We believe that it all starts with people. By focusing on founder talent, rather than a specific industry or start-up idea, we identify talent and help them succeed in founding and scaling great companies. We back entrepreneurs from day zero—even before they have fully formed ideas or products. 

Additionally, Antler doesn’t just provide funding—we offer hands-on mentorship and give you an unfair advantage through our global network of founders, advisors, and investors, helping you get from zero to one in the shortest time possible.

We welcome ambitious individuals and co-founding teams with a strong drive to build high-growth tech startups, as well as, the skills relevant to early stage business building. Some examples of founder profiles that we have backed:

• Returning Founders: Experienced founders who have learned from past ventures—whether through success or failure—and are ready to build their next venture with valuable insights.
• Business Leaders: Commercial professionals skilled in go-to-market strategy, business model development, customer acquisition, and capital raising.
• Technology and Product Leaders: Builders with expertise in software engineering, system architecture, or product vision, who are eager to design and build innovative solutions.
• Functional and Domain Experts: Specialists with deep expertise—often gained through professional or academic experience—who’ve identified a unique, unmet need in their field, hold intellectual property, or see untapped potential in technology that can be commercialized.
• Zero to One Operators: Seasoned professionals and early employees with experience in taking startups from early-stage to hypergrowth, having played defining roles in building and scaling companies through critical phases.

No, you don’t need to have a fully formed idea to apply. That said, we especially value those who have a strong sense of their founder-market fit—a deep understanding of sectors or industries where they want to make an impact. More important than having a solution is having a few problem statements you’re passionate about solving. If you have the curiosity and drive to build, Antler will help you refine these ideas, explore opportunities, and turn them into a scalable business.

Yes, even if you have an existing team or have already raised some funding, Antler can help accelerate your growth. We provide additional capital, strategic mentorship, and access to our global network of investors and industry experts to help you scale faster and reach your next milestones more efficiently.

Yes, we encourage founders to join our residency program in Jakarta for a period of 5 to 10 weeks. It provides invaluable in-person access to mentorship, networking, and collaborative sessions with other founders. Being physically present also ensures you can fully engage with Antler’s resources and community.

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If you're a team of founders already working on your startup, the residency provides a focused period to refine your business model and accelerate growth. During this time, you'll concentrate intensively on building, iterating, and scaling in a collaborative environment that drives rapid progress. The residency experience is structured to maximize your startup's potential through hands-on support, high-value connections, and the critical resources needed to fast-track your success.

Antler invests in a wide range of sectors, including fintech, healthcare, SaaS, e-commerce, and more. Globally, we’ve backed over 1,000 companies across diverse industries, with a focus on those leveraging technology to scale and build innovative solutions. More importantly, we look for founders addressing pressing problems with scalable, high-impact ideas that can succeed on a global stage.

Antler’s portfolio companies have collectively raised hundreds of millions in follow-on funding, with over 80% of them raising external capital within 12 months. Select portfolio companies making strong headway in Southeast Asia include Airalo, Reebelo, fileAI (formerly Bluesheets), Volopay, and Staffinc.