Inside LaunchVic’s first Basecamp cohort Announcements Last Updated: Wednesday 7 May LaunchVic has unveiled the first cohort of its exciting new program, Basecamp, aimed at helping early-stage founders navigate one of the toughest hurdles in scaling a business – hiring their first executive team. Developed in consultation with founders and recruitment experts, Basecamp targets startups that have recently raised capital or completed accelerator programs and are preparing to transition from founder-led operations to executive-led growth. “Making the leap from a founder-led to an executive-led company is one of the biggest challenges in scaling a startup,” said LaunchVic CEO Dr Kate Cornick. “In the early days, founders are across everything. But to grow successfully, they need to build a leadership team they can trust and empower.” The six-week program will guide 19 of Victoria’s most promising startups through the process of making strategic hires in HR, operations, finance and growth. Among the selected companies is DevOps startup Factor House, which recently raised $5 million in a round led by Blackbird, with participation from OIF Ventures, the Alice Anderson Fund and Flying Fox Ventures. Co-founder Derek Troy-West said Basecamp comes at a critical moment for the startup, which services global clients like Hewlett Packard, Block and Afterpay out of their headquarters in Northcote. “We’re excited to be part of the Basecamp program. At Factor House, we believe people are the heart of every successful business—unlocking their potential is key to scaling with impact, central to our vision and essential for building enduring, meaningful companies.” Factor House Co-Founder, Derek Troy-West (pictured) The companies through to Basecamp are… One platform to simplify every structural engineering calculation. The AI-enabled, expert-assisted web app revolutionising short-term rental hosting — built specifically for its largest yet most underserved segment: self-managed hosts. Leveraging AI to convert the manual processes of managing a transaction into a simple and more profitable way for lawyers to get deals done. A digital collaboration platform that enables teams to mark up, annotate, and manage PDF documents seamlessly across devices. Market-leading enterprise Web UIs and APIs for Apache Kafka and Apache Flink, empowering engineers and organizations on their real-time streaming data journey. Evidence-based digital solutions to help improve sleep and performance. A food supply system that is better for people, the planet, and your plate. A wearable device and digital health platform for better pregnancy monitoring. Enabling electric motors to be smaller, lighter and more efficient with a novel magnetic material. A next-generation embedded finance and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) provider, enabling brands, fintechs, and startups to launch embedded financial products. Scalable mobile battery systems powering off-grid and community energy with clean, reliable storage. Simple healthcare recruitment. A medical device company focused on solving unmet needs in pediatric critical care. An online learning platform for finance professionals on a mission to eradicate ‘death by powerpoint’. A DeepTech company building no-code data science and machine learning solutions. Global at-home male fertility diagnostics. A hardware solution that converts standard economy seats into comfortable beds for air travellers and medevac patients. An EdTech platform enabling local people with firsthand experience of local problems to build actionable, inclusive solutions in their communities. “Fat finger friendly” project management for civil construction. Looking to make your first big hires next year? Register your interest for the 2026 Basecamp program. stay up to date Close Register your interest for future intakes First Name * Last Name * Email * Phone number (optional) Organisation * Which best describes you (pick one)? * I am a startup founder I am wanting to launch a startup I invest in startups I support startups I provide services to startups I work in government I work for a university I work at a startup Other Message * Yes, I want to hear about other ecosystem news and events from LaunchVic. Submit RELATED POSTS Case Studies 14 Apr 2025 The two elements powering Factor House’s global success Case Studies This Melbourne startup is solving headaches for software engineers across the world. DEBUG VALUES: post date: 14 Apr 2025 Insights 03 Feb 2025 Beyond the CV: The qualities to look for when growing your unicorn Insights Unicorn founder Leigh Jasper reveals the key traits he looks for when building startup teams. DEBUG VALUES: post date: 03 Feb 2025 Insights 03 Feb 2025 The secrets to building your recruitment structure Insights Culture Amp CPO Justin Angsuwat on mastering the art of interviewing, building structured hiring systems, and scaling your team the right way. DEBUG VALUES: post date: 03 Feb 2025
