ABOUT THE WEBINAR
Heavyweights in startup funding NAB Ventures, Ashurst and Thriday joined forces to discuss startup funding strategy in this one-off online panel event.
Panellists included Co-founder & CEO of Thriday Michael Nuciforo, who secured $6m in VC backing after a successful $3m crowd-sourced funding raise with Birchal, together with NAB Ventures Managing Director Todd Forest, who backed the deal, Thursday legal advisor Ashurst Partner Stuart Dullard, and Birchal Chief Legal Officer & Director Kellie Morton.
In discussion, this elite team in startup funding talk about how to set up your company for successful crowd campaigns, VC rounds and exits, as well as funding myths, deal making, pitching success and what VCs really look for.
ABOUT THE PANELLISTS
Michael Nuciforo
FOUNDER & CEO OF THRIDAY
Michael is the Co-founder and CEO of Thriday, which he founded together with Ben Winford in 2020. to help small business owners eliminate time wasted on financial admin, with an AI solution to disrupt the market. Michael has successfully led Thriday from seed raise via Birchal (at the time, they had the fastest and largest CSF raise on the platform) and onto winning the support of NAB Ventures.
Stuart Dullard
ASHURTS PARTNER
Stuart specialises in mergers & acquisitions and equity capital markets, focussed on private equity and venture capital and regularly advises a full spectrum of clients within the sector, including PE and VC funds, CVC clients, early stage companies, consortiums and HNW investors. Stuart has worked on some of Australia's largest and most complex corporate transactions, and is a key member of Ashurst's FinTech team, with experience in all aspects of the investment process. Stuart also authored the chapter on FinTech in the ASX's "Entrepreneur's Guide: Startup | Scaleup | IPO.
Todd Forest
NAB VENTURES MANAGING DIRECTOR
Todd Forest is the Managing Director and founder of NAB Ventures – a $200m fund established at the beginning of 2016 as a global initiative, to help entrepreneurs in Australia and offshore in their quest to build leading technology companies. He was previously the CEO of Clipp Pty Ltd, Head of MSN Asia Pacific for Microsoft, and Head of Digital at ninemsn. Todd also held senior positions at Nike, AOL and Netscape in the US. He’s been a successful angel investor over the past 15 years via Tasman Ventures Fund and NAB Ventures, which has a portfolio of 33 investments across the globe.
Kellie Morton
CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER & DIRECTOR - BIRCHAL
Kellie is the Chief Legal Officer & a Director of Birchal. She has been a Partner of an Australian law firm, founded her own business and worked as a lawyer in New York, London & Australia assisting startups and large corporations with M&A, private equity, venture capital and investment activities. Kellie brings a global perspective to deal making & deal doing, and she is passionate about Aussies bringing their ideas to life, and demystifying, modernising and simplifying capital raising for both companies & investors.
Matt Vitale
CO-FOUNDER & CEO BIRCHAL
Matt is Co-founder and CEO of Birchal, Australia's leading equity crowdfunding platform. Matt is an experienced financial services lawyer and entrepreneur having worked in private practice at a top tier law firm, and founded several successful businesses. A recognised expert in the regulation of financial services, and crowdfunding, Matt is a regular media commentator and contributes to scholarly journals and industry consultations.
