The Melt Nova is a unique scaleup accelerator and pilot program starting May 2024 with high-value content at The Melt’s Modern Manufacturing Centre covering life cycle analysis, sales expertise, business cases and productioneering.
What is The Melt Nova Program?
The Melt Nova is a tailored growth program for high-potential Australian climate/cleantech and advanced manufacturing hardware ventures.
With the support of The Melt’s expert team and our state-of-the-art facilities, you’ll have access to all of the resources and guidance you need to navigate new markets and drive growth. As a bonus, you’ll benefit from being part of Australia’s only hardware-focused scaleup program.
You will have the opportunity to explore pilot programs with our partners including AGL and the very progressive Muswellbrook Shire Council is providing access to infrastructure at no cost to local scaleups!
What to expect:
The program will focus on developing:
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
It’s becoming increasingly necessary for raising capital and customer attraction to ensure you have confidence about any impacts you make or claims to be better than your competitors.
Business Case inc. Commercial Models
Investors and financiers request robust figures for due diligence processes. They are a must when securing funds. A sound business case will convert prospects into customers.
Productioneering
The Melt’s 4P Process focuses on developing the least-risk path to product development success.
1. Prove
2. Prototype
3. Pilot
4. Produce
Sales Expertise
A core function for attracting large scale, globally significant B2B/enterprise customers including utilities. Our expert sales mentors will solve the mystery of enterprise sales for startups and scaleups.
Potential Investment
Receive up to $150k of investment through Melt Ventures with the opportunity for up to $1m future follow-on investment.
Tools and Services
Onsite access to The Melt’s extensive range of additive/subtractive manufacturing and mechatronic tools plus design software to bring your vision to life. Together with support from skilled technicians, engineers and designers, these services are often out of reach for most startups and scaleups.
Networking and Expertise
Work alongside like-minded hardware startups and scaleups and with our industry partners, mentors and trusted service providers during the product development lifecycle.
Linkages and International Connections
While The Melt promotes an Australian home-grown approach to the development of hardware products, we also have linkages to in-demand offshore expertise to help you build competitively at scale.
Benefits to a Scaleup
Investment
Successful scaleups receive up to $150k plus the offer of up to $1m potential follow-on funding, with best-in-market investment terms provided by Melt Ventures
Prototyping lab and productioneering support
Access to The Melt’s extensive range of productioneering equipment with support from skilled technicians, engineers and designers at affordable and even potentially at no cost!
Expert mentorship
The Melt’s dedicated team of high-quality mentors focus on product development, life cycle analysis, customer sales, commercial modelling, and pilots for large scale production to accelerate the success of your business.
Direct access to strategic partners
Access The Melt’s trusted group of strategically significant partners, alumni community and investors with connections to customers and capital.
Local and global network
Access Australian and offshore expertise to help you build competitively at scale. Unique pathways to access capital and mentorship in North America, Asia and the broader global markets.
What is a hardware scaleup accelerator?
A hardware accelerator specifically focuses on supporting founders who are creating a business that involves building physical products (usually mechatronic hardware). Physical product development has inherent risks related to the extra cost, time and complexity involved in building these products. A scaleup accelerator is a targeted growth program for startups that are in the pilot phase and are entering the scaleup phase of growth.
The Melt's scaleup program, NOVA provides funding, expert linkages, network of hardware founders and a world class, repeatable system to grow and scale. The system is underpinned by The Melt's four scaling pillars being the customer business case, building a global sales system, productioneering and life cycle analysis.
FAQs for Startups and Scaleups
Typically, we are looking for electronic or mechatronic type products. Think IoT connected devices, climate tech and cleantech solutions or products that require advanced manufacturing. But if you aren’t sure, pitch it to us! We’re open minded and we’re here to help.
Absolutely. The Melt is Australia’s only hardware focused scaleup accelerator and this is a unique opportunity to leverage expert support to grow and scale.
Investment
Successful Startups receive up to $150k of investment through the program with the opportunity for further follow-on investment of up to $1m.
Systems
Learn and embed The Melt’s scaling pillars in your scaleup: customer business case, global sales systems, productioneering and life cycle analysis.
Tools and services
On-site access to The Melt’s extensive range of additive/subtractive manufacturing and mechatronic tools plus design software will bring your vision to life. Together with support from skilled technicians, engineers and designers, these services are often out of reach for most startup companies.
Networks and Expertise
Work alongside likeminded hardware scaleup founders and with our industry partners, mentors and trusted service providers during the product development lifecycle.
Linkages
The Melt promotes a “home-grown” in Australia approach to development of hardware products, but we also have linkages to access offshore expertise to help you build competitively at scale.
Scaleups are under pressure from capital markets to prove not just how their technology is an improvement on preceding ones but increasingly, to take a ‘cradle to cradle’ approach across the life cycle when performing the assessment.
The quantification of impact is critical when the capital expenditure requirements and technology and adoption risks are high.
In the absence of early compelling financial evidence in support of the venture, the LCA and impact (ESG) assessment act as the compelling evidence for investors to support a venture. LCA’s and ESG assessments have become standard requirements for investor due diligence and funding agreement – with mandatory reporting coming soon.
You can enter at any phase and we’ll direct you to The Melt program that is right for you.
Read on for a cheat sheet:
Prove Stage = The Melt ENGAGE:
Your product / business is at the ideation stage. In this phase The Melt will first seek to validate the business model and understand the technical risks of the project. A comprehensive business case for further investment is developed.
Prototype Stage = The Melt ACCELERATE:
Your product idea is already validated and is now ready for a looks like/works like prototype to be developed.
Pilot Stage = The Melt NOVA:
You have a prototype that is now ready to be piloted with real customers to gain valuable insights and prepare for manufacturing at scale.
Produce stage = The Melt NOVA:
The product is ready for large scale, low cost manufacture and distribution. The produce stage ensures that input costs are optimised and all logistical aspects are considered, such as packaging, quality assurance, regulatory compliance and distribution efficiency.
Yes, you can pick and choose which of the four modules you would like to do as part of The Melt NOVA.
The Melt work with you as part of onboarding to determine what modules are most critical for your stage of development.
Once your expression of interest form has been submitted, The Melt will contact shortlisted candidates for an introductory meeting. Following this meeting, scaleups are required to present a set of prerequisite deliverables to secure entry into the program.
- Business model on a Lean Canvas
- Pitch deck
- Technical risk analysis – An assessment of the technical risks related to building your physical product. This will be performed in conjunction with an independent domain expert nominated by Melt Accelerator
- Trademark and patent planning – An initial report by a Melt Accelerator nominated partner relating to establishing and protecting your IP
No, you will own all of your IP.
The program has a rolling intake, rather than a typical cohort based approach. When scaleups apply, they are evaluated on their merits and suitability to join the program. Successful applicants will commence the program as soon as all prerequisite deliverables have been submitted.
$150k of funding during the Accelerator program with the opportunity of further follow-on investment of up to $1m when the product is ready to scale.
More info on Melt Ventures
They don’t! The Melt NOVA is a rolling intake so we are constantly evaluating scaleups for entry to the program.
The Donald Horne Building, The Melt Modern Manufacturing Centre, 140 Bridge Street, Muswellbrook, NSW 2333
If you have more questions, please reach out to contact us via info@themelt.io or via the contact form.
Program partners
