Dexter Todd
Co-Founder at Draper · Former at BARDAR
Dexter Todd is a Sydney-based founder who most recently ran Bardar, a nightlife app mapping over 350 Sydney bars, pubs and clubs in real time; he deferred his degree at the Australian National University in 2023 to build it after raising pre-seed funding from angels, VCs and family and friends. On Pick My Brain, he discussed pivoting Bardar around festival data. Todd has since moved on to Draper, a new venture with co-founders Oliver Bagin and Benny Abbatangelo, backed by Startmate, that helps solo founders validate ideas, build a brand and launch a product-based business.
In their own words
From How Bardar Pivoted: Dexter Todd’s Festival Data Playbook · Pick My BrainWe're not like a B2B AI SaaS play. We kind of exist in a funny space.
Career
- Now Co-Founder · Draper
- From 2023 · Startup Co-founder · BARDAR
- Earlier · Startup Team member · Talentsheet
Sources: draper.chat
Key moments
Jump straight to the part of How Bardar Pivoted: Dexter Todd’s Festival Data Playbook you want.
- 0:00 Dexter on festival frustrations and app clunkiness
- 2:01 From ANU student startup to Bardar’s growth
- 3:37 How Bardar pivoted to focus on festivals
- 8:23 Landing a contract with South by Southwest via cold email
- 11:55 Using foot traffic APIs to track venue capacity
- 14:24 Post-event reports and insights for festivals
- 15:09 Fundraising journey: $225K pre-seed and $200K extension
- 16:36 Alan’s advice: converting seasonal deals into SaaS contracts
- 17:27 Positioning Bardar as a data-driven SaaS enterprise
- 21:38 The importance of annual contracts to build a sustainable business
Connections
Spot something wrong? Suggest a correction Updated 25 September 2026
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