Fundraising Fox
Catalysr
AcceleratorSydney · Pre-Seed–Seed · 5 people tracked
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Investment thesis
Catalysr focuses on empowering migrant and refugee entrepreneurs in Australia through intensive pre-accelerator and accelerator programs. Since 2016 it has supported over 1,200 migrapreneurs from 87 countries, roughly half of them female, helping create 300+ businesses. The organization emphasizes providing momentum, structure, connections, and confidence to founders, supported by a large community of professionals, advisors and mentors. Its mission centers on building a more inclusive Australia by helping newcomers succeed as founders of their own startups and social enterprises.
Source: firm website, verified Sep 27, 2026.
Team · 5 people
from the firm's website
Usman Iftikhar is CEO of Catalysr, a pre-accelerator program for migrants and refugees, and has worked across for-profit and nonprofit sectors for 15 years across multiple countries. He has received recognition including the 2018 Commonwealth Young Person of the Year award and multiple fellowships and leadership honors in Australia and the Asia Pacific region. His work focuses on addressing climate change and the global refugee crisis.
Alan Jones is an angel investor and startup mentor based in Australia with experience as a founder. He co-manages M8 Ventures, a venture capital fund and angel syndicate manager focused on early-stage, product-led tech startups from Australia and New Zealand. Jones also hosts Pick My Brain, a podcast featuring live founder pitches and feedback, and serves on the advisory board at Canbury.
Sam Bricknell is CEO and co-founder of Techvisa, an immigration consultancy specializing in visa solutions for technology professionals and companies across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. The firm assists startups, scale-ups, and established businesses with visa processes including employer-nominated visas, short-term work visas, and specialist categories such as the Global Talent visa.
Shariq Najeeb is a digital content creator at Catalysr, an accelerator for migrants and refugees. He has seven years of experience in brand marketing, including prior roles at Ogilvy and JWT, working on advertising campaigns across traditional, direct, and digital channels for both local and global brands. His background includes copywriting and visual design with experience managing diverse teams.
Shelby Clark is founder and CEO of Oz Green Oasis and currently serves as Operations Manager at Catalysr, an accelerator for migrants and refugees. With over 15 years of experience, Clark has developed go-to-market strategies and led marketing and sales initiatives across multiple industries including consulting, technology, agribusiness, and banking, working with organizations ranging from micro-enterprises to multinational corporations across Australia, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Africa. Clark's work includes launching 24 new markets in 24 months, achieving 40% sales growth, and supporting green businesses in Ghana, six of which received grants.
Founder mafia
2 people who came through Catalysr went on to found or lead other companies.
What they invest in
from 12 of 26 portfolio companiesConsumer ×4AI & Machine Learning ×2Climate Tech ×2HR Tech ×2Impact & Social Good ×2B2B Marketplaces ×1Circular Economy ×1Cleantech ×1
HQs:Australia×10
Portfolio companies · 26 tracked
alumni founders can tell you what the program is really likeBluebell Research is a technology and digital talent recruitment specialist that connects candidates and contractors with employers across Australia.
Future of WorkHR Tech
CogniVocal is a voice AI agency that designs, builds, and tests voice experiences for brands across platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Samsung Bixby.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareMarketing Tech
Dyung Ngo(CTO & Founder)André Alcantara(CMO & Founder)
Culture & Co. is an organisation focused on improving the design and delivery of multicultural and settlement services, working through partnerships and collaborations to support inclusion for migrant and refugee communities in Australia.
Impact & Social Good
Mohammed Yassin(Founder & CEO)in
Green Grid Energy builds integrated power management hardware and firmware for constructing and operating DC, AC, or hybrid microgrids, including converters and inverters.
CleantechEnergyHardware
HR Partner is cloud-based HR software for small and medium businesses (teams of 20-500), offering tools for employee records, recruitment, onboarding, leave management, performance reviews, expense claims, and payroll integrations.
Cloud ComputingHR TechSaaS
Introducer is an Australian broker service that connects small businesses with lenders offering business finance from $5,000 to $12 million, including unsecured loans, invoice financing, equipment finance, and bills of exchange.
B2B MarketplacesFintech
Koshari Korner is an Egyptian eatery serving the vegan street food dish koshari (a mix of lentils, pasta, and rice topped with chickpeas, crispy onions, and tomato salsa) along with other Egyptian menu items.
ConsumerSydney, AU
Walid(Founder)
Muralisto works with communities to design and install public art and large-scale murals for spaces such as schools, parks, and civic sites.
ConsumerCreator EconomySydney, AU
Natural Panaa produces biodegradable disposable tableware made from fallen palm leaves for events and catering services.
Circular EconomyClimate TechConsumerFoodTechSydney, AU
Premjith HermaninMisha Ahmed
SAARI Collective is a media platform and community serving South Asian Australians who work in creativity, media, startups and social impact.
Impact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentSocial
Spiral Blue builds LiDAR Earth observation satellites to provide high-resolution data for national security, disaster response, climate mitigation, and insurance applications.
AI & Machine LearningClimate TechData & InfrastructureDefense TechSpace TechEveleigh, AU
Taofiq Huq(CEO)inMJ Akter(COO)in
Co-investorsTechstars
The Pluralist Watches is a direct-to-consumer watch brand that designs minimalist timepieces featuring numerals from different world languages and scripts (such as Sino-Japanese, Thai, and Arabic).
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceBrisbane, AU
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
2 Boys in SarisAion SpectrumAussie Busker DiariesCharitybayDiamonds from the SkydriverliFutures CollectiveGiftskoutHumanism GlobalMy Good LinksRentableTTI MigrationWater DemocracyYogiBirth
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Catalysr made?
- Catalysr has 26 tracked investments.
- What stage does Catalysr invest at?
- Catalysr invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What sectors does Catalysr focus on?
- Catalysr focuses on Impact & Social Good, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Catalysr located?
- Catalysr is headquartered in Sydney, AU.
Images
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