I have an idea that I want to build

Launch Ready

Turn your idea into a real startup, ready to launch in around 12 weeks. We'll shape your strategy, brand and product, build and launch it, and get you investor ready.
Learn more
I want to de-risk my idea before building

Accelerate

Get confident on what to build before investing into development. We'll help you understand your market, design your product and get you investor ready.
Learn more
Not sure where to start?

We’ve built a simple guide to help you work out where you are, what you need and which Hyper pathway is right for you.
Explore our guide

Splend
Live

$993M raised to scale the product

Built the technical and operational foundations for a global platform making vehicle ownership easier for professional drivers.
Read their story
Ambl
Live

Raised $15M and expanded to Dubai

Turned a pitch-deck idea into a live reservation platform helping people discover great venues across two international markets.
Read their story
Empiraa
Live

$3M raised across several rounds

Turned an early idea into an AI-powered platform helping businesses connect strategy, sales and day-to-day execution.
Read their story
Magic Mountain
Acquired

$6.9M raised before acquisition

Developed the strategy and roadmap behind a motivating fitness platform that scaled globally and reached acquisition.
Read their story

Insights
See all
- Built by a builder: TradeCraft goes live for apprentice tradies
  Read more
- A deep dive into AI-native app development for iOS and Android
  Read more
- Leveraging generative AI app development for smarter financial services
  Read more
Guides
See all
- How much does it cost to build an app in Australia in 2026?
  Read more
Press Releases
See all
- Hyper Ventures led Early Bird’s oversubscribed 2 million seed round
  Read more

I have an idea that I want to build

Launch Ready

Turn your idea into a real startup, ready to launch in around 12 weeks. We'll shape your strategy, brand and product, build and launch it, and get you investor ready.
Learn more
I want to de-risk my idea before building

Accelerate

Get confident on what to build before investing into development. We'll help you understand your market, design your product and get you investor ready.
Learn more
Not sure where to start?

We’ve built a simple guide to help you work out where you are, what you need and which Hyper pathway is right for you.
Explore our guide

Splend
Live

$993M raised to scale the product

Built the technical and operational foundations for a global platform making vehicle ownership easier for professional drivers.
Read their story
Ambl
Live

Raised $15M and expanded to Dubai

Turned a pitch-deck idea into a live reservation platform helping people discover great venues across two international markets.
Read their story
Empiraa
Live

$3M raised across several rounds

Turned an early idea into an AI-powered platform helping businesses connect strategy, sales and day-to-day execution.
Read their story
Magic Mountain
Acquired

$6.9M raised before acquisition

Developed the strategy and roadmap behind a motivating fitness platform that scaled globally and reached acquisition.
Read their story

Insights
See all
- Built by a builder: TradeCraft goes live for apprentice tradies
  Read more
- A deep dive into AI-native app development for iOS and Android
  Read more
- Leveraging generative AI app development for smarter financial services
  Read more
Guides
See all
- How much does it cost to build an app in Australia in 2026?
  Read more
Press Releases
See all
- Hyper Ventures led Early Bird’s oversubscribed 2 million seed round
  Read more

Author

Sam Cust

Managing Director

Sam Cust is Managing Director at Hyper and a Founding Partner at Hyper Ventures. He works with founders from idea through product, traction and capital, leading Hyper’s commercial strategy and founder support. Sam writes about startup growth, commercial strategy, founder partnerships and preparing an early-stage business for investment.

4 insights

What Sam Cust writes about

Background and experience

Sam has more than 14 years of experience across startup growth, business development and founder advisory. He is a Partner and Advisor at LOKE, a mobile ordering, delivery and loyalty platform, where he was also part of the founding team and led new business.

At Hyper, Sam oversees teams, partnerships and strategic initiatives that support founders through the startup journey. He also serves on the boards of Empiraa, Happly and GymGoer. This experience informs his practical guidance on building commercial foundations, gaining early traction and making decisions that support sustainable growth.

Sam holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Deakin University.

Insights

September 8, 2026

Built by a builder: TradeCraft goes live for apprentice tradies

TradeCraft, a mobile guidance app for apprentice tradies, is now live on the App Store, Google Play and the web. It was…
August 5, 2026

What are you willing to do? Founder scrappiness

Every founder we have worked with can point to a moment early on that never made it onto a slide: a hundred…
July 22, 2026

Ideas don’t come out fully formed: how founders actually get started

I keep a line from Mark Zuckerberg pinned near my desk, and it’s usually the first thing I bring up when a…
July 13, 2026

Ikigai for founders: what purpose actually looks like in the startups we build

A founder we were working with paused halfway through a strategy session recently and asked a question that had nothing to do…

Sam Cust

What Sam Cust writes about

Background and experience

Insights

Built by a builder: TradeCraft goes live for apprentice tradies

What are you willing to do? Founder scrappiness

Ideas don’t come out fully formed: how founders actually get started

Ikigai for founders: what purpose actually looks like in the startups we build

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