How to Map My Antler Startup Experience to GTV Criteria – Need Help Identifying Strongest Evidence Routes

Stage 1
1

Hi all
I’m currently preparing my application under the UK Global Talent Visa - Exceptional Promise route, and I would love your input on how best to align my Antler experience with the Mandatory Criteria (MC) and Optional Criteria (OC).

Quick background:

I was selected into the Antler cohort (outside UK), which has a <5% acceptance rate globally.
I cleared founder matching, venture building, and pitched to Investment Committee.
During the program, I worked on building an MVP, conducted customer validation, developed the GTM strategy, and led product ideation.

My Question:

How can I map this Antler experience to the GTV criteria most effectively, especially given I didn’t receive funding?

Here is how I am currently thinking about mapping it – would love your feedback or alternative views:

Mandatory Criteria (MC)

MC1. Led growth of a product or team
Fit: Partial – led product development and validation
Evidence: IC deck, validation docs, MVP screenshots

MC2. Business development with growth
Fit: Weak – didn’t reach market stage
Evidence: GTM plan, early customer interviews, LOIs

MC5. Contributor to tech-led initiative
Fit: Weak – unless framed as cohort initiative
Evidence: Engagement with mentors, structured sessions

Optional Criteria (OC)

OC1. Innovation as founder or exec
Fit: Strong – startup concept was innovative
Evidence: Program material, MVP, mentor feedback

OC2. Recognition outside job
Fit: Partial – Antler was extracurricular
Evidence: Reference letter from Antler mentor/partner

OC3. Contribution to company success
Fit: Weak – startup didn’t launch publicly
Evidence: Internal validation, traction from user testing

What I Need Help With:

Am I overstretching any of the MC or OC categories?
Are there creative ways others have used Antler or similar accelerator experiences?
Would cohort selection + pitching to IC be enough for commercial impact?
What kind of metrics or documents did you or others use to back up similar experience?

Any guidance or shared experience is super appreciated

2

AFAIK and going through the official documentation - being selected at an accelerator isn’t enough of an evidence by itself. You need to pair it with a goal and an appropriate doc in mind, where it can act as supplementary evidence to prove innovation and growth.

What are the other evidences with which you’re already planning your submission?

3

Hey @Akash_Joshi,
Thanks for your reply.

I am looking to submit

Letters of Recommendation (LORs)

LOR 1:
From the CEO of a US-based startup.

I worked with him as a freelancer on his initial idea after he raised funding, I added some major changes to product due to the similar experience I had.
Later, we collaborated on another idea where I contributed as a C-suite level employee (though we didn’t formalize the role; equity was agreed via Discord).
We were struggling to get seed funding. I eventually left to join Antler.

LOR 2:
From the VP of a company (Company A) with 150–200 employees, where I worked for two years.

LOR 3:
From the Head of Engineering at a UK-based company (Company B), where I currently work remotely.

Optional Criteria Evidence

OC3 – Significant Contribution to the Field

I revamped the core product (A) of my current company (Company B), selected the tools, and designed the architectural diagram.
Evidence: Architectural diagrams, reference letter from senior management (also referenced in LOR 3).

OC2 – Proof of Recognition for Work Beyond Main Employment

I participated in a national-level digital skills initiative (2022), where I taught AWS Associate-level certification (AWS Solution Architect Assiciate) to fresh graduates for 2 months.
Evidence: Reference letter from a senior participant, LinkedIn posts/pictures from the boot-camp (weaker evidence), and I’m trying to get an official letter from the program team.

Mandatory Criteria Evidence

MC10 – Salary Evidence

My current salary is 10 times higher than my starting salary, proving salary growth, and ~3x the average salary in my country for someone with similar experience as mine.
I plan to prove this with evidence of the projects I have led at my current company B (After which they hire me as a consultant from contractor).
(Note: This evidence overlaps with OC3 and MC1 — not sure if that’s an issue? Would appreciate clarification.)
Other option is to prove year by year salary growth which is progressive and above average at every point in time,
However, my salary significantly increased when I had the opportunity to work remotely with a UK-based company as a consultant. Even in this case, I would need to highlight my contribution to key projects at Company B.

MC1 – Led a Product or Technical Team

I led the development of Product (B) at Company B.
It can be referred to in LOR 3, and I am also able to provide a reference letter from another member of the senior management team of company B.

As this evidence is also coming from company B. I would also like to include my startup experience here. In which I didn’t lead a formal team, but I led product development with a US co-founder.
it can be referred to in LOR 1

Unfortunately, I can not edit the post. I will create a new one too.

4

Hello, it’s clear you’ve put a lot of thought into mapping your experience, which is a great start!

However, being selected into an accelerator (even a competitive one like Antler) doesn’t qualify as standalone evidence for endorsement. While it reflects potential, the assessors are looking for demonstrable impact in the tech ecosystem — things like traction, measurable growth, or external recognition.

Also, be cautious about using the same evidence across multiple criteria. It’s best to avoid overstretching a single experience just to fill the slots, as this may signal to the assessor that you don’t have enough breadth or depth of contribution yet. Try to focus on diversifying your evidence with clearly distinct achievements where possible.

Overall, the Antler experience may still be valuable, but it should be framed as part of a broader story, not the sole focus. You’ll likely need to combine it with stronger evidence to meet the endorsement criteria.