EarlyWork, a sales training startup, has recently raised $1.5 million in a seed round led by Ari and Lucy Klinger’s family fund, No Brand, with support from Jelix Ventures. Existing backers Archangel Ventures and Ultraviolet Ventures, as well as several founders and sales executives, including MYOB Paul Robson, Bond Capital’s Jay Simons, OIF partner David Shein, Dave Shepherd, Dave O’Mahony and Sam Rahmanian, also participated in this round.
Dan Brockwell, Jono Herman, and Marina Wu cofounded Earlywork as a careers newsletter in early 2021. That concept inspired Australia’s first tech bootcamp, Earlywork Academy, which includes a job guarantee in tech sales. Focusing on industry needs, the company collaborates with sales leaders to design a curriculum that produces talent that meets the company’s skill requirements.
Earlywork Academy provides one-on-one job search coaching, in-demand tech sales skills, and direct introductions to top tech companies that are hiring. Its three-week cohort-based programme consists of eight 2-hour live virtual sessions that blend theory and practice. A full-day live sales apprenticeship can also take place.
Speaking about the company, Co-founder of Earlywork Dan Brockwell said:
As tech companies shift their strategy from growth to profitability, quality sales talent is more important than ever. Universities still need to train sales skills, so employers have had to bear the training burden. We want to build a better business school for the tech industry globally.
While the federal government and the Tech Council of Australia aim to create more than 300,000 new tech jobs by 2030, Earlywork’s focus on training and employment for entry-level tech workers has drawn people from diverse backgrounds.
Brockwell further added:
We’re building an education model that starts with what employers need and works backwards. Earlywork designs and delivers our curriculum alongside sales leaders to train talent with the skills companies need.
With this funding, Earlywork plans to expand its training model internationally, initially with Singapore and new hires, and focus on customer success.
