Pollenizer calls for new startup partners

news Local startup incubator Pollenizer has launched the opening of its Autumn semester intake for new startups from 1 April 2012, calling for applications until 20 January. Those businesses shortlisted will be notified between 23 and 25 January.

Made up of a team of 80 staff globally, Pollenizer invests in and builds all aspects of web businesses. The company has worked with over 100 web businesses from concept up to launch since its formation in 2008 with a team of just two. The company aims to significantly reduce risk and hasten value growth with businesses that have strong founders and innovative ideas.

Pollenizer has created a portfolio of 25 companies that it has helped build. This includes strategic technology, marketing and design support for Spreets—an Australia-focused group buying platform co-founded by Pollenizer in December 2009 and bought by Yahoo7 in January 2011. As the technical founder of Linqia—the “Social Network Marketplace”, Pollenizer modified Linqia’s product focus to enable quicker development and movement.

Dealised is a group buying platform for enterprise businesses in countries such as the UK, Sweden, Denmark, America and the Middle East, and is owned and developed by Pollenizer. Mogeneration, another web business that Pollenizer helped build, was the winner of the Next Web Australia “Best Mobile Startup” Award in 2010. Pollenizer acts as the technical co-founder for Unrenovated, the website that deals exclusively with buyers looking for unrenovated property listings in Australia.

Businesses should ideally have specific attributes to be selected by Pollenizer, including:

  • A clear revenue path
  • Easy testing
  • A recognisable Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
  • No past development
  • Not much expenditure on the idea
  • Uniqueness of business with regard to Pollenizer’s current portfolio

“The Pollenizer Way” is the start-up incubator’s set trimester system which includes a schedule of one month Discovery and three months Validation periods, giving each business 16 weeks to determine their focus, build an MVP, appear before real customers, go through several iterations and raise investment—a formidable task in a high-pressure environment with limited time.

Image credit: Florin Garoi, royalty free

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