The Giants program is a free flagship mentoring initiative designed for early-stage startups at the ideation phase. It aims to support ambitious founders by providing a dedicated community, access to an investment team, and connections with experienced mentors from the Australia and New Zealand technology ecosystem. The program facilitates 30-minute one-on-one mentoring sessions with over 420 mentors, including portfolio founders, operators, and industry experts, covering a wide range of sectors from predictive world models to e-commerce.
Program Offerings
• Personalised Mentoring: Participants can book 30-minute virtual one-on-one mentoring sessions with Blackbird portfolio founders, operations and investment team members, and ecosystem experts.
• In-Person Events: Weekly in-person meetups are held to foster community and build relationships among founders.
• Accountability Frameworks: The program shares effective founder rituals to help participants stay motivated and incorporate best practices into their workflows.
• Founder Community: The initiative brings together founders and operators from the Blackbird portfolio and the broader ANZ ecosystem.
• Expert Content: Live guest speaker sessions are provided to help founders gain clarity on their ideas and strategic direction.
Program Structure and Schedule
• Industry Focus: The program is industry-agnostic but has a focus on AI.
• Cohorts: The program offers two in-person cohorts in Sydney and Melbourne from March to May 2026, and one virtual cohort for all of Australia and New Zealand from August to September 2026.
• Sydney Cohort: Runs from Monday, 30th March to Friday, 1st May 2026. In-person meetings are held every Tuesday from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM AEST near the CBD on March 31st, April 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th.
• Melbourne Cohort: Runs from Monday, 4th May to Friday, 29th May 2026. In-person meetings are held every Tuesday from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM AEST near the CBD on May 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th.
Application Details
• Applications Open: Wednesday, 4th February 2026
• Applications Close: Sunday, 8th March 2026
• Application Outcome Notification: Monday, 23rd March 2026
• Information Session: An AMA Info Session is scheduled for February 17th. Prospective applicants should consult the official website for the most current program and application dates.
Eligibility Requirements
• Founder Stage: The program is for aspiring, early-stage founders who have the beginnings of an idea to explore and validate.
• Active Project: Applicants must be actively working on a startup idea. Agencies, services businesses, intrapreneurship projects, charities, social enterprises, and lifestyle businesses are not eligible.
• Regional Connection: At least one person on the founding team must have a connection with Australia or New Zealand.
• Project Age: The startup idea must have been in development for less than two years.
• Attendance: For in-person cohorts, attendance at all events is mandatory. Applicants not based in Sydney or Melbourne may be contacted regarding partial funding for travel expenses if their application is exceptional.
Program Cost and Time Commitment
• Cost: The Giants program is free, and no equity is taken from participating startups.
• Time Commitment: A dedication of approximately 3 hours per week is recommended for engaging with program content and the community, with additional time expected for working on the startup idea itself.
• Mentoring Sessions: Participants are encouraged to book at least one mentoring session per week. The maximum number of sessions is adjusted based on mentor availability for each cohort.
This program is positioned to support founders during the formative ideation stage, a period often characterized by uncertainty. By providing structured mentorship, a peer community, and access to ecosystem leaders, the initiative seeks to help more founders in Australia and New Zealand successfully transition their concepts into viable ventures.