MUCUDU’s journey is a story of collaboration, determination, and a relentless passion to succeed. Zenita and co-founder James partnered with Appetiser on the social bar app to connect patrons and venues, share drinks and buy rounds. The idea was born out of the unique combination of their hospitality experiences, the effect of COVID on the industry and their deep desire to bring people together.
Zenita came to Australia from Ireland over fifteen years ago and, with James as a long-term business partner, grew multiple venues in hospitality during that time. In 2020, the many COVID-forced lockdowns brought difficult challenges to the industry; venues closed, people became isolated, communication became harder and revenue took a massive hit. MUCUDU’s strength is that it adapts these problems into opportunities as part of its core appeal. Patrons wanted to connect again in an increasingly online world, and teh co-founders knew they wanted to get ahead of this demand.
Zenita and James realised MUCUDU filled a gap in the market and they took their chance, bootstrapping the project from the very start. Self-funding helped them keep up momentum through the development stage and maintain full control of the project. This bold approach to funding conveyed a strong vision as well as an unwavering confidence that their startup would find success; aspects of MUCUDU that are very attractive to key investors and potential stakeholders.
Collaboration is a common thread that runs throughout this story. At every step, partnerships and teamwork helped lift up the project and enabled it to power forward. Collaboration was at the core of these three key areas;
Neither founder came from a technical background, and after starting this project they soon realised that to make this work, the team needed expert help.
In such a vital stage of a startup’s lifecycle, a connection and a shared vision can be the difference between a product that users love, and one they ignore. The dedication and passion the founders brought to the project gave MUCUDU a solid foundation to build upon. For first-time founders, the importance of a supportive and proven development team is amplified even further.
The MUCUDU team used their experience, contacts and connections in the hospitality industry to help stabilise and build momentum post launch. Suppliers, brands and venues all saw the value of the platform and jumped on board. Gathering a raft of positive feedback and gaining traction in these early days gave them confidence that demand was out there.
The news that MUCUDU had been selected for one of Australia’s biggest startup founder networks was a massive success for MUCUDU. The collaboration with GIANTS provided a wam introduction to like-minded founders, refine their pitch and access to potential sources of venture capital alongside other investment. Essentially, GIANTS connected Zenita and her team to the support they needed, in areas they needed it most.
As Melbourne opened up again, so did the opportunities. MUCUDU generated early traction, combined with exciting partnerships and consistent, sustained growth. The startup rode this wave of early momentum to the tune of 1000 early adopters and quarter on quarter revenue growth — a fantastic achievement for a new startup. They’ve also partnered with LION, one of Australia’s biggest beverage companies, in a move they hope will boost growth even further.
Now, success is breeding success, with companies reaching out directly to MUCUDU to get on board. They’ve secured multiple food and drink brands and venue partnerships that sets them up with the energy for the next phase of the project.
The team is currently working hard on securing technological integrations with multinational hospitality and menu platforms. If successful, it’ll make MUCUCU one to watch for venues, patrons, partners and investors in the years to come. From here, they’ll then look to follow a dynamic and aggressive growth strategy to truly go global.
