The $600 billion problem: how Flowing Bee is cracking the code on consumer behaviour
What if marketers had a tool that enabled them to be truly customer-led in everything they do? For Michael Sankey and Sara Khorasani, this simple question over a coffee chat didn’t just spark curiosity… it ignited a business.
From housemates to business partners
Four years ago, Michael and Sara met as housemates where, not long after, their relationship evolved into dating. Three years later, they found themselves in another conversation, this time about the untapped potential of AI in marketing. Michael rushed home with an idea and asked Sara to start a business. Her answer? “It took about 60 seconds of convincing, and she agreed,” recalls Michael.
Solving a market need
With over 13 years of experience working with leading marketers across four continents, Michael had noticed a glaring issue: a lack of true, science-led understanding of consumer behaviour. “This often results in ineffective marketing communications,” he explains. Flowing Bee was created to solve this problem, providing marketers with powerful behavioural insights to inform their strategy, execution, and measurement.
The unique combination of Michael’s expertise in behavioural science and Sara’s background in engineering (a PhD from the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology to be exact) has proven to be a winning formula. “On the surface, it might seem like an unlikely pairing,” says Sara, “but our skills complement each other perfectly. Michael is the strategic architect, while I bring the product vision to life through technical development.”
Building something worthwhile
Starting a business is never without challenges, and Flowing Bee’s journey was no exception. Michael and Sara spent the first four months learning the ropes of product development, choosing not to hire an engineer so they could understand every detail of their creation. “It was tough,” Sara admits, “but we’ve built something we know inside-out and are immensely proud of.”
Just seven days after launching, Flowing Bee signed its first client. “Seeing our clients light up when they see the platform, telling us it’s exactly what they’ve been looking for — that’s validation,” Michael says. Word spread quickly, and soon potential clients were not only signing up but also expressing interest in investing.
“The consistent feedback we hear is that our clients are now truly aligned and customer-led,” says Michael. “It’s not just about data — it’s about understanding and driving change.”
Looking to the future
With over $600 billion wasted annually on ineffective marketing communications, Flowing Bee aims to be part of the solution. “We want to reduce that waste by providing marketers with the tools they need to truly understand and influence their audience,” Michael says. “Our goal is to become a venture-backed business that scales rapidly, starting with enterprises and eventually democratising this technology for small and medium-sized businesses worldwide.”
What’s next?
With the end of the 2024 Accelerator program nearing and MAP Demo Day approaching, Michael and Sara are excited to share what’s next for Flowing Bee. “We don’t want to spoil anything, but we have some exciting updates coming,” Michael teases. Stay tuned — Flowing Bee is just getting started.
Curious to learn more? Come meet the team and grab your tickets to the 2024 MAP Demo Day here.
About MAP:
The Melbourne Accelerator Program (MAP) has been supporting Australia’s most ambitious founders for over a decade. Whether it’s through our pre-accelerator, accelerator, or other initiatives, we deliver unique and unmatched cohort experiences that focus on both the founder and startup.
Backed by Australia’s #1 University, MAP continues to drive forward the best and brightest entrepreneurial minds through shared ambition, belonging and camaraderie.
Learn more: https://www.themap.co/
