# Sova

> Sova is an AI-powered governance self-assessment tool for Australian startups and scaleups. It evaluates business maturity across 9 interconnected elements and 4 stages, providing evidence-based recommendations, curated resources, and Australian-specific guidance.

## What Sova Does

Sova helps startup founders diagnose business health using the 9 Elements Framework:

- **Self-Assessment Tool**: 89 questions across 9 business elements (Governance, Purpose, Strategy, Performance, Finance, Marketing, People, Process, Technology) at 4 maturity stages (Discovery, Validation, Efficiency, Scale). Provides instant maturity scores with actionable, evidence-based recommendations and 4,088 hyperlinked resources.
- **AI Business Coach (AskSova)**: Ask any business question. The chatbot diagnoses root causes, challenges assumptions, and recommends solutions from a curated 1.7 MB knowledge base built on 350+ research findings.
- **Startup Directory**: 295 curated Australian startup programs, networks, accelerators, incubators, advisors, and governance service providers.
- **Business Type Variants**: Tailored assessment paths for Product, DeepTech, and Service businesses.

## Who It's For

- Australian startup founders (solo or team) at any stage from pre-revenue to scaleup
- Founders preparing for investment, board formation, or governance maturity
- All industries, not just tech
- Teams wanting to identify governance gaps before they become crises

## Research Foundation

Sova's recommendations are grounded in:
- 350+ research findings from 80+ published sources (CB Insights, Harvard Business Review, McKinsey, Failory, Startup Genome)
- 280+ frameworks and methodologies (Lean Canvas, Business Model Canvas, OKRs, Value Proposition Canvas)
- 150+ founder interviews
- Australian-specific compliance and regulatory context (ASIC, ASX, AusIndustry)

## The 9 Elements

1. **Governance**: Values, ethics, decision-making frameworks, founder agreements, board structure
2. **Purpose**: Mission, vision, value proposition, problem-solution fit
3. **Strategy**: Market analysis, competitive positioning, growth planning
4. **Performance**: KPIs, OKRs, metrics tracking, data-driven decisions
5. **Finance**: Revenue models, unit economics, cash flow, funding readiness
6. **Marketing**: Customer acquisition, channels, brand, content strategy
7. **People**: Team structure, culture, hiring, roles and responsibilities
8. **Process**: Operations, workflows, automation, quality management
9. **Technology**: Tech stack, infrastructure, security, scalability

## The 4 Stages

1. **Discovery**: Validating the idea, understanding the problem
2. **Validation**: Testing market fit, early traction
3. **Efficiency**: Building repeatable systems, optimising operations
4. **Scale**: Growing sustainably, preparing for investment

## Key Differentiators

- Australian-specific: Local programs, grants, accelerators, regulatory guidance (ASIC, ASX, AusIndustry)
- Evidence-based: Every recommendation backed by published research with citations
- Interconnected: Shows how fixing one element unlocks improvements in others
- Not a replacement for consultants: Helps founders identify which problems need expert help and which they can solve themselves
- Proprietary framework: The 9 Elements and 4 Stages model is original research, not available elsewhere

## Pricing

- **Free**: Full access to all 9 assessments and maturity scores
- **3 months (A$99)**: Detailed advice, tools, and recommendations
- **6 months (A$199)**: Everything above plus AI coaching (100 messages/month)
- **12 months (A$299)**: Everything above plus unlimited AI coaching

## Founded

2025, Melbourne, Australia. Founded by Jane Korneyko.

## Links

- Website: https://getsova.com.au
- Assessment Tool: https://getsova.com.au/assessment-tool.html
- AI Coach: https://getsova.com.au/asksova.html
- FAQ: https://getsova.com.au/faq.html
- Research: https://getsova.com.au/research.html
- Directory: https://getsova.com.au/directory.html
- About: https://getsova.com.au/about.html
- Pricing: https://getsova.com.au/pricing.html
- Blog: https://getsova.com.au/blog.html