Participated · Seed · Aug 2026

Zabidou develops laser-based inspection systems aimed at automating quality-assurance processes within manufacturing facilities. The company was founded by Cibby Pulikkaseril, who previously built lidar startup Baraja. Unlike his prior venture, Zabidou targets a market that exists today rather than one that needs to materialize. Zabidou secured a $1.3M pre-seed last year and has now closed a $3.5M seed round led by Black Nova with participation from Main Sequence and Antler. Public reporting highlights the founder’s intent to focus on products he can sell immediately. The articles do not provide revenue, user, or valuation metrics.

Participated · Equity · Jul 2026

Emesent develops sensors that attach to drones and pairs them with autonomous AI and 3D mapping software to survey areas without GPS. Its technology has been adopted by major mining customers including BHP and Rio Tinto, and the company serves customers across Australia, the US and Europe. Construction and mining have been its primary use cases, and it has recently moved to pursue defence reconnaissance opportunities. Emesent operates a manufacturing plant in Wacol, Queensland and plans to scale capacity to meet rising demand. The company had a $32 million Series A in 2022 backed by Tiger Global and Perennial Partners, and currently employs 109 people with plans to add 20 more roles following the new raise.

Participated · Series A · May 2026

Arkeus designs AI-powered hyperspectral sensing systems that enable autonomous drones to detect targets up to eight times farther than existing military optical systems in degraded conditions. Its solution processes electromagnetic-spectrum signals in seconds using a 4kg cube form factor, compared with traditional room-sized equipment that can require day-long processing. Founded in 2020 in Melbourne, the company reports that about 80% of its revenue comes from the U.S. market and that it works with the U.S. Department of Defense as well as manufacturers including Boeing and Textron. After closing a $25 million Series A at a $100 million valuation, Arkeus plans to establish manufacturing in Queensland and the United States to scale production.

Led · Seed · Apr 2026

DeteQt is a University of Sydney deep tech spin-out founded in 2024 by professors Jim Rabeau and Omid Kavehei, with COO Rupal Ismin as cofounder. The company builds patented diamond-on-silicon chips and a chip-scale quantum magnetometer designed to detect magnetic fields for applications including navigation, mineral exploration, medical imaging, and defence. DeteQt has secured a contract with the Australia Defence Force for GPS-denied navigation systems and has built commercial partner pipeline and traction in under 18 months. Financially, the company has completed a $750,000 pre-Seed round and the current $5 million Seed round. The new funding will support development of a field-ready quantum magnetometer, scaling of diamond chip manufacturing, and expanding the team. Management emphasizes a chip-scale manufacturing path to enable deployment of sensitive sensors at scale.

Led · Series A · Mar 2026

Cauldron Ferm applies continuous or "hyper" fermentation to turn microbes into uninterrupted production lines for compounds such as fats and proteins, including whey protein. Its technology is designed to work in existing batch fermenters with modest facility modifications, and Cauldron works with customers who bring their own microbial strains while the company optimizes growth conditions and nutrients. The company evolved from decades of work by David and Polly McLennan and was transformed into a startup after Michele Stansfield joined in 2012 and acquired the business’s IP and assets. Cauldron has indicated it is expanding beyond food ingredients and aiming to diversify the set of products it can produce. Financially, the company has raised a $13.25 million Series A2 and previously raised $6.5 million in 2024 to support technology development and commercialization efforts.