Beyond VC & Angel Investment: Growing with Grants & Equity-Free Funding
Beyond VC & Angel Investment: Finding & Growing Faster with Equity-Free Funding
📅 Date: Tuesday 20th May
⏰ Time: 6:00pm – 7:30pm
📍 Location: TBC (Melbourne)
🍕 Light dinner & drinks provided
Event Overview
Not every founder wants to pitch to VCs—or give up equity to grow. This event is for builders, creatives, and early-stage founders looking to scale smarter, faster, and with more control.
Join us as we uncover the power of equity-free funding—from grants and tax incentives to capital you can access without giving up shares or control. You’ll hear from seasoned experts and founders who’ve done just that.
We’ll Explore:
🔹 What grants are actually available—and how to access them
🔹 R&D tax incentives made simple
🔹 How to become “funding ready” without VC expectations
🔹 When grants and incentives make more sense than equity
🔹 Founder stories of scaling without raising capital
Meet the Panel
✨ Safi Heidari – Co-Founder, Maximify
A serial founder with multiple successful exits, Safi has raised over $1M in grant funding—all without giving up equity. At Maximify, he helps startups scale through smart, cost-effective SaaS solutions and growth marketing strategies that turn customers into loyal fans.
✨ Jasper Steel – Head of Partnerships, Grant Help
Jasper leads partnerships at Grant Help, a platform helping founders discover and apply for government grants and incentives. He specialises in turning complex criteria into clear pathways for early-stage teams.
✨ Hugh Menting – Head of Growth, Avant Group
Hugh works closely with scale-ups to access gov incentives and grants. At Avant Group, he supports founders in structuring their business operations to become grant-eligible and investment-ready—without needing VC backing.
Why Attend?
If you’re exploring alternative growth strategies, bootstrapping your business, or just want to grow without giving up ownership—this event will give you the tools, pathways, and insights to take the next step confidently.
Brought to You By:
🌀 Uncommon Collective – A social enterprise supporting founders and creatives with growth, leadership, and community in-between programs—through real conversations, resources, and momentum-building peer circles.
🔬 ExeQuantum – A commercialisation & innovation advisory that bridges science, deeptech, and startups with practical funding, strategy, and product-building pathways.
🚀 Natural Velocity Ecosystem – An ecosystem empowering future-first founders through capital, coaching, and partnerships aligned with sustainable, long-term business velocity.
📝 RSVP now to unlock equity-free funding opportunities and scale with confidence—on your terms.
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