Participated · Series A · Sep 2025

Harvest B produces textured plant-based proteins and a blended meat range called B Strong that combine animal and plant proteins to increase protein per serving for institutional catering, aged care and foodservice wholesalers. Its product lineup imitates meats from diced chicken to pulled pork and beef mince, and is built on a patented multi-protein low‑moisture extrusion (LME) system for processing Australian plants. The company supplies business-to-business food settings across Australia and New Zealand and has partnerships with leading foodservice wholesalers. Harvest B plans to deepen collaboration with Victorian pulse producers and research institutions and to utilise Victoria’s faba bean processing industry to create an allergen‑free, sustainable protein range. The business emphasizes local supply chains, sustainable manufacturing and increasing food sovereignty while seeking to scale its advanced food processing capabilities. The recent financing is intended to accelerate manufacturing scale-up and expand market reach in institutional and manufacturing channels. Harvest B, founded in 2020, is developing what it describes as the world’s first meat ingredients system purpose-built for plant-based foods. The company combines food science and advanced manufacturing technologies to create naturally derived, sustainably produced plant-based meat ingredients that aim to deliver superior taste and health benefits. Harvest B’s product is intended to enable food manufacturers and brands to reduce the capital, expertise, and time required to make competitive plant-based meat products. The team hopes its specialised supply-chain approach will help bridge the quality gap with animal-based meat and accelerate industry scaling. Founders mentioned in the article are Kristi Riordan, Alfred Lo and Werner Fuggersberger. The company’s stated mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to a sustainable food system by addressing mid-stream ingredient and supply-chain challenges.

Participated · Series A · Apr 2024

Bygen produces activated carbon from agricultural wastes such as almond shells, sawdust, pomace, rice husks and nut shells to filter environmental toxins. Its pilot plant used waste both as a carbon source and as heat for the activation process, with nut shells emerging as a strong feedstock. The company’s process yields activated carbon that enables higher adsorption of PFAS and is applicable to drinking water treatment, gold recovery and air/car cabin filtration. Bygen aims to replace coal-based activation, cutting CO2 emissions, water consumption and production costs. The funds raised will support testing and establishment of a large-scale production plant, with plans to build additional commercial plants in Australia and overseas and create up to 65 jobs in Victoria over five years. Founded in 2018 by Dr Lewis Dunnigan and Ben Morton at the University of Adelaide, Bygen is now headquartered in Melbourne and previously raised $350,000.

Participated · Seed · Feb 2024

Hatch builds an AI-driven hiring platform pitched as a “Seek for Gen Z,” focused on matching young professionals to roles based on underlying skills, traits and values rather than traditional resumes. The founders, Adam Jacobs and Chaz Heitner, say the product helps candidates understand team fit and helps employers surface candidates aligned to culture. The company reports 20% month-on-month growth over the past two years and says it is the preferred job platform for early-career professionals. Hatch has accumulated more than 150,000 candidates and works with about 120 employers, including Domain, HelloFresh, Uber, Woolworths and Nine. The startup uses modern advances in AI to improve discovery and matching for both employers and Gen Z jobseekers. Management intends to use new funding to expand nationally and then globally; the founders did not disclose a valuation.

Participated · Series C · Jan 2024

Founded in 2017 by Dan Adams and Chris Thompson, Melbourne-based Amber Electric positions itself as Australia’s largest provider of residential solar and battery automation. The company supplies customers with real-time wholesale electricity prices and software that intelligently charges home batteries and electric vehicles when grid power is cheapest or most renewable. Amber claims to control more than 40 % of Australia’s solar-and-battery automation market and has captured a significant share of households installing batteries through the federal rebate scheme. Its platform is already being piloted by major utilities, including a 1,000-home trial with E.ON in the UK. Management says the technology allows households to lower bills while helping balance the grid and accelerate the energy transition. Amber’s growth strategy now centers on licensing its platform to international utilities, using fresh capital to “super-charge” global expansion.

Led · Equity · Apr 2023

Circle In is an employee benefits platform founded in 2017 that helps companies support working families and caregivers by providing tools and resources across stages from planning a baby to menopause and bereavement. The platform is used by nearly 100 leading brands, including Medibank, Coca‑Cola Amatil, Estée Lauder, EY and Ashurst, and the business employs 20 people. Circle In says 80% of its users feel more positive toward their organisation and 72% are more inclined to recommend their employer after using the service; the company reports a 95% customer contract renewal rate. The recent capital will be used to develop the platform further for working families and caregivers and to fund global expansion plans. Leadership changes and senior hires—such as former Googler Liz Fox promoted to general manager, and new senior hires Aimee Gleeson and Rob Cassidy—support the company’s growth.