Build Club

Build Club is an AI-focused community and accelerator program based in Australia. Founded by Annie Liao in September 2023, the organization aims to support and nurture ambitious AI founders and engineers. Build Club offers various programs, including accelerators and hackathons, to help tinkerers develop real AI startups. In 2023, the organization assisted 75 individuals in transitioning from part-time projects to building AI startups. As of early 2024, Build Club had over 600 AI builder fellows across five cities.

The organization launched the Build Club Accelerator in partnership with AWS, targeting 15 Australian technical founders, AI engineers, and researchers. This six-week program, running from May to June 2024, provides participants with resources such as USD 25,000 in AWS credits, USD 5,000 in MongoDB credits, and a USD 500 employment card from Airwallex. The accelerator aims to give founders an opportunity to work intensively on their projects and potentially enter the US market. At the program's conclusion, the top five participants receive free flights for a two-week tour in San Francisco to immerse themselves in the hacker ecosystem and present to venture capitalists in the Bay Area.

In March 2024, Build Club introduced Build Campus, described as Australia's first permanent AI builder residency. This initiative aims to provide a dedicated space for top AI engineers to collaborate and develop their projects. Additionally, Build Club opened Australia's first AI coworking space in Sydney's CBD in early 2024, further expanding its support for the AI startup ecosystem.

Key customers and partnerships

Build Club has established partnerships with several prominent organizations in the tech industry. Its founding partners include AWS, NVIDIA, Airwallex, MongoDB, Stone and Chalk, and Aura Ventures. The organization collaborates with Stone and Chalk to provide a dedicated hacker space in Sydney's CBD for its accelerator program participants. Build Club's mentorship network includes individuals from companies such as Blackbird, Anthropic, and Google, as well as industry experts and investors.