Participated · Series A · May 2024

Loopit builds mobility management software that enables automakers, dealers and rental car companies to offer vehicle usage models such as car subscriptions and micro-leasing. Its platform is used by customers including Porsche, Subaru, Polestar and SIXT and supports a network of more than 55,000 vehicles. The company has raised $3.95 million in a pre-Series A round to fund expansion into the U.S. market. The round includes existing investors Upswell, Common Sense Ventures and Luxem, plus new backers AeroCorp and RAC venture arm BetterLabs. Co-founder Michael Higgins said consumers are increasingly attracted to vehicle access rather than ownership and that flexible ownership alternatives will become the default. Higgins also highlighted industry shifts from electric and autonomous vehicle technology and said the next significant breakthrough will be transforming the car ownership experience as vehicles incorporate advanced technology. Loopit (Blinker Subscription Pty Ltd) is a Software-as-a-Service platform and professional services company that provides end-to-end car subscription management and billing solutions for automakers, dealerships and startups. Its platform handles both customer-facing touchpoints and the back-office management required to offer car subscriptions. Founded by brothers Michael and Paul Higgins and launched in early 2019, Loopit has expanded into New Zealand (2021) and the United Kingdom (2022). The company currently powers the majority of car subscription providers across Australia and New Zealand and reported a 320% increase in new car subscriptions over the past six months versus the preceding period. Loopit plans to continue developing its proprietary technology while scaling headcount and accelerating revenue growth as it expands globally.

Participated · Seed · Oct 2023

Orkestra Energy offers software tools designed to improve how commercial and industrial solar, battery, and EV charger projects are scoped and sold. Its SaaS platform combines an easy-to-use interface with mathematics and data science to provide advanced modeling capabilities that reduce the cost and time required to evaluate project feasibility and optimize outcomes. The company’s platform is positioned as feasibility software for energy projects and aims to help teams deploy new energy solutions to businesses worldwide. Orkestra was founded in 2020 and is based in Melbourne, Australia. It plans to use recent funding to accelerate global expansion, develop innovative product features, and execute strategic growth plans. The company operates under the legal name Orkestra Technologies Pty Ltd. Founded in 2020 by former New Energy Ventures consultants Chris Cooper, James Allston, and Michael Jurasovic, Orkestra provides a renewable energy software platform to help energy companies plan, sell, and optimize new energy deployments. The platform combines an easy-to-use interface with algorithms and analytics to speed feasibility assessment and optimize outcomes for sustainability and economics. Orkestra's solution is designed to reinvent how solar, battery, and e-mobility solutions are scoped and sold, replacing spreadsheets and outdated tools. The company already counts more than 30 customers, including Origin Energy and Energy Australia. Orkestra plans to expand its team and roll out the product across the Australian market and aims to be the intelligence layer underpinning clean energy projects globally. The seed funding will support deployments with large power companies and further product rollout.

Participated · Seed · May 2022

Layer operates a managed marketplace that aggregates and automatically matches IP rights owners and licensees to simplify licensing for games and metaverse projects. The platform provides data insights and tools to help participants assess opportunities and standardise transaction workflows, addressing friction in bespoke, manual licensing deals. Layer was built quickly by founders Rachit Moti and Chris Illuk, who developed an MVP and entered Startmate in August 2021. The team is actively hiring and onboarding IP and game owners at pace as part of their go-to-market push. Layer raised AU$3,888,888 in a Seed financing round to support product development and growth. Aura Ventures highlighted founder-market fit and the founders' domain experience as reasons for backing the company.