As well as building and launching the beta platform, the duo hope to onboard more salons, users and, most importantly, pre-seed investors. They are hoping to overcome the odds as recent research shows that only 4% of venture capital raised in Australia last year went to female-led startups.
“The Genesis program has been a period of exponential growth and learning, and goal achievement night truly produced more accomplishments than we ever thought we could achieve in such a short amount of time,” Dubois said.
“Thanks to their mentorship and guidance, we’ve been able to make rapid progress and what was just an idea at the beginning of the year now aims to get the first version in the hands of users by August.”
Matthew Bright, director of the Genesis program, said they received more than 100 applications for the next cohort, a record number for the program.
“Bella was a favorite with the audience and her mentors, while Elise and Kaianna were amazing late additions to the program who exceeded their goals every two weeks, benefited from our new educational curriculum and mentor insight, and ultimately delivered their best performances on final night, from guerilla marketing tactics to flawless presentations that captivated the judges,” Bright said.
“As a young founder, I had the pleasure of meeting the parents, Elise and Kaiana, and seeing their joy in seeing their daughters progress through the program, ultimately winning the $30,000 Genesis Wellness Reimagined Award and having the university support their venture on its path to market.”
Over the years, Genesis members have secured $52 million in funding, created approximately 1,000 jobs, and the community today is home to more than 500 startups involving 1,500 individuals.
Applications for the next cohort will open in mid-July 2024. To learn more about the Genesis program and apply to accelerate your startup’s growth, visit here.
