders of Optima Nutricosmetics have your skin covered. The pair has created a skin food elixir to help our bodies maintain its delicate balance with a scientifically proven formula!Optima is the culmination of years of extensive research and development, underpinned by the over 40 years combined industry experience of the founders. Karissa and Cate share their own healing journeys that has cultivated their passion to create sustainable products with pure ingredients, potent formulas with proven results.Optima Nutricosmetics: https://www.optimanutricosmetics.com.au/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Samar McHeileh speaks with Trish Mackie-Smith founder of Inndox, a the digital logbook for your property.It is a secure app that holds everything about a property from design through to appliance warranties in the one place. Inndox is revolutionising the way Property Developers and Construction Companies capture, manage and share property information from planning to completion and transfer to future owners.In the wake of some of the most devastating building disasters in Australia, former property lawyer and co-founder of Australia's most awarded building consultancy, Trish Mackie-Smith is at the forefront of the unfair systems and practices some homeowners are faced with.Curious about Inndox: https://www.inndox.com/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Samar McHeileh speaks with Kara Jeffers founder of Miss Frankie.After owning her own natural nail salon for over a decade and three kids later, Kara Jeffers decided she needed to scale-up, back herself and realise her ambition to be a force in the Australian clean beauty movement.Her fourth baby Miss Frankie was born in 2017, an all natural Australian made, breathable ‘10 free’, vegan and cruelty free nail polish brand. Kara is educating us on all things ‘clean nails’ via her website and socials and growing her business at the same time. Love. nails. naturally with Kara from Miss Frankie.Curious about Miss Frankie: https://www.missfrankie.com.au/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Samar McHeileh speaks with Cortina McCurry, co-founder and CEO of of CaiaCortina McCurry found there was no simple easy way for her to access great practitioners whilst on the go. So she founded Caia. It's is a new way to think about women’s and family health. Caia uses technology to create easy, seamless access to holistic healthcare and support for women and their families.Women’s health was recently reported on Bloomberg as one of the Venture Capital investment trends for 2020, companies that focus on women as healthcare decision-makers are ripe for success.Curious about Caia: https://caia.care/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Samar McHeileh speaks with Claire Leach, founder of Hatchbio Systems.Claire read about how innovative companies overseas were using insects to convert food waste into livestock feed and fertiliser and it’s safe to say she was hooked so she founded Hatch in 2016. Claire is incredibly passionate about solving the food waste epidemic in Australia. She shares her amazing journey of learning about all things black soldier fly from finding these insects in the wild to her sustainable modular approach. It's clear to see why she is uniquely placed to solve this problem.Curious about Hatchbio Systems: https://www.hatch.bio/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

Pascale Helyar-Moray is the CEO of Super Rewards, a start up company that partners with Australia retailers to top up your super when you shop online.In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Catherine Robson speaks with Pascale about the October launch of Super Rewards. Pascale's business aims to address the gender imbalance of Australia's superannuation funds. Women retire with 42% less super than men and only enough for six years of retirement. Pascale tells Catherine where this idea started, how scalable she thinks it is and why Barbie might be the key to switching off.Curious about Pascale or Super Rewards: https://super-rewards.com/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Samar McHeileh speaks with Angel Investor and Scale board member, Catherine Robson.Catherine says her superpower is founder empathy. She successfully grew and exited her financial services business. Catherine goes deep and shares her amazing story and provides great insight to those wanting to join this lucrative asset class of Angel Investing. Curious about Catherine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-robson-200a342a/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/Books Catherine mentioned during the interview:Hard Things About Hard Things Ben HorowitzWhat you do is who you are – how to create your business culture Ben HorowitzZero to One Peter ThielThe Obstacle is the Way: The Ancient Art of Turning Adversity to Advantage Ryan HolidayVenture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist Brad FeldStartup Boards: Getting the Most Out of Your Board of Directors Brad FeldAnd my book of the year for 2019 is:Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense Rory Sutherland

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Samar McHeileh speaks with Angel Investor, Rafael Kimberley-Bowen.A move from the UK to Australia to settle and raise his family with his wife found him diving feet first into the world of Angel Investing. Raf explains he has always had a keen interest in the lucrative world entrepreneurship. He is passionate about angel investing as a means to invigorate innovation and it’s his mission to encourage greater investment in this asset class and celebrate its successes.Curious about Rafael Kimberley-Bowen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafkb/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Home Care Heroes co-founder Jenna Leo speaks with Samar McHeileh. Jenna and her husband, Mat, are on a mission to reduce social isolation and build inclusive communities in Australia, with the power of human connection. Their reason for creating and starting Home Care Heroes is personal and are being noticed by the likes of the Today Show and impact investors. Curious about Home Care Heroes: https://homecareheroes.com.au/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Perth-based angel investor, Tracie Clark chats with with Samar McHeileh.Tracie knows first hand what it's like to be a female founder, having successfully started and exited her own financial advisory firm. Tracie now spends her time investing in startups, advising them in areas of her of domain expertise and an active member in the ecosystem.Tracie outlines her steps for doing her due diligence, what she experienced when she exited her start-up and what she's reading at the moment.Curious about Tracie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracie-clark-26263b53/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Renae Bunster, the Global CEO of Bunsters the hot sauce company you should know about, sits down with Samar McHeileh.It was a trip to South America that sparked the hottest journey her life. The now famous ‘Shit the bed’ hot sauce was brewed in her kitchen after a relentless search for adecent hot sauce came up short. Bunsters and Renae show no signs of stopping after a successful capital raise and her hot sauce is a viral video sensation - it was featured The Hot Ones. But what's next for the team - only selling on Amazon and solving the global mistrust of food systems. Curious about Bunsters: https://www.bunstersworldwide.com/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Bernadette Olivier, CEO and Co-Founder at The Volte, speaks with Samar McHeileh about the company whose tagline is "The Airbnb of Fashion".The Volte is a designer fashion rental platform, a marketplace and a search engine of designer rentals in Australia. Renting designer dresses is not a new concept – much like renting a place for a holiday wasn’t – however creating an online platform that allows individuals to earn income from their closets and borrowers to search for that perfect dress in one easy location without owning one single item.Bernadette explains to Samar how she and her co-founders skills compliment each others, what's next for The Volte and how the valuation process worked for the company and what she learned. Curious about The Volte: https://www.thevolte.com/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Vicky Papachristos sits down with Catherine Robson to discuss her credentialed background and how she made a start as an angel investor.Vicky tells Catherine her role on the investment team and the steps she takes before making an investment. Vicky says one her talents is her analytical mind, but even she is not immune to making some investment mistakes, but the key is to take the lesson into the next deal and try not to repeat it. A good life lesson for us all.Curious about Vicky Papachristos: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicky-papachristos-4753585/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Neelesh Mehta chats with Catherine Robson about his journey to become an angel investor.When not investing in female-led start ups, Neelesh is co-founder and managing director of Jaipur Asset Management.Neelesh tells Catherine about wading into the world of start-up investments and why he believes in investing in women entrepreneurs. They discuss some of mistakes he has made and how much you should trust your gut when you first meet someone with a 'brilliant' idea.Curious about Neelesh Mehta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neeleshmehta/ or http://jaipurfunds.com.au/theboardInterested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Bill Bates joins Catherine Robson to discuss his journey to becoming an angel investor.With one of the most creative LinkedIn profiles out there, Bill Bates has segued from big corporate to running his own company. This 'free time' allows him time to work with Scale Investors and serve as a mentor to entrepreneurs who may need his help even if it means having difficult conversations.Bill details what he looks for in a company and a lot has to do with follow through. Plus, why you should just get out there and give early stage investing a try.Curious about Bill Bates: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-bates-899291/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Christie Downs and Kathryn Wood speak with Samar McHeileh about handdii, the company they founded just over two years ago.Christie and Kathryn noticed the property insurance market was ripe for disruption and handdii became that tool. Their mission is, "to put the control back into the hands of the customer and help trades excel at the work they do." Handdii has raised over one million dollars in seed funding, launched in New Zealand is scheduled to land on US shores in the near future.Christie and Kathryn take Samar through the valuation process, what milestones they want to hit next and how they wind down each day.Curious about handdii: https://www.handdii.com/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Phillip Dolan joins Catherine Robson to discuss his path to becoming an angel investor. Phillip has a background in finance and is one of a hand full of Australians to hold a PhD from Stanford University. Armed with the PhD, Phillip spent a number of years at Macquarie Bank before moving into the world of academia, but he has always had an interest in investing and lending his expertise to new companies. It's this combination that has made him an excellent fit for Scale. Phillip has invested in Cynch (you can hear CEO Susie Jones' interview from last week), Galileo Platforms and Livac - just to name a few. Phillip knows what he looks for in a company and he's sharing it here.Next week you will hear from Handii, one of the companies Phillip references in this interview. Curious about Phillip Dolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-dolan-9a4a2b13/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Cynch founder, Susie Jones, fresh from an entrepreneurial success, sits down with Catherine Robson to discuss the importance of cyber security. Susie was shortlisted in the NYC Cybersecutiry Moonshot Challenge.Susie approached being a startup founder with caution, maintaining her 'day job' while getting Cynch off the ground. She explains what pushed her to make the final leap, how she approaches running a company and why cyber security will only become more important for businesses as well as individuals.Curious about Cynch: https://cynch.com.auNYC Cybersecutiry Moonshot Challenge: https://tech.cityofnewyork.us/projects/nycx-cybersecurity-moonshot-challenge/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/

Hannah Spilva is the co-founder and CEO of LVLY, Australia's most loved and most disruptive flower gifting company.In this episode of Pitch to Scale, Hannah sits down with Catherine Robson to chat about LVLY's origin story and what the company is doing to cut through the 'red rose and teddy bear' cliches of the online gifting world. Plus, Hannah plans to continue to expand LVLY's business - the need-it-now for the millennial generation who have found LVLY exactly to their liking - so get ready because a same day LVLY delivery could be arriving on your doorstep soon.Curious about LVLY: https://www.lvly.com.au/Interested in learning more about Scale: https://scaleinvestors.com.au/