Jason Calacanis backs Australian productivity startup Llama Life in $950,000 pre-Seed raise

Melbourne tech startup Llama Life has raised $950,000 in a pre-Seed round to help people improve their focus and productivity.

The round was led by Black Sheep Capital, with additional investment from US investor Jason Calacanis and his VC syndicate LAUNCH, for Llama Life to rapidly scale the product, and grow the team.

The desktop productivity tool launched two years ago and is designed to help people work more calmly and effectively, by managing their attention as well as their time.

Founder and CEO  Marie Ng said that unlike other productivity tools, Llama Life is carefully designed to help people work through their lists, so they’re not just making lists, they’re completing them. It does this by gently guiding and encouraging focus on one task at a time.

“We believe productivity is not just about time management, it’s also about attention management. In the past 20yrs the average attention span has dropped from 12 seconds to 8 seconds, and it’s impacting the way we work,” she said.

“Two people can have exactly the same to-do list, but at the end of the day, end up in very different emotional states – one might feel hectic and stressed, while the other might feel calm and focused. We’re designing a product to help guide you through your day in a state of calm.”

Ng taught herself to code, going on to create Llama Life as a way to help her ADHD. She shared the journey and what she learnt publicly on Twitter as @threehourcoffee, building a passionate group of loyal followers along the way.

Many take to Twitter now to sign Llama Life’s praises.

I tried so many tools but this is just the perfect mix of simplicity and depth 🔥

— Dagobert Renouf (@dagorenouf) February 18, 2022

Ng said her vision is to become the number one global brand to improve mental clarity, focus and attention at work.

“The neuro diverse community are especially loving this clever and intuitive approach to getting things done,” she said.

“Customers share the product amongst friends, unprompted, excited to help change the workday experience for those who struggle with overwhelm or focus; allowing Llama Life to achieve the ultimate startup dream of organic word-of-mouth.”

Black Sheep Capital’s Daniel Gavel said the platform is already deeply ingrained in the VC’s daily routine.

“The instant impact we saw on productivity and team wellbeing got us very excited about the product, and where it can go,” he said.

The startup has also been heavily focused on the US market, were it caught the attention of California investor Jason Calacanis who backed the venture as well as introducing it to the LAUNCH syndicate.

“We love Australian founders because they’re resilient, they want to win,” he said.