Even the most game-changing business idea won’t fly on a wing and a prayer—sadly ideas aren’t currency, however visionary they happen to be. Before your startup can truly soar, you need to work out a way to fund it.

There’s no doubt that securing startup funding can be one of the most difficult tasks faced by tech founders — Jess Ruhfus, founder of online collaboration marketing platform Collabosaurus, says “securing funding in Australia is one of the longest sales processes you can go through!”

And without a reliable source in place, many startups struggle to achieve significant traction, market or develop their products, not to mention hire talent and grow their business.

So, how can you secure the funding?
The good news? There is money out there. We’ve rounded up five key things to consider when seeking funding.

1. Before $$ flow, keep it lean

Keeping costs low is a basic business principle 101, but it is even more critical when you are a pre-revenue tech startup. Don’t get swept away by your global vision before finding revenue for major financial commitments.

Harris Meitanis, founder of The Event Ecosystem, says it’s all about being resourceful in the beginning.

“Don’t hire contractors too early, in terms of functions such as PR and marketing,” says Meitanis, who recently launched blockchain-based talent booking platforms A.C.T.A and G.E.T.

In just six months, A.C.T.A has attracted A-list talent from Molly Meldrum to Megan Washington and the platforms are game changing the event and entertainment industries.

“Learn to do this yourself when soft launching. If anything, find a good team to help in driving leads via digital advertising such as SEO, SEM and SMM, but look to create your content and manage socials and communications in-house to keep your early costs down.”

2. Laser focus on revenue

There is a saying in the startup world: “if it doesn’t get you traction, it’s a distraction.” Make it your daily “distraction” — focus! — to nail your first revenue.

This is an attractive sign for investors — and focus is an investment itself these days.

Ruhfus says it’s all about balance.

“Your company’s sales and growth while you’re fundraising is frustratingly important. Find a balance that works for you so that you don’t let growth slide,” she says.

“Investors want to see a growth trend, which is always really difficult to maintain when you’re spending so much time raising capital, especially with a small team.”

3. Grow and nurture your network

Every conversation is an opportunity. You never really know the source of your next investment. And while you may not see the fruits of your networking immediately, have faith that your persistence will grow your network in the long run.

“It’s important to begin building relationships with potential investors, advisors, mentors and customers well before you decide to kick start a funding round,” says Ruhfus.

And remember that you already have friends.

“Start with the people you know: friends, family, your professional network,” says Meitanis. “This will not only help you get started, but will also give you the learning to start to move onto options outside of your network.”

And your enthusiasm will be infectious for all your networks. “Confidence and complete belief in what you’re looking to achieve is an absolute must,” says Meitanis.

4. Know your numbers — and market

Persistence is one thing, but you also need to know your stuff.

Financial projections is one essential area of focus for tech entrepreneurs.

Get to know the fundamentals of a financial spreadsheet — start by downloading a financial projections template (there are plenty online) and customise it for your business well before you start meeting investors.

And then there’s your competitors. “You need to deeply understand your market—look at size, competitors and growth,” says Meitanis. “Spend time building your business model. Accurate numbers are everything. Be meticulous.”

5. Seek legitimate feedback

If you find yourself being knocked back time and time again, Ruhfus recommends seeking legitimate feedback from investors, while also remembering that not all advice is golden.

“If you feel that an investor has said ‘no’ without a clear reason, don’t be afraid to ask. Sometimes, there is a deeper issue as to why an investor isn’t interested,” says Ruhfus.

“I get the line ‘it’s a little early for us’ all the time. So, I push for exact metrics that the investor needs to see before we become an attractive investment.

“Everyone has an opinion, and raising capital is not for the faint hearted. Be careful whose advice you take. Logically distinguish between advice that comes with the right intentions, grounded in relevant experience, with those opinions that are not,” says Ruhfus.

***Date Published** - 25th April 2019*

***Source** - http://anthillonline.com/shaking-the-money-tree-how-to-secure-funding-for-your-tech-startup/*

**Associated Celebrity Talent Application (A.C.T.A) and Global Event Talent (G.E.T) were the Beta platforms that have now been combined to comprise the newly revamped 'acta'.*

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Shaking the ‘money tree’: how to secure funding for your tech startup

It was a whirlwind and dynamic week at EVOLVE 2019 for the team at The Event Ecosystem beginning with an informative and eye opening keynote speech on the Third Industrial Age from founder Harris Meitanis on Monday, to a visit from A.C.T.A ambassador and ARIA award winning musician, Megan Washington (who was across the road penning her Opus for Opera Queensland) and on Tuesday night, a stunning win — The Event Ecosystem won the National Award for Innovation in Events for their groundbreaking platform, A.C.T.A.

This after taking down the NSW State Award for Innovation last month! Phew!

Three epic days for the events and entertainment industry culminated in an amazing gala dinner in the ballroom of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Center, held to recognise the country’s best and fairest. With 1000 event professionals in attendance, awards were dished out in categories from Best Corporate Event of the Year to Best Audio Visual Achievement and Government Event of the Year.

The national MEA Award for Innovation is a welcome boost of industry recognition for The Event Ecosystem’s vision in adopting peer-to-peer technology within the Events and Entertainment industries. However, it’s the unique technology that A.C.T.A and G.E.T are built on that makes The Event Ecosystem’s platforms truly special.

They are the first booking platforms to adopt frontline blockchain technology, ensuring security and transparency for all parties and allowing clients and suppliers direct communication, contracting and payment facilities. This is coupled with a patented CMS designed specifically to deliver the artist/service in a professional capacity. The platforms totally eliminate the need for middle men and hold no funds in escrow, ultimately culminating in the world’s first P2P talent bookings platforms which work autonomously and FOC on behalf of the artists.

Whilst A.C.T.A services celebrities and media personalities, G.E.T is home to all categories of performance talent including cover bands, DJs, speakers, magicians, circus acts and more.

Since launching G.E.T on February 19 at AIME 2019, the platform has welcomed over 800 new talent members, from musicians and DJs, to magicians and clowns.

A.C.T.A has recently welcomed over 50 new celebrities, including Hamish and Andy, Adam Goodes, Craig Johnston, Tom Thumb, Jordan Raskopoulos, Fiona O’Loughlin, Fifi Box and Carrie Bickmore. These top Australian celebrities join existing household celebrity talent from music and comedy to sports and film, who have already shown support that include Paul McDermott, Megan Washington, Sophie Monk, Olympic champion Michael Klim and UFC Middleweight Champ Robert Whittaker — all embracing the innovation.

"There’s no greater accolade, than one bestowed upon you by your colleagues and by those who your work is designed to serve,” Meitanis stated on stage, accepting the award on behalf of the 20+ staff and Advisory Board. “The Event Ecosystem’s platforms were built specifically for an industry we’re extremely passionate about, and to receive this award, as well as the NSW State Award and continuous plaudits and adoption by our peers justifies to me personally that I wasn’t crazy after all - people are actually excited to embrace the future.”

On Monday, day 1 at EVOLVE 2019, Harris spoke to delegates about the Third Industrial Revolution, aka The Information Age which, for over 40 years now has called for the embrace of frictionless sharing of information — the bedrock on which the digital age rests.

“We have too long been subject to slow, tangled processes and some unscrupulous behaviour,” says Meitanis. “Freedom and control of information is the defining characteristic of this The Information Age and we have a duty to our beloved industries, to keep innovating and evolving processes so that all parties are able to work safer, easier and freely in order to create incredible and memorable  events.”

Throughout the conference, T.EE.’s booth was alive with event industry professionals chatting with T.E.E’s senior project managers Michael Westerway and Laura Chung as well  Marketing and Relationships Director, Joel Cangy.

When Megan Washington popped by to say G’day, talk quickly moved to her explaining the importance of the A.C.T.A and G.E.T platforms for both celebrity artists and talent.

“For an artist, the sharing of performance and logistical documentation in a quick and safe manner is crucial to achieving the very best performance,” Washington says. “Knowing that this information is being handled and stored safely by these platforms is new and refreshing, which is crucial to feeling safe as an artist.”

"The Event Ecosystem wouldn’t exist without the support of both clients and talent, who are eager for its success,” said Meitanis. “It was lovely for our A.C.T.A ambassador, Megan Washington, to take some time away from her Opera Queensland duties to meet with delegates and explain how the content management system really helps both clients and talent improving the way we all work in procuring, delivering and managing talent for events."
*italic text*

***Date Published** - 3rd April 2019*

***Source** - https://www.eventconnect.com/pressreleases.aspx?pr=2008*

**Associated Celebrity Talent Application (A.C.T.A) and Global Event Talent (G.E.T) were the Beta platforms that have now been combined to comprise the newly revamped 'acta'.*

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A.C.T.A by The Event Ecosystem Wins Big! 

Newly launched talent booking platform Associated Celebrity Talent App (A.C.T.A) is making waves in the industry and has big plans for 2019.

Designed to be the “Uber of the celebrity entertainment”, A.C.T.A is an Australian-developed platform that connects event organisers with the true representatives of celebrity talent.

The roster of celebrity talent already includes the likes of Robert Whittaker, Paul McDermott, Megan Washington and James Mathison.

CEO Harris Meitanis said the platform was created to provide an “on-demand, commercially disruptive and transformative solution”.

“It is a solution invented through technological advancement to satisfy the on-demand requirements that we have evolved to embrace as a commercial society,” he said.

“Such demands have insisted on the elimination of friction through ease of use, the promotion of transparency and the promise of a better experience
overall.”

A.C.T.A aims to eliminate many of the obstacles associated with procuring talent for events and to reduce the frustrations felt by event professionals over misrepresentation, miscommunication and over-quoting.

Once a user finds the celebrity to suit their event, they can negotiate terms, exchange contracts and arrange payment directly through the app.

A.C.T.A’s in-app messaging function provides real-time answers and instant notifications of updates and changes.

Following on from its successful first month of operation in Australia, A.C.T.A plans to launch into the global market in 2019.

The official launch will take place in February during the 2019 Asia Pacific Incentives Meetings Event in Melbourne.

A.C.T.A is currently free to download on iOS devices with an Android app set to launch in early 2019.

***Date Published** - 20th December 2018*

***Source** - https://www.spicenews.com.au/supplier-news/new-talent-booking-app-goes-global/*

**Associated Celebrity Talent Application (A.C.T.A) and Global Event Talent (G.E.T) were the Beta platforms that have now been combined to comprise the newly revamped 'acta'.* 

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New talent booking app goes global

After the hype-filled boom of 2017-18, some might think there’s no industry existing which hasn’t been put on the blockchain, but one Aussie entrepreneur is showing there’s still room to innovate.

Having been in the talent booking and events management space for 20 years (after a brief stint as a lawyer to “keep Mum happy”), Harris Meitanis is well-versed in the issues plaguing entertainers and celebrities, both big and small.

Meitanis runs a number of different companies in the industry, including record label iSPY Records and events and entertainment company APE Events. He tells StartupSmart he’s been working on his most recent venture for the past four years, finally taking the wraps off late last year.

Today, Meitanis’ business the Associated Celebrity Talent App (ACTA for short) is up and running, being used by big-name Australian celebrities and entertainers such as Molly Meldrum, Megan Washington, Sophie Monk and Paul McDermott.

Meitanis explains one of the biggest issues for talent landing jobs is the quagmire of middlemen, fees and unauthorised endorsements associated with lining up an opportunity, and decided to launch ACTA as a solution.

“ACTA facilitates the procurement and curation of celebrity talent, and we’re using blockchain technology to eliminate 90% of time, effort and margins for resourcing all manners of services in the entertainment industry,” he says.

“It cuts out the middlemen and lets the actual representatives of artists deal directly with clients. We’re universally laying a foundation of transparency. What we do in this industry is so mired in darkness that this level of transparency is the only light available.”

This transparency is driven by blockchain technology, specifically the Ethereum blockchain. Talent or their management create the contracts and then, in turn, they are signed by clients. These contracts are immutable and embedded in the blockchain, providing proof of contract and payment for all to see.

The blockchain aspect also allows secure and confidential transferral of details between parties, along with confirming both parties are paid the correct amount, and on time.

ACTA is just one part of Meitanis’ overall platform, dubbed the Event Ecosystem. The startup has also recently launched GET (Global Event Talent), a sister platform to ACTA focused specifically on booking smaller entertainers and performers.

The founder says a third part of the platform is in the works, which he describes as an “Airtasker for events”.

“I just came off the Australian Red Hot Chilli Peppers tour, and we spent a lot of time with the production staff. I shared with them what we’re doing and they were very excited,” he said.

“They told me every time they land in a new country they need 20-30 extra staff like stage runners, merch managers, all manner of things, so our new platform will give them a way to hire those on demand.”

**A two-part platform**

Another big part of ACTA’s platform is the app itself, which goes beyond just facilitating the payment between client and management. ACTA’s app also provides a centralised location for documents, communication and notifications, ensuring management, clients and talent are all kept in the loop.

“It’s a two-part platform: the first provides them with the direct contracting and payment, and the second part is the real guts of the content management system and real-time events management.

“The current method is just everyone emailing and calling each other, but we’re so confident in this tech that we think no one will go back to the old way of looking through email trails with old copies of documents. We’ve eliminated all of that.”

ACTA is free to use for talent and management, with the platform charging clients a 10% fee that is capped at $5,000. Meitanis says the level of automation on the platform means his overheads are minimal, allowing the company to offer lower rates.

So far, both talent and clients are seeing the benefits of ACTA, with Meitanis saying many of them appreciate the reduced friction for booking and organising.

“The goal is definitely to be the ubiquitous software solution for the industry. These platforms have been built and designed from the ground up, and we’re hoping they make people question why they’d keep using the status quo,” he says.

***Date Published** - 18th March 2018*

***Source** - https://www.smartcompany.com.au/startupsmart/news/acta-talent-management-blockchain/*

**Associated Celebrity Talent Application (A.C.T.A) and Global Event Talent (G.E.T) were the Beta platforms that have now been combined to comprise the newly revamped 'acta'.*

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Celebrities on the blockchain: How this Aussie founder is trying to fix the talent booking industry

A new app launched today is aiming to simplify the searching for and booking of event entertainers including musicians, MCs and keynote speakers.

After investment of close to $1 million and almost four years of development, founder and CEO of the Associated Celebrity Talent App, Harris Meitanis told micenet today the online booking platform is set to disrupt the events and entertainment industry in the same way that Uber and Airbnb have disrupted their market segments.

And the good news is that it already has significant backing from some of Australia’s hottest talent including Sophie Monk, Robert Whi
ttaker, James Matheson and others, as well as event professionals including George P Johnson MD, Caleb Bush, the former MD of Jack Morton Worldwide, Paul Kenny, and International Productions event director, Megan Peters.

Mr Meitanis said A.C.T.A. eliminates many of the obstacles that have plagued the industry in terms of procuring talent for events. The app allows users to check the availability of talent in real time and then book them immediately.

Clients are also able to communicate, contract and pay the talent’s true representative directly, while having the ability to host all of their event documentation and assets on a mobile and secure platform which is accessible to them at any time.

“A.C.T.A. reduces the frustrations felt by event professionals over misrepresentation, miscommunication and over-quoting – all issues that stem from an unregulated industry filled with third-party agents,” he said.

“Really, first and foremost, this is a professional tool built for the event professional.”

He said the app isn’t aiming to eliminate traditional speakers or entertainment bureaux.

“The great thing about those bureau is that they really understand the events industry and they really understand briefs that are given to them by clients and they have amazing relationships.”

Mr Meitanis recognises this through his many years in the industry as the owner of the successful agency Apples & Pears Entertainment.

“I think their true value is curating the perfect speaker or celebrity for their client. In my experience [at Apples & Pears], more often than not a client will pick up the phone and say to me this is the event, this is the date, this is brief who do you recommend? I will then give them a list of people and by a process of elimination we will cull that down and then I’ll go off and try to secure those people.

“I think the Saxtons and the Claxtons and the ICMIs would do the same thing. The majority of their work would be this and now they have a way of centralising their enquiries [through the app].”

“Unless they have their own speakers who they represent exclusively then they can use the platform. I think they should be just as excited as anybody else in the events industry.”

A.C.T.A. plans to use the Australian market as a springboard for international expansion which reportedly boasts a talent pool of more than 150,000 celebrities and is estimated to be valued at USD$9.28 billion.

***Date Published** - 20th December 2018*

***Source** - https://www.spicenews.com.au/supplier-news/new-talent-booking-app-goes-global/*

**Associated Celebrity Talent Application (A.C.T.A) and Global Event Talent (G.E.T) were the Beta platforms that have now been combined to comprise the newly revamped 'acta'.*



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New app set to be event talent game-changer

*italic text*A prominent agency executive has called on the events and entertainment industry to adopt new technology to streamline their processes and bring business practices into the digital era.

Caleb Bush (pictured above), managing director of George P. Johnson (GPJ) Australia, reckons there is still some very old school thinking within the events industry.

“Whilst some agencies have rapidly adapted to the ever-changing marketing environment, I think the events industry is probably behind the eight ball generally on [new technology] in the age of experiences,” he said.

GPJ was an early adopter of acta – a blockchain-based, peer-to-peer app that launched in late November and is set to revolutionise the way agencies source and book entertainers, MCs and speakers.

Transparency is key; with the removal of intermediaries, acta ensures agencies avoid common pitfalls when procuring talent through a third party.

With hundreds of celebrities and some of Australia’s biggest names in music, comedy, media, sport and television, acta enables clients to browse, communicate, contract and pay talent and their official representative directly via their secure, Ethereum-built blockchain platform.

Big names such as Sophie Monk, Megan Washington, Robert Whittaker, Jimmy Barnes, Paul McDermott, James Mathison and more are already listed on the service.

@acta_app is cutting the red tape in corporate gigs.
From @sophiemonk to @JimmyBarnes, celebrities are loving this unique talent booking platform! #AusBiz #YourMoneyAUS

— Your Money (@YourMoneyAus) December 11, 2018

A legacy agency with over 100 years under its belt, GPJ has offices all around the world, producing over 250 experiential events every year in Australia alone for clients such as L’Oréal, IBM, Toyota, Amazon, National Australia Bank, and QuickBooks.

“Of those 250 events a year, I’d say 90 per cent of those have some form of entertainment or engagement that’s required, whether that’s a speaker to talk on a specific topic, a band to entertain, or a combination of both,” Bush explained.

According to an independent study conducted by acta, celebrity appearances at Australian corporate, private and charity events total an estimated $336 million of the $4.4 billion value of the local events and entertainment industry.

There are between 30,000 and 40,000 events that require talent every year in Australia and a talent pool of 2,700 celebrities including actors, musicians, comedians, top speakers and elite sports stars.

Furthermore, booking the right talent, especially finding those with a specific skill set, is significantly time-consuming work.

And if finding an AI-expert-in-a-haystack (and their manager) wasn’t difficult enough, there’s nothing to ensure they will be available, that their booking price is reasonable, and that there’s no conflicting relationship with another brand.

“Talent’s schedules can change on a dime,” Bush said.

“The other challenge is from a contract perspective. If someone comes along on the same date with a better offer, unless you have all your ducks in a row, it’s quite easy to lose that performer.

“Getting all that information to present to the client is a significant amount of work. The reason that acta is such a good service is it houses all that information in a central portal, so it makes our lives so much easier.”

He cites a recent pitch presentation in which GPJ used acta to “cut 15 to 20 hours of work” otherwise spent lining up performer options.

By using the app, GPJ also knew the talent’s pricing and alternative availability in case the date of the event was changed.

Bush said the accessibility of information not only keeps the client happy, but also makes entertainers’ lives easier.

“Talent don’t like getting calls to ask their availability, and at the end of the conversation you say, ‘Oh, by the way, we haven’t actually won the job yet,” he said.

“It’s a waste of both party’s time – but at the same time, presenting good talent options could be the difference between winning and losing a job.”

While the idea of acta is not globally revolutionary, it is the first time the concept underpinning apps like Airbnb and Uber has been used to streamline event services.

“I think this app really meets the market – there are no other companies who are able to make the booking of talent a smooth and easy process like this,” Bush said.

***Date Published** - 17th December 2018*

***Source** - https://www.bandt.com.au/agency-exec-urges-industry-embrace-new-app-cuts-hours-work-booking-talent/*

**Associated Celebrity Talent Application (A.C.T.A) and Global Event Talent (G.E.T) were the Beta platforms that have now been combined to comprise the newly revamped 'acta'.*

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Agency Exec Urges Industry To Embrace New App That Cuts Hours Of Work When Booking Talent

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