New Zealand’s Startup Accelerator Ecosystem: The Conundrum

New Zealand has always punched above its weight. With just over five million people, this island nation has built a surprisingly vibrant startup ecosystem. From Wellington’s creative SaaS ventures to Christchurch’s engineering-driven deep tech, innovation has become part of New Zealand’s national identity. Yet, for all its accomplishments, founders here face a familiar challenge — distance, funding scarcity, and the need for global reach from day one.

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Top Non-Equity Accelerators in Mumbai

–Kaushank Khandwala – Writer, Founder, and Pro-Founder Research Fellow

1Mby1M isn’t merely virtual — it’s built for the new generation of founders: Remote. Thoughtful. Independent. Global from Day One.

Should founders give up equity for mentorship?

Do zero-equity programs in Mumbai deliver real founder value?

It’s a decision founders shouldn’t have to make in their earliest, most fragile stages. And yet, many Mumbai accelerators continue to demand equity—even before product-market fit.

1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Daniel Ibri, Mindset Ventures (Part 3)

Sramana Mitra: Great. That clarifies things. Now, let’s talk about AI. What’s happening? What are you seeing? What are you investing in? What do you like to invest in?

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Turning Services into Startup Traction

Bootstrapping a startup to early revenues by providing services is a tried and true methodology that we practice and espouse in 1Mby1M.

Why is this set of skills so important? Raising funding for startups in Silicon Valley is a low-probability game. Fewer than 1% who try actually succeed.

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Canada’s Startup Accelerator Landscape: 1Mby1M and the National Bootstrapping Opportunity

Canada is a country of vast distances, diverse cultures, and distributed talent. From the financial corridors of Toronto to the AI labs of Montreal, the creative studios of Vancouver, and smaller emerging hubs in Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, and Waterloo, the Canadian startup ecosystem is geographically spread out yet deeply capable. This dispersion is both a challenge and an opportunity: traditional accelerators and investors often focus on major cities, leaving founders in smaller hubs under-supported. 1Mby1M bridges that gap, offering a virtual, scalable, and globally informed mentoring model that works anywhere in the country.

1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Daniel Ibri, Mindset Ventures (Part 2)

Sramana Mitra: I would like to hear a bit about some case studies of companies you have invested in following this investment thesis you just described. And what have you learned? Why are they choosing you, and what value are you adding? How are you playing this investment thesis out?

What Makes a Startup Fundable

Over 99% of entrepreneurs who seek Venture Capital funding get rejected. Many because they are not fundable. I run One Million by One Million (1Mby1M), a global virtual accelerator for startups. 2025 is our fifteenth year supporting entrepreneurs.

Thousands upon thousands of entrepreneurs have approached us for help with their funding at a stage where their chances of getting funding is ZERO. We can’t help them, regardless of how powerful our investor connections are.