Selfstarters launches accelerator support for tech companies

Selfstarters, a sales programme designed to accelerate sales growth, is focused on supporting tech businesses looking to increase sales for software and service solutions. 

Since arriving in the market in June 2020, Selfstarters clients have generated millions of dollars in revenue, a figure that continues to grow. Selfstarters founder and growth coach Flavio Hangarter is driven to help tech companies streamline their revenue growth, and developed Selfstarters to give them tools, skills, resources and mentorship to ensure they get to where they need to be, quickly.

“A lot of companies have amazing products and are out in market, but their growth has stagnated.  Usually they encounter some hurdles in market – whether that is competitors, slow growth, not getting enough leads or struggling with converting customers,” says Flavio.

“While kiwi tech companies are great at developing innovative products, the sales and go-to-market strategy often isn’t aligned with the market.”

The Auckland-based entrepreneur has been helping Kiwi tech companies prosper for the past decade, through his work at ecentre, a government funded incubator and tech accelerator that was instrumental in helping tech businesses like Unleashed Software, Zeald and Perceptive achieve impressive growth.
He then went on to co-found Storrk; a SaaS platform for lawyers to manage their continuous professional development, and Astrivio Limited; to develop innovation and entrepreneurship training programmes for universities, government and enterprise.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the landscape for the training industry, and Flavio evolved Astrivio Limited to create his Sales Success Programme and stand-alone offering, Selfstarters.

Selfstarters focuses on software as a service (SaaS) businesses, providing advice, training and coaching around their go-to-market strategy and business development execution.

“We remove the hurdles that stop SaaS companies from growing sales revenues, providing teams with a clear roadmap and sales confidence. We’re like the tarmac lights on a runway that guide pilots to liftoff,” says Flavio.

Flavio, who started his career as a door-to-door salesman before going on to build a promotions company with 17 sales consultants, is also an MBA assessor and lecturer teaching digital transformation at Massey University.  He completed his Masters Degree in Strategy & Innovation Management in 2015.

“I’ve always been intrigued about what makes tech companies successful and had exposure to hundreds of successes and failures across the globe during my time in accelerators,” says Flavio.

“In 2020 when Covid hit, and we couldn’t run our programmes with large organisations, we had to change our business and that’s what led me to revisit all my learnings and research of the last decade in building high-growth tech companies. From this, we designed the Sales Success Programme that helps software as a service companies to simplify their sales growth.”

Some of the companies Selfstarters has been working with include Stylefit; a unique artificial intelligence tool to help secondary school students learn to write, YonderHQ; the customer experience and reputation management software, and Lune-Digital; an Internet of Things embedded software and hardware company developing internet-connected smart devices.

Selfstarters has helped one client achieve $2 million in recurring revenue in six months.   This client has now scaled from less than 10 staff to 20 staff, and after raising additional funds is now planning to double again in the next three months.

“We focus on positioning our clients as market authority in their industry and develop processes to streamline sales and marketing growth.  It’s about helping our clients find the most effective way to bring their products to market and have the impact they envisioned. It’s amazing to see growth on all levels like the people, their business and watch their success in the process,” says Flavio.

Flavio has his own plans for growth at Selfstarters – he wants to make success more accessible regionwide throughout New Zealand and reach tech companies outside of the major cities who don’t have access to tech sales capability or advice.

“There is a huge opportunity right now for tech companies to sell their solutions on a global scale and it’s a lot easier doing so with the right support.”

For more information visit selfstarters.co