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Ruby Connection
Pepper Free|Money Startup Accelerator & Incubator

I managed Pepper’s Free|Money startup accelerator program in partnership with Pollenizer which sought to discover proof-of-problem from startups that finance is rigid, inflexible and not keeping up with consumers who find the lending environment strict, inflexible and boring. Through this program, I sought to explore, test and uncover new growth businesses.

 

Free|Money encompassed a recruitment event, 2-day micro hack and startup incubation. Throughout this process, I sought to uncover proof-of-problem, proof-of-market and proof-of-scale from today’s rigid financial industry.

 

MY ROLE

I managed the Free|Money Startup Accelerator and Incubator in partnership with startup scientists Pollenizer. Free|Money encompassed a recruitment event, 2-day micro hack and startup incubation. Throughout this process, I sought to uncover proof-of-problem, proof-of-market and proof-of-scale from today’s rigid financial industry. 

RECRUIT
PROOF-OF
MARKET
Launch & Recruitment

The campaign,

launch event,

microhack

application and

selection process

Microhack
founders invited
and committed
Acceleration
Cycle 1
Acceleration
Cycle 2

 Components:

 

• 5C online pre-work

• Immersion week

• The Level-Up Sessions (fortnightly)

• Pitching intensives (fortnightly)

• Pepper Startup Governance Group Meetings (fortnightly)

• End of cycle immersion week

Invest incorporate
& start scaling
Continue sponsored incubation with Pollenizer
Stop
My Role
PROOF-OF
SCALE
PROOF-OF
PROBLEM

 20+ people over

2 days work on new

ideas in finance,

show how fast they

can learn.

Small Stash were invited to the incubator

CASE STUDY

 The Pepper Group Incubation program, ‘Free | Money’ aimed to build and attract talent across various industries with the goal of innovating the financial services industry. The program recruited talented individuals to a microhack.


The microhack 2-day event highlighted who has what it takes to build an idea into a business. Observations of focus and viability were made of the attendees as they develop their concepts to pitch stage. This assisted Pepper in choosing which startup teams should be invited to incubation.

 

The startup Small Stash (www.smallstash.com.au) were chosen to be incubated which sought to educate Generation Z on fiscal responsibility. They attended 12-week incubation with Pollenizer.  The founders were provided with a living wage as they developed their idea to proof-of-problem with the support of startup coaches and mentors.

 

At the end of the 12-week incubation, Pepper was given the choice to invest, continue the incubation with Pollenizer or stop funding the start-up.

 

VALUE PROPOSITION CANVAS

  • Develop better onboarding
    techniques for startups

  • Lower risk associated with
    startup discovery

  • Better ways to share back 
    and cross learn internally

  • Pepper
    Innovation Program

  • Identify startups
    with a customer base
    which is new

  • Partner with startups

  • Create new products
    and services for
    existing customer

  • Sustained growth

  • Not growing fast enough

  • Lost opportunity

  • Perception in the market
    that Pepper are laggards

  • We are not keeping up
    with tech trends

  • There are closed minds at Pepper

  • Optimising + new/we can both
    do better

  • Change the mindset

  • Unlocking untapped market
     - low competitive pressure
    redefined

  • Churn rate drops - context
    of startup makes it sticker

GAINS
JOBS
GAIN CREATORS

  • Pipeline of investment
    opportunities

  • Strong partnerships enhanced
    by connection

  • New people and connections

  • Source of opportunity

  • Access to tools & experts

  • RIO for innovation

PRODUCTS
& SERVICES
PAIN RELIVERS
PAINS
Case Study
VIDEOS OF LAUNCH & HACKATHON
Videos
Photos
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