Monash student team accepted into prestigious Antler program with AI app 'Nudge' to stop impulse spending
Two final-year students from Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology have been accepted into Antler’s Launchpad Program, a three-month startup incubator that runs until January 2026.
From left: Hakeem Dimozantos and Zahir Hassan
Their product, Nudge, is an AI budgeting app that learns users’ spending patterns, helps set realistic budgets, can block overspend-trigger apps and gamifies saving.
Through Launchpad, the students work from Antler’s Melbourne office and receive weekly guidance from venture capitalists. In December, they will pitch Nudge to Antler’s partners and investors, who can choose to invest immediately.
If the team is not yet ready for investment by January, they will move directly into Antler’s 10-week venture-building Residency program, bypassing the standard application process.
The Monash team is one of only four selected for the Launchpad Program in Melbourne, with a further five teams participating from Antler’s Sydney office.
The team consists of Zahir Hassan, the CEO of Nudge, who is studying a Bachelor of Computer Science (Advanced Computer Science) and a minor in Philosophy; and Hakeem Dimozantos as the Chief Technology Officer, who is studying a Bachelor of Information Technology (Software Development).
They developed Nudge in FIT3195 Deep Tech Entrepreneurship, a new final-year IT unit where students build an AI-enabled venture from concept to minimum viable product in 12 weeks.
‘In my three years, this is the best unit I’ve taken in terms of the feedback you get and the growth potential. It’s less like a traditional unit and a lot like a start-up accelerator,’ said Zahir.
Team Nudge, their classmates and the judges at the FIT 3195 Shark Tank event. From left: Chanel Verimieff, Hakeem Dimozantos, Yu Heng Seow, Zahir Hassan, Professor Ann Nisholson, Professor Shonali Krishnaswamy and Dr Jyoti Joshi Dhall
The unit ends with a Shark Tank-style final where all student teams pitch their product, its market opportunity and business model to a panel of industry and academic judges.
Team Nudge won this year’s event against nine other student teams.
The judging panel included Professor Ann Nicholson, (Dean, Faculty of IT), Lee Lagdameo (Antler Australia), Kristine Song (Google for Startups), Dr Santosh Kulkarni (Five9), Sarah Mandar (Monash Generator), and the unit’s Chief Examiners Professor Shonali Krishnaswamy (Director, Monash AI Institute) and Dr Jyoti Joshi Dhall.
‘I'm really proud of all the teams, not just for building the technology, but for showing what investors look for in a founder: a clear vision and solution to real problems,’ said Dr Dhall.
The Shark Tank event was followed by presentations from the judges on the support available in the startup ecosystem, the founder traits they prioritise and how they make investment decisions.
Two weeks later, Team Nudge also won Monash Generator’s ‘The Validator: Startup Idea Competition’ and received $500 in funding and coaching from startup and industry experts.
‘The AI wave is changing the landscape across the globe. Courses like this give students who are passionate and innovative an alternative career path where they can put their ideas into action and start bringing their products into the world,’ said Dr Dhall.
The team aims to launch Nudge in January. Those interested can join the waitlist to support a student-led product and follow Nudge’s journey.