What is Project Odyssey?

Project Odyssey is Merton Lawyers second program focussing on Venture Capital, which follows on from the success of their earlier program, Project Frontier, which helped Australian founders navigate early-stage growth and expansion into the US market.

How did Project Odyssey originate?

Building on that momentum, Project Odyssey specifically focuses on strengthening the capabilities of venture capital (VC) investors and the founders they back. Since 2023 Merton Lawyers undertook extensive interviews with Australian and US Venture Capitalists. These discussions explored pain points experienced by investors and portfolio companies — of the many pain points, Merton Lawyers decided to focus for the first solution challenges particularly around governance challenges, board dynamics, and how boards can be better leveraged to drive growth and value creation.

The Solution

One of the key outcomes of Project Odyssey is the Merton Lawyers Startup Board Course. This is a free, invite only two-day program aimed at equipping Venture Capitalists and with practical tools and insights to improve board effectiveness and governance across the company lifecycle.

The course invites 25 VCs and one of their portfolio companies each (50 participants in total) and is designed to build stronger, more responsible boards that go beyond compliance to drive growth, drawing on a Silicon Valley-style approach to board governance. It focuses on how to leverage the board as a strategic asset, reduce risk, and unlock value for scaling businesses. The program will also feature global speakers and industry leaders who bring diverse insights and practical experience to the sessions, enriching the learning for participants and contributing to the broader startup ecosystem.

Outcomes

In essence, Project Odyssey’s focus is:

Deepening VC and founder capability through practical education and peer learning
Addressing governance challenges identified through research with VCs
Empowering boards as drivers of growth rather than merely compliance structures
Fostering connections and shared insight between investors, founders, and ecosystem partners

Venue partnership with: