Queensland-based fintech Flyweel has successfully closed a AUD $2.41 million pre-Seed funding round to revolutionize how businesses manage advertising expenditure. Led by Ten13, the investment will fuel the company's mission to transform ad spend from a simple expense into a measurable financial asset. The platform addresses the critical cash flow gap between paying for advertising and generating revenue, a common challenge for growing companies.
Addressing a Critical Cash Flow Gap
Founded by Reuben Scheckter and Matteo Calo after meeting in Antler’s residency program, Flyweel was born from direct industry experience. Scheckter, who previously built and exited a lead generation business, understands the operator's struggle with ad spend firsthand. Calo brings deep infrastructure expertise, having led payments engineering at major firms like Adyen, Mollie, and Semrush.
The company's core objective is to solve the persistent cash flow problem that forces businesses to throttle their most successful advertising campaigns. By connecting ad platforms, CRM, and accounting systems in real time, Flyweel provides a clear view of an ad's return on investment. This clarity allows companies to make more strategic decisions about where and when to allocate their marketing budgets for maximum impact.
Innovative Financial Solutions
Flyweel is developing a suite of financial products to give businesses comprehensive control over their capital. The flagship offering, Performance Capital, is an embedded lending product that funds ad spend upfront, with repayments aligned to when revenue is collected. This model directly finances the gap between expenditure and income, enabling continuous campaign scaling without capital constraints.
Alongside its lending solution, the company will introduce spend cards and bill pay features to provide real-time management of cash flow. According to CEO Reuben Scheckter, the goal is to empower businesses with the clarity, control, and capital to treat ad spend as a strategic investment. This approach is becoming increasingly vital as AI accelerates the pace and scale of advertising commitments.
Strategic Backing and Market Expansion
The funding round attracted a strong syndicate of investors, including Antler, QIC, and several respected fintech leaders. Notable backers include Mollie CEO Koen Köppen, Zip cofounder Larry Diamond, and Stake cofounder Matt Leibowitz. This strategic support validates Flyweel's vision and provides the resources needed for its next phase of growth.
The capital injection will be used to launch Flyweel's financial products, with an initial focus on the United States market. The company has already seen significant traction in the US, having managed over $110 million in ad spend across nearly 1,000 businesses. This early adoption signals a strong demand for its specialized financial tools in a large and dynamic market.
The Future of AI-Driven Advertising Finance
Investors view Flyweel as a critical piece of infrastructure for the modern, AI-powered advertising ecosystem. Ten13 cofounder Stew Glynn likened Flyweel's role for ad spend to what Stripe accomplished for online payments, establishing it as a foundational financial rail. This positions the company at the center of a rapidly evolving industry where speed and financial agility are paramount.
Antler partner Mike Abbott highlighted that ad spend is often the largest working capital commitment for a growth business. He emphasized that Flyweel is reframing this outlay as a financeable, measurable investment at a time when AI is making that spend move faster than cash can follow. The founders' unique combination of operational and infrastructure expertise was cited as a key reason for the early backing.
With its new capital and strong investor confidence, Flyweel is poised to redefine the financial management of digital advertising. The company's platform empowers businesses to scale their most effective campaigns without being constrained by traditional cash flow cycles. As AI continues to reshape the advertising industry, Flyweel’s solutions offer the critical tools for turning ad spend into a strategic, high-return investment.