CTO & Co-Founder - August 2025

Ready to build and lead a startup from the ground up?

Are you a CTO, engineering leader, or senior technical expert ready to move from building for others to building your own company?

Antler is now accepting applications for our next Residency, kicking off in August 2025. Interviews are underway, so now’s the time to apply.

About Antler

Antler is a global early-stage venture capital firm backing founders from Day Zero. Since 2018, we’ve helped create 1,000+ tech startups worldwide, investing over $1 billion into early-stage companies.

Unlike traditional accelerators, we don’t just support existing startups—we help build them from scratch. We bring together exceptional individuals, help them find co-founders, validate ideas, and provide the first investment to launch their businesses.

Who We’re Looking For

We’re looking for technical founders with the ability to build and scale product from day one. You might be:

• A CTO or engineering leader who’s scaled teams, shipped products, and made key architecture decisions
• A senior software or data engineer ready to turn your deep technical skills into a venture-backed company
• A principal-level technologist with a clear view of where the world is heading—and the ambition to build for it

You may not have a fully-formed idea yet, and that’s fine. We’re looking for builders with strong execution ability and what we call Founder DNA:

• Inner drive – You set ambitious goals and work relentlessly to achieve them
• Creative problem-solving – You build from first principles and think in systems
• Grit – You persist through uncertainty and adapt fast to new information

The Antler Residency: From Technical Expert to Startup Founder

The 12-week Residency is where you’ll meet potential co-founders, test ideas, and build the foundation of your company. It runs in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, with full-time in-person collaboration for the first six weeks. If you’re based out of state, expect to spend 2–4 weeks on the ground meeting other founders and pressure-testing your idea.

What to expect:

• Formation & Validation – Join forces with complementary co-founders, validate business ideas, and explore go-to-market paths through workshops and expert sessions
• Due Diligence – Work with coaches and advisors to gather early user feedback, refine your MVP, and prepare your investor pitch
• Investment Committee – Pitch to Antler’s global and local partners. If successful, you’ll receive a pre-seed investment and become part of the Antler portfolio
• Post-Investment Support – Continue building with backing from our platform team, access to top-tier investors, and a global founder community

Apply Now – Interviews Are Underway

Our next intake begins in August 2025. Interviews are in progress now. If you’re serious about founding a venture-backed startup, apply today and start building the company only you could lead.