About this programme
Antler is an inception-stage venture capital firm, not an accelerator or incubator: it backs founders before there is necessarily a company, a co-founder, or even a fixed idea. In Australia, Antler runs an in-person residency twice a year (historically a February and a July intake) across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, where founders build full-time alongside a cohort toward a pitch to Antler's investment committee.
Antler explicitly states it does not invest in solo founders. Most people who join the residency apply alone; the programme's purpose is to help them find a complementary co-founder from within the cohort during the residency itself, so a founding team exists by the time of the investment pitch.
Antler positions itself as the first institutional cheque into most of the companies it backs — founders who complete the residency and pass its investment committee receive a pre-seed investment, with the firm stating it aims to follow on programmatically into later rounds (up to Series C) for the majority of its portfolio.
Antler's Australian terms have changed across successive residency cohorts (the official blog documents at least three different investment figures over time — AU$190K, AU$225K, and the current AU$260K, each for 12% equity). The figures below reflect what Antler's own blog states for its most recent (14th) Australian residency; confirm current terms directly with Antler before relying on them, since the firm has revised them before and may do so again.
How it works
Founders selected into the residency who are subsequently approved by Antler's investment committee receive AU$260,000 for 12% equity, at a post-money valuation of AU$2.17 million (per Antler's blog post on its 14th Australian residency, which describes this as roughly AU$30K more upfront runway than the prior AU$225,000 terms).
Antler's blog states a revised "program fee of $75K" tied to these terms, describing it as reflecting "the cost of expanded support and operations across three states." The post does not spell out whether this fee is paid separately by founders or netted against the AU$260,000 investment — confirm the mechanics directly with Antler before applying.
Antler operates a follow-on structure it calls ARC: if a founder raises at least AU$300,000 from external investors within 12 months of the residency investment, Antler pre-commits to co-investing up to one-third of that subsequent round.
The residency itself runs full-time and in person. Antler's programme page describes an 8-week format run twice yearly; its most recent (14th) cohort blog post describes a 10-week programme that began 11 August 2025 across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane — treat the exact week count as subject to change between cohorts and confirm the current duration when applying.
During the residency, founders get structured co-founder matching, curriculum and coaching (market validation, customer discovery, storytelling/pitching, unit economics, MVP development, go-to-market) led by Antler's investment team and portfolio founders, plus access to Antler's global network — 1,400+ portfolio companies across its international offices — and reported AU$1M+ in technology/partner perks for portfolio founders.
Who can apply
Antler backs individual founders and teams with what it calls "Founder DNA" — its page describes suitable applicants as returning/repeat founders, business leaders, technologists, domain experts, or people it terms visionaries, rather than requiring a specific prior credential.
Antler will not invest in a solo founder. Applying alone is accepted and common — the residency's purpose includes co-founder matching — but the eventual investment requires a founding team, not one person.
Antler states applicants should not already have raised a "meaningful" pre-seed round before joining — the residency is aimed at pre-team, pre-product or pre-revenue founders, not companies that have already closed pre-seed funding.
Antler encourages founders to have preliminary conversations with other investors during the residency for market awareness, but states founders should not be actively soliciting term sheets from other investors while in residency.
How to apply
- Apply via antler.co/apply, selecting the "Idea to Pre-Seed" track (Antler runs a separate Series A–C track for later-stage companies, which does not apply to the residency).
- Submit the initial application: name, email, and (optional) LinkedIn profile, plus your chosen funding stage and location/city (Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane for the Australian residency).
- Optionally complete the expanded application: a short company description, company website if one exists, and an optional pitch deck (maximum 10MB).
- If selected for the cohort, attend the residency in person and full-time in the chosen Australian city, working through the coaching, curriculum and co-founder-matching programme.
- Pitch the resulting company to Antler’s investment committee; founders who pass receive the pre-seed investment on Antler’s current terms.
Documents you’ll typically need
- LinkedIn profile (optional at initial application)
- Pitch deck, max 10MB (optional, for the expanded application)
- Company website, if one exists (optional, expanded application)
Frequently asked
Is Antler an accelerator?
No. Antler describes itself as an inception-stage venture capital firm rather than an accelerator or incubator — it invests its own capital as the first institutional cheque into the companies that come out of the residency, rather than running a fee-for-equity accelerator programme.
Can I apply to the Australian residency as a solo founder?
Yes, you can apply solo, and most applicants do. Antler states it does not invest in solo founders, though: the residency is structured to help you find a co-founder from the cohort, and Antler expects a founding team to be in place by the time of the investment decision.
How much does Antler invest, and on what terms?
Per Antler’s blog post on its 14th Australian residency, founders who are approved by the investment committee receive AU$260,000 for 12% equity at a AU$2.17 million post-money valuation. Antler has revised these terms across past cohorts (previously AU$225,000 and AU$190,000, each also for 12%), so confirm the currently offered terms directly with Antler when you apply.
Is there a fee to join the residency?
Antler’s blog describes a "$75K program fee" attached to its current Australian terms, alongside the AU$260,000 investment. The post does not clarify whether this is paid separately by founders or is netted against the investment amount — ask Antler directly to confirm the mechanics before applying.
What happens if I raise more money after the residency?
Antler runs a follow-on structure it calls ARC: if you raise at least AU$300,000 from external investors within 12 months of the residency investment, Antler pre-commits to co-investing up to one-third of that subsequent round.
When does the Australian residency run, and in which cities?
Antler’s programme page describes residencies running twice a year (historically February and July intakes) across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Antler’s most recent cohort blog post describes a 10-week programme beginning 11 August 2025 across the same three cities — confirm current cohort dates directly with Antler, as the cadence and length have varied between cohorts.
Can I already have raised a pre-seed round before applying?
Antler’s page states it targets founders who have not already closed a meaningful pre-seed round — it is aimed at pre-team, pre-product or pre-revenue founders rather than companies with existing pre-seed funding.
Reviewed 2026-08-16. Programmes change — confirm current eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official page before you apply. CapEasy is a private consultancy and is not affiliated with any government authority.