Raising through pregnancy, unrealised gains tax, and the big issue of startup merch post-acquisition

Fresh off a wedding and honeymoon in Hawaii, Cheryl Mack is in the building to join AJ in guest hosting duties. And what better way to ease back into reality with a deep dive in to the Government’s proposed superannuation tax with startup legend Alan Jones of M8 Ventures. As two people at the coalface of angel investing, Cheryl and Alan have a LOT of thoughts about the potential for this new tax policy to wreak havoc on the fundraising landscape in Australia. Cheryl says that just the possibility of it coming in has already put off a lot of the investors on her Aussie Angels platform from joining raises, while they wait as see what happens. Alan’s surgical breakdown of the key problems with the proposed tax reform highlights just how misguided it is, and how the impact of it will be felt not only by the startup community, but my many more Australians for years into the future. But it’s not all tax talk this week. We also welcomed the effervescent Jill Berry into the studio to hear about how the acquisition of her startup Adatree by payment giant Fat Zebra has panned out. After building a burgeoning business and signing on some major Government and enterprise clients, the courting began from multiple suitors across the finance sector. Jill talks us through some of the lesser-discussed realities of acquisition, from what happens to your giant cheques and memorabilia, to how a founder can finally focus on the things they love rather than managing payroll. As two powerhouses of the tech sector, both with young children, Cheryl and Jill also chat about the tough reality of pregnancy while juggling the demands of a business baby, right down to issuing share certificates will at the hospital being induced! This week’s episode of Startup 360 is supported by Vanta, helping startups unlock market opportunities through automated compliance.