About Draper
Draper is a start-a-business app. It takes you from an idea to your first customers, one step at a time. It is built in Sydney, Australia, by three founders, and backed by Startmate.
The longer version of why we’re building this is on the blog: Why we're building Draper.
Draper is a product of Bardar Pty Ltd.
What Draper does
Test your idea first
Have an interview with Draper, find out what people are already saying about your idea.
Then build the foundations
Build your brand, shape your product, and make your website.
Then go after your first customers
Run live ads to see who actually wants it, and get your first signups.
What it costs
Your first two workshops, the Idea Summary and the Business Plan, are free with no card. After that Draper is $9 a month, and you can cancel any time from the app.
Who it’s for
People with an idea and a full-time job, who have never started a business and have nobody in tech to ask. Each step fits into the gaps in your day: a bus ride, a lunch break, the hour after work.
Why we built it
Before Draper, Dexter built a Sydney nightlife app called Bardar. He built the product first and looked for customers second, and it didn’t scale. Draper runs in the opposite order: test the idea, then build it.
The team
Three founders in Sydney, with Tom Hill leading growth. Draper is part of Startmate’s Summer’26 cohort.
Benny Abbatangelo, CEO
Came to Draper from journalism, with roles at Seek and Airtasker.
Dexter Todd, CPO
Studied philosophy and economics at ANU, and built Bardar before Draper.
Oliver Bagin, CTO
Draper’s technical lead since the first day.
Key facts
- Company
- Draper (Bardar Pty Ltd)
- What it is
- A start-a-business app, in the browser on a phone or a computer
- Founded
- 2026, Sydney, Australia
- Founders
- Benny Abbatangelo (CEO), Dexter Todd (CPO), Oliver Bagin (CTO)
- Backed by
- Startmate
- Price
- $9 USD a month; the first two workshops are free; cancel any time
- Website
- draper.chat (app: app.draper.chat)
- Contact
- support@draper.chat
Frequently asked questions
What is Draper?
Draper is a start-a-business app. It helps you test your idea, build your brand, product and website, and then go after your first customers, in that order.
Do I need a business idea already?
No. If you don’t have one yet, the free tool at draper.chat/idea-skill asks about your life and comes back with a few ideas to choose from.
Do I need to quit my job?
No. Draper is built for people starting something around a full-time job, and each step fits into the gaps in your day: a bus ride, a lunch break, the hour after work.
How is Draper different from ChatGPT?
ChatGPT answers whatever you ask. Draper knows the order: it tests the idea first, then builds the business around it, one step at a time.