Who to research before you raise
Cut Through Venture counted every announced Australian startup round from January 2025 to mid-October 2026, 481 rounds from pre-seed to growth, and picked out the investors who turned up most often at each stage. Sixty-nine firms made at least one of the three lists.
The field narrows as rounds get bigger. Fifty-seven firms made the pre-seed and seed list, 40 the Series A list and 22 the Series B and growth list. That makes the first cheque the easiest to find and the growth round the hardest, at least by the number of names to call.
The longest list and the most mixed. Angel groups, syndicates, a university fund and family offices sit beside the venture firms, and 14 of the guide's 16 specialists appear here. Twenty-six firms make this list and no other.
Thirty-one of the 40 firms also made the seed list, so most of the names here will already be familiar to founders who raised a seed round. Only Salus Ventures and Wollemi Capital appear at Series A alone, and the specialists thin out to nine.
The shortest list. Nineteen of the 22 firms also made the Series A list, and seven are not venture funds in the usual sense. Two super funds, a family office, an ASX-listed investor and three managers that invest across listed and private markets sit beside the larger venture firms. The mix suggests few Australian venture funds write cheques at this size.
One entry per firm, with every list it appears on. Descriptions draw on each firm's own website and public announcements, checked in October 2026.
Showing 69 of 69 firms
Backs frontier tech at pre-seed and seed, from AI and robotics to energy and quantum. Runs the 77 Challenge, a free 12-week programme for Queensland founders that offers at least one investment of $100,000 or more per cohort.
77partners.vc ↗Founded in 2024. Its VC Fund I invests at pre-seed and seed with a stated bias toward the Gold Coast and South-East Queensland, and co-led Sophiie AI's $5 million seed round in 2026.
admiraltycg.com ↗Manages about $2 billion. Its $650 million Fund V splits into a $250 million seed fund and a $400 million growth fund for software and AI companies with Australian or New Zealand roots. Founders pitch through the website.
airtree.vc ↗Backs female-founded AI companies in Australia and the US at pre-seed and seed. Its A$13.5 million first fund drew Australian backers including Tattarang and the Denholm family office. Founders pitch through an online form.
aliavia.vc ↗Global early-stage investor whose Australian residency, run twice a year, takes founders before they have a team or idea, then invests at inception. Its first cheque in Australia is $225,000, from a $77 million second local fund. It doesn't back solo founders.
antler.co ↗Usually the first institutional investor, writing first cheques of $250,000 to $750,000 at pre-seed and seed and often leading. Sector agnostic, but tends to avoid heavy hardware, long regulatory timelines and web3. Decisions usually take two to three weeks.
archangel.vc ↗Alternative asset manager whose venture platform runs 14 single-backer mandates for groups including Hostplus, GrainCorp and HBF. Themes span agrifood, climate, health, defence and AI. Mandates carry different location rules, so check eligibility early.
artesianinvest.com ↗Backed by more than 500 elite athletes, who help portfolio companies with marketing and introductions. Invests at early and growth stage alongside a tier-one lead, in companies with fast-growing revenue. Portfolio includes Guzman y Gomez and Eucalyptus.
athletic.vc ↗Venture arm of Aura Group. Aura Venture Fund III, a seed fund preparing for its first close, targets AI-enabled B2B software, mainly in Australia, with about 25 companies planned. Earlier funds backed Shippit and Catapult Sports.
aura.co ↗ASX-listed growth investor (BTI) writing $5 million to $20 million minority cheques into founder-run tech companies with recurring and international revenue. It won't invest without a board seat. Portfolio includes SiteMinder.
bailador.com.au ↗A $23 million fund and venture studio backed by RAC WA. Invests $200,000 to $3 million at seed and Series A across insurance, clean tech, mobility and money. Portfolio includes Power Ledger and Loopit.
betterlabs.com.au ↗Invests from pre-seed to Series A in B2B technology, mostly in Australia, under a 'boring is better' thesis. Aims for six to eight weeks from first meeting to funding and gives founders feedback either way.
blacknova.vc ↗Early-stage technology investor with indicative cheques of about $100,000 at pre-seed, $250,000 at seed and $500,000 at Series A. Only takes pitches from founders in Oceania. Portfolio includes Airtasker and Go1.
blacksheepcapital.com.au ↗Prefers to make its first investment at pre-seed, seed or Series A, with first cheques from $30,000 to $5 million. Announced $1.05 billion for its sixth fund in August 2026. Founders can pitch cold and hear back within a week.
blackbird.vc ↗Backs Australian and New Zealand startups at pre-seed and seed that can expand into the US, with hands-on help on US scaling and fundraising. Sectors include AI, vertical SaaS, fintech, health and deep tech. Founders email the firm directly.
bluecorridor.vc ↗Life sciences investor that backs, and often founds, biomedical companies from seed to expansion. Its sixth fund closed at $439 million in July 2025. Most local deals come through Brandon BioCatalyst, a collaboration with more than 50 research institutes and hospitals.
brandoncapital.vc ↗Angel group whose members invest together in seed and early-stage companies, usually backing 10 to 20 new ventures a year. Any founder can apply online, and up to three shortlisted companies pitch at each monthly members' session.
brisbaneangels.com.au ↗Usually makes its first investment at pre-seed, seed or Series A and keeps following on, in one case across eight rounds. Deploying its third fund, with about $360 million under management. Prefers a warm introduction, but founders can email a deck.
carthonacapital.com ↗Angel syndicate of nearly 500 investors backing Australian and New Zealand B2B startups at pre-seed and seed, across fintech, legaltech, AI and SaaS. Passes on consumer, hardware-only, biotech, medtech and crypto. Runs on Ventari, formerly Aussie Angels.
cmack.ventari.com ↗Pre-seed only. Backs software companies with at least one Australian founder and avoids hardware, biotech and heavily regulated markets. Its $5 million first fund, closed in 2024, wrote cheques of about $150,000. Operators and angels can co-invest through its syndicate.
coventures.vc ↗Climate tech angel syndicate whose investors join deal by deal through the Ventari platform. Reported more than 500 LPs in July 2026 and has backed thermal energy storage company MGA Thermal.
electrifi.ventures ↗Investment manager best known for listed equities. Backs private tech companies through Ellerston Ventures and its JAADE fund, which targets Australian companies with revenue above $10 million, growth of at least 20% and a sale or IPO in view.
ellerstoncapital.com ↗Invests mainly at pre-seed and seed in AI-first startups across Australia and New Zealand, including pre-revenue companies. Also runs advisory and venture studio arms. Founders pitch through an online form, with no warm introduction needed.
empresscapital.vc ↗Series A investor in Australian and New Zealand B2B software. Won't invest before revenue, prefers to lead and always seeks a board seat. Fund V, capped at $100 million, writes initial cheques of $3 million to $5 million into AI-first software.
evp.com.au ↗Private equity and venture firm. Its venture strategy backs Series A and B companies past product-market fit, mainly in B2B SaaS, with first cheques of $1 million to $10 million and up to $20 million per company. Founders can email the venture team directly.
fivevcapital.com ↗Pools angel investors, who join through annual cohorts including one focused on female founders. Sector agnostic, backing Australian and New Zealand companies building for global markets. Also runs the Flying Fox Angel School.
flyingfox.vc ↗Usually first in and leading, often before revenue. Sector agnostic, with focus areas in software, healthcare, robotics and AI. Founders can book office hours with the investment team without an application or warm introduction.
folklore.vc ↗Often the first money in, writing $250,000 to $500,000 at pre-seed and up to $1 million at seed into AI, software, hardware and deep tech. Its second fund held a first close in August 2026. A partner reviews every application within seven days.
galileo.ventures ↗Family office investing in growth and established businesses in Australia and overseas, with help on go-to-market, brand and board placements. Its portfolio of more than 40 companies includes Ordermentum and Upcover.
gandelinvest.com ↗Says it was Australia's first venture fund dedicated entirely to impact, backing startups in climate, health and people. Invests mainly at seed and Series A from two funds, the second of which closed at more than $45 million in 2023.
giantleap.com.au ↗A $50 million 'founders fund' launched in 2025 and run by founders of Aconex, A Cloud Guru and Payapps. Writes $1 million to $3 million cheques alongside other VCs into global tech companies that have found product-market fit.
glitchcap.com ↗Industry super fund with more than $3 billion in venture capital. Backs startups mostly through venture managers and co-investments, and has committed $435 million to the IP Group Hostplus Innovation Fund for university deep tech.
hostplus.com.au ↗Founder and investor community whose angel groups, capped at 25 members each, review startups from pre-seed to Series A. Members invest directly. Founders apply online, and the top three from each sector event are introduced to members each quarter.
innovationbay.com ↗Invests $250,000 to $3 million from seed to Series B in Australian B2B technology, and uses its Japanese partners to help companies enter Japan. Portfolio includes Quantum Brilliance and Myriota.
intervalley.vc ↗Invests $250,000 to $1.5 million, mostly at pre-seed and seed, from a generalist fund and a separate climate tech fund. Promises a reply to every pitch within two weeks and publishes a five-week process from pitch to funding.
investible.com ↗Early-stage investor across Australia and New Zealand with $50 million under management. Sector agnostic, with a particular interest in deep tech, AI, climate, developer tools and vertical SaaS. Leads or co-invests depending on the round.
jelix.vc ↗Backs post-revenue, high-growth software companies, mostly at Series A and B, in Australia, New Zealand and North America. Its latest fund, reported at about US$100 million, focuses on AI-driven software.
kingriver.co ↗Invests in product-led tech companies in Australia and New Zealand from pre-seed, but only once a lead has agreed terms and the company has a pilot or early revenue. Excludes gambling, fossil fuels and defence. Also runs an angel syndicate.
m8.ventures ↗Deep tech investor founded by CSIRO in 2017, with more than $1 billion across three funds. Backs science-led companies from seed to Series B in areas including space, decarbonisation, food and healthcare, and co-founds companies out of research.
mseq.vc ↗Venture group that has backed technology companies in Australia and overseas since 2013. Publishes no stages, cheque sizes or team, but lists around 60 portfolio companies, including Eucalyptus and Mutinex.
marbruck.com ↗Early-stage fund whose website now carries the MGV Capital name. Focused on 'building the future of industry' and working with founders across the US and Oceania. Backed Australian company VAPAR at seed and Series A.
metagrove.vc ↗First-cheque fund for young Australian founders, investing up to $100,000 at the earliest stage, even at the idea stage, plus help with fundraising and early hires. Founders apply online.
nextgenventures.com.au ↗Sector agnostic investor from seed to Series A, with a later-stage fund for Series B. Says it manages more than $500 million and helps founders expand into the US. Portfolio includes Go1 and Advanced Navigation.
oifventures.com.au ↗Later-stage investor managing more than $1 billion across growth equity, growth credit and healthcare. Fund VII growth equity cheques were reported at $10 million to $30 million, and its credit arm lends $1 million to $15 million or more. Portfolio includes Employment Hero.
one-ventures.com.au ↗European fund founded by Australian investor Chris Hitchen, backing frontier tech with a positive impact on people and the planet, mainly at pre-seed and seed. Its Australian portfolio includes Heidi Health. Founders apply online.
possible.ventures ↗A $55 million fund investing $200,000 to $2 million per round from pre-seed to Series B, with most capital committed to Western Australian companies. Industry agnostic, with a carve-out for health. Founders apply online, then pitch in a 45 to 60 minute meeting.
purpose.ventures ↗Queensland Government-owned investment manager. QIC Ventures invests directly from pre-seed to Series C+ and has backed more than 80 companies since 2016. QIC also runs the Queensland Venture Capital Development Fund, which backs other VC funds.
qic.com ↗Leads or co-leads at inception, pre-seed and seed in AI-native software, vertical AI and deep tech, backing ANZ founders wherever they build. Reads every pitch, usually within 48 hours, and prefers a rough version to a polished deck.
rampersand.vc ↗Alternative investment manager with more than $5.4 billion across property, private equity and credit. Its wholesale Tech Fund backs private and listed Australian and New Zealand tech companies, mostly profitable growth and pre-IPO businesses.
salterbrothers.com.au ↗Invests mainly at seed where enterprise meets national security, across defence, aerospace, cyber, AI and advanced manufacturing. Its debut fund closed above its $40 million target in 2024. Portfolio includes Q-CTRL.
salus.vc ↗ASX-listed company investing in early-stage tech startups from its own balance sheet, with cheques reported at up to $250,000. Also owns founder support businesses including Tank Stream Labs, Tech Ready Women and, since June 2026, Fishburners.
scalarepartners.com ↗Backs women-led startups, leading pre-seed and seed rounds with seed cheques of $500,000 to $1.5 million and following on at Series A. Teams need a woman or gender non-conforming co-founder with equal equity and C-suite authority.
scaleinvestors.com.au ↗Invests its founding partners' own capital from a $100 million evergreen fund, at any stage, in founder-led Australian and New Zealand companies. Also buys secondary shares from founders, early investors and staff with options.
shearwater.co ↗Founder-led fund investing up to $1.5 million in pre-seed and seed rounds, often before revenue, across all sectors. Fund II had a $40 million first close in April 2026. Canva bought two of its portfolio companies, Leonardo AI and MagicBrief.
sidestage.vc ↗Private investment firm of Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar and Kim Jackson, with a dedicated venture team and a portfolio of about 50 tech companies including Canva, Airwallex and Lorikeet. Also runs an essential infrastructure fund.
skipcapital.com ↗Founded in 2012 and managing US$4.3 billion across venture and public equities. Backs a small number of new founders each year in AI, fintech and SaaS across Australia, New Zealand, South-East Asia and Israel, then follows on repeatedly.
squarepeg.vc ↗The seed fund formerly called Skalata Ventures, renamed in September 2026 after a management buyout. Writes first cheques of up to $1 million into AI-native companies built by operators rebuilding the industry they came from. Raising a $50 million third fund.
tallorder.vc ↗Network-driven VC and syndicate with seed as its core stage and first cheques of $300,000 to $2 million. Reports 54 companies backed and more than $125 million deployed since 2019. Portfolio includes Go1 and Pearler.
ten13.vc ↗Agrifood tech investor writing first cheques from a couple of hundred thousand dollars to $1 million at pre-seed and seed, with no product or revenue required. Its first fund closed at $35 million, cornerstoned by the CEFC and Grok Ventures.
tenacious.ventures ↗Health technology investor owned by Tattarang, the Forrest family's private investment group, launched with $250 million in 2022. Backs biotech, medtech and healthtech from seed to commercialisation on an evergreen model.
tenmile.com ↗Writes the first institutional cheque into AI-native B2B companies in Australia and the US, and typically leads. Pre-seed cheques run $500,000 to $1.5 million and seed cheques reach $5 million. Raising its fourth fund.
tidalvc.com ↗Writes first cheques of $200,000 to $1 million, post-seed to Series A, into Australian and New Zealand B2B tech with roughly $500,000 to $2 million in ARR. Leans toward traditional industries and runs trade missions to London and San Francisco.
tribeglobal.vc ↗Fintech-only fund founded in 2024 by Up co-founder Dom Pym and partners. Invests across pre-seed and seed rounds, secondaries and listed equities in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. CommBank's x15ventures cornerstoned its first close.
triplebubble.com ↗University-owned venture fund commercialising research from nine universities and CSIRO since 2000. Invests mainly at pre-seed and seed in deep tech and life sciences, and only backs companies with a strong link to a partner.
uniseed.com ↗Super fund whose startup exposure runs mainly through a $100 million commitment to university venture fund Uniseed, plus rights to co-invest alongside it in later rounds, such as PlasmaLeap's $30 million Series A in 2026.
unisuper.com.au ↗New fund backing 'essential AI', where AI runs inside physical systems such as energy, robotics and biology. Writes pre-seed and seed first cheques into Australian-founded companies or those building on Australian testbeds. Replies to every deck within five business days.
unlockcapital.ai ↗Climate tech investor that grew out of, and still manages, the CEFC's Clean Energy Innovation Fund, with more than $500 million under management. Invests from pre-seed to growth, mostly at seed and Series A. Fund II had a $100 million first close in 2024.
virescent.vc ↗Climate investor founded in 2021. Its first managed fund, cornerstoned by a US$150 million commitment from Rest in 2025, targets climate businesses too capital-intensive for venture but too small for infrastructure investors. Earlier backed Loam Bio.
wollemi.com ↗Crossover fund manager backing high-growth tech companies at growth, pre-IPO and listed stages, especially those considering an Australian IPO. Focus areas include data, AI, B2B SaaS, payments and digital infrastructure.
wunalacapital.com.au ↗We took every announced Australian round in our deal database from January 2025 to 15 October 2026, 481 rounds from pre-seed to growth, and counted the rounds each investor joined, as lead or follower.
The most active investors at each stage made the shortlist. Our team then reviewed every list, only adjusting for fund name changes or combinations.
Generalists back founders across sectors. Specialists focus on a sector or on female founders. Within each group, firms are listed alphabetically, not ranked.
The lists count announced rounds only. Some active investors back companies in stealth or don't announce their deals, so they may not appear. A place on a list means a firm has been active at that stage, not that it suits every company raising there.
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Not an endorsement of any fund or group named. Some active investors invest in stealth and may not appear. Firm descriptions draw on each firm's own website and public announcements as at October 2026.
