Looking for purpose driven mentors and investors to help grow your company?
The GRIFFIN Accelerator pairs ambitious founders in Canberra with expert local mentors to unlock opportunities and achieve sustainable business growth.
Over 11 weeks, you’ll find new ways to grow your business, develop pathways to customers and make product progress.
Applications to join the GRIFFIN 11 cohort close 1st July 2024.
Don’t miss out – book an Intro Meeting now to find out more!
GRIFFIN Accelerator was established in 2014 and has supported over 50 local startups across various industries
The Program
📈 Be part of a tight-knit, high performing cohort
🪴Be empowered by a network of experienced mentors and passionate entrepreneurs
☕Get full-time membership to a thriving coworking space for the duration of the program
📝 Immerse yourself in content designed by business experts
💻Access AWS credits to scale seamlessly
💬Receive mentor support during and post program
⚖️Connect with expert advisors for legal, accounting, R&D & more
💰Pitch for up to $100K investment from the mentors (SAFE Terms)
🔓Unlock industry connections and pathways to customers
💸 Opportunities for further investment opportunities and funding pathways
FAQs
Is GRIFFIN Accelerator Program right for me? 💭
- You have a great team/are a founder looking to grow your team
- You have an innovative competitive advantage and big market opportunity
- You’re looking for experienced mentorship
- You are currently raising/looking to raise capital
If this sounds like you, then you may be suitable!
What companies have participated in the GRIFFIN Accelerator? 💼
See previous GRIFFIN Accelerator Program participants.
What are the terms? 🖊️
To participate in the program, you will agree to actively participate in the workshops and sessions with your mentors.
You will also agree to accept investment (if offered) of up to $100K from the GRIFFIN Trust at the conclusion of the program under SAFE Note terms (35% discount or $2,000,000 valuation cap at trigger event).
Key dates for the 2024 program 🗓️
- 1 July- Applications close
- 22 July – Shortlist pitch day
- 19 August – Program kick-off
- 4 November – Program conclusion and final pitch for investment
- March 2025 – Canberra Innovation Network Annual Investor Showcase
What’s the time commitment? ⌚
During the 10-week program, you will be expected to attend in-person 2hr sessions each week on a Monday (10am-12pm). These will alternate between sessions on making progress on your business with support from your mentors and relevant content delivered by subject matter experts. In addition, you’ll negotiate when you’ll meet separately with your mentors and the broader support network.
This equates to about 1 day per week.
Everyone’s circumstances are different, so we’ll aim to be flexible and work with your schedule as well.
What if I’m not looking for investment? 🤔
CBRIN provides a range of programs and events for founders – book a chat with us to find out what the best fit is.
What our teams say
Tim is a veteran of the startup world and his experience with capital raising and finding alternate sources of revenue has been key to the success of our company. He’s also one of the smartest and kindest people I know.
We are incredibly grateful to have Harry as a mentor for Viortec. His expertise in finance and business has been instrumental in shaping our business structure and strategy. Harry’s responsiveness, patience, and thorough explanations have been invaluable to us. We highly recommend Harry as a mentor and look forward to continuing to work with him. Thank you, Harry, for your unwavering support!
The best part of the program was the continuous access to high-quality mentors.
Brilliant program & people, it was the reason we decided to launch our business from Canberra, instead of Sydney (here we used to live and have more professional network and friends).
If anybody’s got an idea and wants to take it to market, think about two things: One is, just believe in it. Second, make sure you’ve got the right people around you because the input from everybody at CBRIN and the GRIFFIN Accelerator has really helped make this viable.
The greatest benefit of an accelerator program, like GRIFFIN, is that it provides you with a forcing function that causes you to focus on the immediate needs at hand to get your business to the next level for your customers.
The GRIFFIN Accelerator has been amazing and a great way to clearly articulate my business idea and strategy, meet great mentors and make some great connections.
Latest accelerator news
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Startup mentor and angel investor Sylvia Tulloch on making a difference
Editor Serina Bird talks to angel investor Sylvia Tulloch about why she invests in early-stage startups and how she makes a difference.
6 March 2024 -
Coming to the Canberra Innovation Network in 2024
Check out the awesome networking events, hands-on programs and innovative workshops coming to the Canberra Innovation Network in 2024!
19 December 2023 -
2023 Innovation Showcase Pitcher Profile: Christopher & Maxwell
Want to know who will be part of the epic Innovation Showcase Pitch Competition lineup? Introducing Chris & Max from My Green Butler.
14 November 2023
Book a time to talk to us
We're here to help
Whatever stage your business is in, there are a range of opportunities in Canberra.
Find out about additional funding pathways, training & skill development opportunities and connect with a like-minded innovation community.
We value your feedback! Learning from customers is crucial, whether it’s a compliment, comment or complaint.
It’s really important for us to know what we’re doing well and what we can improve on.
If you have feedback on any of our programs or your user experience, please let us know.