Episode Summary:
Melissa Widner is the CEO of Lighter Capital, an investment firm that is based in the US and launched in Australia in 2020. Their novel model involves lending to early stage startups and linking repayments to revenue, without requiring founders to relinquish equity. Melissa has a long history in the startup world, having been CEO or board member of many companies. In her conversation with Adam, she discusses Lighter Capital’s new model, and the ways in which she believes the Australian startup ecosystem has made huge progress in the last 5 or so years.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Day One Podcast
00:29 Meet Melissa Widner
00:44 Understanding Revenue-Based Financing for SaaS Companies
02:00 Melissa's Journey to Lighter Capital
03:26 The Australian Startup Ecosystem in 2009
05:05 Momentum Building in the Ecosystem
08:06 The Role of Atlassian in Venture Capital Recognition
10:12 Government's Role in Supporting Startups
11:04 The Importance of Employee Stock Options
12:36 Current Gaps in the Ecosystem
13:53 Overview of Lighter Capital
15:05 Unpopular Opinions on the Ecosystem
17:14 Success in Funding Women-Led Companies
19:04 Recommendations for Increasing Diversity in Venture
19:58 Advice for New Founders
21:38 Reflections on Working in Operations vs. Venture Capital
22:06 The Future of the Australian Startup Ecosystem
23:42 Closing Remarks and Gratitude
