How to Build a Unicorn
22 October 2025
- Starting Out
- Scaling Up
- Adopt
What does it really take to build a high-growth, globally competitive startup?
In this candid, high-impact talk, Mahesh Muralidhar — one of the first 25 team members at Canva and now CEO of Phase One Ventures — breaks down the core ingredients behind world-class startups. Drawing from firsthand experience scaling Canva from just 25 people to over 300, and backing dozens of Kiwi founders through Phase One (where 85% have raised institutional capital), Mahesh shares what separates enduring startups from the rest. You’ll walk away with practical frameworks and hard-earned insights across:
- Product: How to build something your customers truly love
- Team: What makes a founding team click — and endure
- Capital: How to raise the right capital, at the right time, from the right investors
- Growth: Why 5% week-on-week growth is the bar — and how to reach it
We’ll also share lessons from some of the most exciting Kiwi startups including VXT, Extraordinary, NextWork and Ivo.ai — all on the journey to scale globally.
Free
General admission
Mahesh Muralidhar
Founder & CEO at Phase One Ventures
Mahesh is a startup executive and venture capitalist who was an early leader at Canva, serving as its first Chief People Officer during its early growth phase. He went on to hold key C-suite roles in several high-growth Australian startups. He is now the founder and CEO of Phase One Ventures, backing ambitious Kiwi founders — 85% of whom are globally venture-backed. Born in Asia and raised in Singapore, Mahesh moved to New Zealand on his own at age 14.
Venue
GridAKL / John Lysaght
101 Pakenham Street West, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland 1010
GridAKL / John Lysaght is more than just a workspace — it's a thriving community of visionaries, innovators and change-makers. GridAKL is home to a diverse mix of startups and small businesses working together to create solutions that make a difference.