Listening to the calls of founders twisted up in tech stacks and coping with more and more tight runways, international tech chief Dell Applied sciences has stepped up its native assist for Aussie startups at a vital time.
We could also be going via a dip in Australian startup funding, however the greater image is shiny. Sydney and Melbourne have been respectively the highest-ranked startup ecosystems in Oceania within the latest World Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER), with your complete area recording the best enhance in early-stage international funding wherever over the previous 5 years.
It’s this context of speedy progress that has given rise to the Dell for Startups program in Australia. Tailored from a profitable US program that’s been operating since 2019, beforehand referred to as Dell for Entrepreneurs, the Dell for Startups program is tailor-made particularly to assist startups sort out the ache factors of constructing, rolling out and scaling tech.
Why Dell for Startups?
The free membership program provides a startup-focused IT recommendation service, help with making use of for grants, particular member reductions and neighborhood networking occasions.
Julie Perkins, APJ Small Enterprise Strategic Partnerships Senior Supervisor at Dell Applied sciences, tells Startup Each day why this system fills a niche out there, particularly with early-stage startups needing further assist.
“Not all startups are tech savvy and perceive what know-how they should assist their enterprise concepts and people are those that we really feel our Dell tech advisors can assist probably the most,” says Julie.
“By understanding the startup enterprise concepts, our tech advisor staff can advise every startup of what end-to-end IT necessities they could want for now and what they could have to scale sooner or later as their enterprise grows.”
With a specifically educated staff in startup tech points, Dell’s tech advisors might help reply the prickly questions founders have round something from software program to {hardware}, servers to storage, ready-to-go-tech and what might have to be custom-built for the long run.
“So for instance, we’ve got an OEM [Original Equipment Manufacturer] staff that may truly show you how to construct your individual product if it’s received one thing to do with know-how. We hear out for that and attempt to provide recommendation and assist in any approach attainable,” Julie says.
Dell for Startups appears to be like to supply startups technical experience. Picture: Dell Applied sciences.
As a result of not each founder is a technical founder
Dell for Startups goals to be a helper from MVP to IPO, providing the worth of a significant tech accomplice’s experience to native startups.
Julie says the tech advisors present “consultancy sort of recommendation” quite than a standard B2B engagement. “We’ve received a bunch of educated tech advisors throughout the wider tech advisor neighborhood, specialising in supporting startups,” she says. “As we discuss and interact extra with startups, we need to ensure we’re providing all the precise options.”
Underpinning this system is the perception that not each founder is a technical founder, and even technical founders may use tech assist.
“If you’re a startup, you’re dealing with so many various issues – you’re doing all your advertising, gross sales, pitching, analysis, you’re simply doing every thing. And you may’t know every thing,” Julie says. “So it’s vital to have an organization that you’d belief to assist, assist and information you.”
Assist with extending runways
Whereas know-how is Dell’s bread and butter, this system recognises the rising squeeze on founders to increase their runways the place attainable. To assist alleviate the ache, this system provides reductions for members and the staff can help with related public funding alternatives.
“Dell has a fantastic partnership with the Grants Workplace Australia, who can help startups with understanding the out there grants and assist with purposes, mixed with the understanding of the tech necessities,” Julie explains.
“This can be a nice alternative for startups to probably obtain funding for the know-how they might want to drive their enterprise ahead.”
Group connections and occasions
Within the US, this system has powered a variety of pitch competitions together with a $25k pitch competitors at SXSW in Austin, Texas, earlier this yr.
Regionally, Dell for Startups has partnered with early-stage startup neighborhood Fishburners on their latest Marketplaces Pitch Evening in Sydney; and so they’re a supporting accomplice of the upcoming 2023 Startup Each day Finest in Tech Awards on September 6 (get your tickets now!).
“The success of the Dell for Startups Program within the US has helped us perceive and be taught what is really required to assist startup clients and the way finest we will accomplice with incubators and accelerators in Australia to achieve and assist extra startups via new partnerships,” says Julie.
If it saves a number of gray hairs within the course of, that’s a win for founders.
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