Accelerator

Q: I don’t have a team? Can I apply?

Yes, we accept applications from solo founders, in fact we had three startups go through the program last year that had solo founders.

Q: My team consists of people that don’t currently or have never attended Monash University, can we still apply?

As long as one founder (at least 10% equity) has a Monash University affiliation either as a current student, staff member or alumni, the remainder of your team can consist of anyone who makes sense and they do not need to be affiliated with Monash.

Q: I’m an international student at Monash University, can I apply?

Of course. The program is open to both international and domestic students, just note you need to be based in Melbourne for the duration of the program, so if you graduate before the end of the program, you need to be able to stay in Melbourne until the program concludes in September. Currently, the program only runs in Melbourne, so if you’re studying at an overseas location, unfortunately you won’t be eligible to participate.

Q: My startup is already going through an accelerator at the same time as the Generator’s Accelerator program, can I participate in both?

Unfortunately due to the time commitments (of both programs!) it’s unlikely that you’re going to get much value from participating in two programs at once, whist also trying to grow and scale your business. For that reason, we won’t be able to accept teams that have been accepted into an accelerator program that runs at the same time. If you think this is going to affect you, let us know and we can have a chat about it.

Q: I’m a second time founder and my first company didn’t work out. Will The Generator hold that against me?

We’re sure you learned a lot from the experience and are applying this to your current project, so we don’t take this as a negative.

Q: Can you apply to The Generator with just an idea?

Yes. We accept companies that are all at different stages into the program, from idea stage through to those that have already received funding. Not all startups that come into the program have a product and that’s ok!

Q: Is The Generator just for early stage companies?

No. We’ve had companies in the past, such as Jarvis (2017) who had been running for almost a year and were profitable when they entered the program.

Q: Can you apply if you haven’t launched?

Yes, but ideally you have already launched and have some traction as it makes it easier for us to identify a team worth backing. However, we have accepted a number of companies that have not launched before they apply.

Q: This program sounds amazing, but I don’t have a side project or idea, can I join a team?

Unfortunately we don’t have capacity to help people join teams, but we encourage you to come to our events and our other programs, such as the Validator, and get to know the startup community at Monash. You never know, you may meet your future cofounder or find a team that needs another team member!

Q: Can you apply if you have raised money?

Yes. Each batch has companies that have already raised. We think we can be helpful for any company that hasn’t yet raised a Series B.

Q: Do you only accept certain types of businesses? Are not-for-profits able to apply?

We fund and support all kinds of businesses, irrespective of industry or domain. This includes not-for-profits, social enterprises, commercial enterprises – we even had a charity participate last year.

Q: Does the startup need to be based in Australia and for the Australian market?

Not necessarily. At least one founder needs to be based in and working on the startup in Melbourne for the duration of the program to attend the compulsory elements of the program, in order for you to get the most out of the program. If you have any concerns about this, reach out to us for a chat.

Q: I don’t have a technical background, can I still apply?

Of course! We accept all different types of ideas – it doesn’t need to be tech based to come through the program and we’re not just looking for technical founders.. If your idea is technical but you don’t have the skills, don’t worry, apply and we can help you figure that out along the way.