We do things differently: we invest with focus.
Rampersand is the first VC investor for Aus/NZ early-stage startup founders with abnormal potential.
Find out more on how we invest below…
Looking for VC startup funding?
Our doors (or inboxes) are always open if you're a founder! Even if it's just a kernel of an idea, please don't think it's too early to reach out.
We ensure every founder gains value through our extensive network and offer warm, game-changing connections that open doors often unattainable elsewhere.
What we’re looking for in an early-stage startup founder:
The above is just a snippet of what excites us on the journey to funding a startup.
If you want to understand more about what we’re looking for, how we invest, and what we promise to deliver for our portfolio, start by reading this blog on Substack.
Let us know if you have any questions on our get in touch page.
What do we need to believe to fund a startup?
How do we determine who we think will become a unicorn?
When our VC firm first meets a founder, they are usually very early in their journey to building the future. While we review around 2000 start-ups in a given year, we only choose to invest in around five. So how do we decide which founders we believe have the potential to build unicorns?
Every venture capital fund is different, but at Rampersand, we stage-gate the various levels of our deal flow funnel using our What Do We Need To Believe (WDWNTB) framework. Learn more about our WDWNTB framework here.
Why startup founders choose Rampersand
We help you to defy gravity and jump forward -
We help you navigate the twists and turns in your startup journey. We open doors and start conversations. We help you to chart the right path to success and to shoot for the stars. We help you ramp things up faster!
You're a human, not a dollar sign -
Every VC says they're founder-friendly; unfortunately, they can be anything but when times get tough. We treat founders as humans. We get behind your vision and provide unwavering support to help grow your startup and grow as a human. We roll up our sleeves to go above and beyond and get the heck out of the way when that's the best thing.
Get access to a thoroughly vetted and connected network -
We were one of the original Australian VCs here before the concept caught wind, so our connections run deep. When you partner with us, you gain access to a team of experienced operators and seasoned partners with diverse backgrounds, just like the makeup of the startups we invest in. We leverage this experience to influence and amplify your success.
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“There's really only one way to measure the mark of an investor, and that is to ask the question ‘will I have them invest in my next round or next venture?’ – with Rampersand, it's an absolute yes, they are always my first call. They are genuinely value adding, well connected and have been super supportive through multiple iterations of business.”
BRIDGET LOUDON, EXPERT360
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![ZAC DUFF, JIGSPACE]()
“We chose Rampersand because we both get excited about the same thing – what the world CAN be. We truly have a partner that believes in us, in the world we want to build, and is putting their time and resources into making it a reality. They are proactive in offering help, responsive when we need advice and collaborative on our capital plans. Jig wouldn't be where it is without this partnership.”
ZAC DUFF, JIGSPACE
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![CAMPBELL BROWN, PREDICTHQ]()
“Choosing your first seed investor is a big decision. Will they support or inhibit your growth aspirations? From day 1, Rampersand has been with the team in the trenches, living and breathing our aspirations, pragmatically dealing with the lows and celebrating the highs.”
CAMPBELL BROWN, PREDICTHQ
Are you preparing your startup pitch?
We recommend this great resource written by Rampersand Senior Investment Associate Abhishek Maran on the art of crafting your startup pitch.
The latest Rampersand startup portfolio news
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![Restoke Founders]()
Hospo-tech raises $5.1 million to save restaurants amid flailing industry
Forbes - Sep '24
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Melbourne start-up is saving cafes a bundle
The Australian - Sep' 24
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Restaurant tech Restoke.ai gets $5.1m in Rampersand funding
Capital Brief - Sep' 24
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![Bridget Loudon is Telstra’s youngest ever board member, and her tech start-up grew more than in the past year than it did in the past seven.]()
Gig economy’s multi-million dollar boost for Expert360
The Australian - Aug' 24
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![A box of hungry maggots like the ones used at the Hyatt at Darling Harbour.]()
Why Australia’s biggest hotel is bringing in maggots
AFR - Aug' 24
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![Sam Kroonenburg says he sees a similar convergence of technology capability and market opportunity for Cuttable that he enjoyed with A Cloud Guru.]()
Aussie who sold cloud start-up for $2b jumps on AI for ads
AFR - Jul' 24
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![The Cuttable team at their office in Melbourne, Australia.]()
An AI guru? Startup luminary Sam Kroonenburg raises $5.5 million for new startup Cuttable
SmartCompany - Jul' 24
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![JigSpace AR App receives $13M VC Funding Australia]()
AR startup JigSpace secures $13 million amid Apple Vision Pro release
Smart Company - Jul ‘24
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![Goterra CEO Olympia Yarger with Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO.]()
Robotic insect startup Goterra to turn household food scraps into animal feed in Sydney
SmartCompany - Jun' 24
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![Olympia Yarger (left) introduces Lord Mayor Clover Moore to the maggots that will soon be handling Sydney's food scraps.]()
Maggots to munch on Sydney residents' food scraps as councils look for solutions to organic waste
ABC - Jun' 24
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![In a move set to shake-up the advertising industry, Sunday Gravy’s co-founder Jack White, ex-Swisse marketer Ed Ring, and tech entrepreneur Sam Kroonenburg, have joined forces to conceive ‘Cuttable’, a new tech platform which empowers businesses to p]()
Sunday Gravy co-founder Jack White launches new advertising tech platform Cuttable
CampaignBrief - June' 24
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![Sapia.ai founder and CEO Barb Hyman]()
Sapia.ai opens its machine learning models with strategic API program
Startup Daily - Jun' 24
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![Expert360 CEO Bridget Loudon says demand for optimisation experts has grown.]()
Cost-cutting advisers the bright spot in professional services
AFR - May'24
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![Shane Hodgkins, CEO and co-founder of Melbourne-based construction start-up Matrak, has opened a China office.]()
Aussie tech pushes into China, Taiwan despite geopolitical risks
AFR - Apr' 24
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Sapia.ai reveals chat-based job interviews preferred by women and minorities
Startup Daily - Apr' 24
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![Sapia.ai founder and CEO Barb Hyman]()
Job interview analysis platform Sapia launches generative AI chatbot to explain its hiring decisions
Startup Daily - Mar' 24
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![Adam-Jacobs-Chaz-Heitner_Hatch]()
Sydney-based Hatch raises $7 million for its AI-powered jobs marketplace
Smart Company - Feb ‘24
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![Adam Jacobs & Chaz Heitner Hatch]()
Gen Z jobs marketplace Hatch banks $7 million Seed round
Startup Daily - Feb ‘24
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![Hatch & Rampersand VC Funding]()
‘Seek for Gen Z’ start-up raises $7m
Sydney Morning Herald - Feb ‘24
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![Zac & Numa from JigSpace]()
The Aussies hoping to make a fortune from Apple’s Vision Pro
The Australian Financial Review - Feb ‘24
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![Mentorloop cofounders, Heidi Holmes and Lucy Lloyd]()
Why these founder prefer a ‘thriving middle’ to chasing VC funding for fast growth
Startup Daily - Dec' 23
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![Barb Hyman, CEO at Sapia.ai.]()
How AI can challenge the 'gut feel' VCs use to make investments
Capital Brief - Dec' 23
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AstraZeneca's first AI-monitored tree-planting programme
Sustainability Magazine - Dec' 23
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![Skretting Australia's Amber Zheng and Rhys Hauler with the Goterra product]()
Food waste startup Goterra is getting into the aquaculture food supply business
Startup Daily - May' 24
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![Orkestra Founders]()
Re-Seeded: Tidal backs renewables startup Orkestra again in new $2 million raise
Startup Daily - Oct ‘23
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![A start-up which can estimate when investors will see a return on renewable energy projects and a platform which can measure a person’s mental health using smartwatches have raised new capital.]()
Energy, mental health start-ups raise $3.75m
The Australian - Oct' 23
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![Goterra’s Justin Frank and Matthew Woloszuk with award presenter Danielle Gibson from Zembl.]()
FLYING HIGH: Food waste management innovator Goterra wins Best Sustainability Startup
Startup Daily - Sep' 23
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![Olympia Yarger says Goterra’s larvae are housed in shipping container-sized units dubbed “maggot robots”, and can devour vast amounts of food waste.]()
This start-up’s ‘maggot robot’ will tackle Woolies’ food waste
AFR - Aug' 23
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Mortgage rate fintech Sherlok raises $3.4 million
Startup Daily - Jul ‘23
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![Breaking into the US technology market is tough, but Barb Hyman reckons she’s up to the task.]()
Meet the woman leading Australia’s AI industry into the US
AFR - Jun' 23
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![Zac from JigSpace]()
Augmented reality start-up Jigspace nets $5.2m
The Australian - Apr ‘23
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![JigSpace receives $13M Venture Capital Funding Australia]()
Is this the next Canva? JigSpace lands $13m raise as Apple Vision Pro arrives in Australia
Forbes - Jul ‘24
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![Brandcrush cofounders Matthew Hurle and Teresa April]()
Rampersand, Startmate score exit as US media co snaps up marketing startup Brandcrush
Startup Daily - Mar ‘23
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![Dr Marcus Doherty co-founder and Chief Science Officer at Quantum Brilliance says its time for quantum computing must prove its value.]()
Start-up that makes room-temp quantum computers banks $26m
AFR - Feb' 23
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![The Orkestra Team]()
Clean energy software startup Orkestra charges up on $1.1 million Seed raise
Startup Daily - Nov' 22
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![Victor Zheng, CEO and co-founder of mx51 says it was relatively simple to close a large funding round, as the lead investor approached them.]()
Mastercard and Westpac-backed start-up bucks market with $32.5m raise
AFR - Jul' 22
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![Workstations in empty office]()
What Business Leaders Should Know About Their Deskless Workers
Forbes - Jul' 22
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![Earthbanc CEO Tom Duncan]()
This Climate Fintech Startup Is Paving The Way For Mass Market Adoption Of Land Regeneration
Forbes - Apr' 22
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![Earthbanc is a carbon and finance Web3 and Refi platform with offices in Europe and the USA.]()
Carbon and Finance Platform Earthbanc Raises $1.5 Million Pre Seed Round
GlobalNewswire - Apr' 22
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![Jason-Atkins-L-and-Kim-Hansen-R.]()
Sweet relief for Gold-coast startup Cake Equity as it raises $3m in seed funding
Business News Australia - Mar ‘22
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![Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) (L) and Los Angeles Rams Quarterback Matthew Stafford (9).]()
Super Bowl predicted to have the hugest audience yet — and record bets, too
CNBC - Feb' 22
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![Cake co-founders Jason Atkins and Kim Hansen]()
Startup stakeholder management platform Cake Equity raises $3 million seed round
Startup Daily - Mar ‘22
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![Muso co-founders Alan-Jin, Brandon Crimmins and Jeremiah Siemianow]()
Rampersand-backed entertainment booking platform Muso rebrands as Surreal ahead of Series A
Startup Daily - Sep ‘23
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![Banks face big risks if they don’t move fast, says mx51 chief executive Victor Zheng.]()
Big tech eyes small business market in Australia
AFR - Jan' 22
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![Muso co-founders Brandon Crimmins, Jeremiah Siemianow and Alan Jin.]()
Live entertainment startup Muso turns the dial up to 11 with $2 million seed+ round
Startup Daily - Oct' 21
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Cannon-Brookes backed Spaceship hits $1b in funds under management
Sydney Morning Herald - Jul' 21
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![Skedulo’s Matt Fairhurst has just raised $100 million from Softbank.]()
Brisbane start-up banks $100m, after running race to vaccinate America
AFR - Jul'21
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![Zac & Numa from Jigspace]()
JigSpace scores $6m from Rampersand, Investible
Australian Financial Review - Jul ‘21
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![Mass Dynamics co-founders Dr Andrew Webb, Dr Giuseppe Infusini, Aaron Triantafyllidis and Paula Burton.]()
The startup funding round: Athena’s record-breaking raise, $1.5 million for biotech, and Turnbull backs forensics startup
Smart Company - May' 21
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![Matrak co-founders Brett and Shane Hodgkins]()
‘Huge opportunity’ in construction tech: Aconex co-founder backs Matrak
Sydney Morning Herald - Jan' 21
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![Andrew Moore says about the early super withdrawals: "Most people are doing it out of serious need, and Australia should count itself lucky we have this savings pool."]()
Cannon-Brookes leads $10m raising for Spaceship amid super crunch
AFR - Aug' 20
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![PredictiveHire co-founder and chief executive Barb Hyman.]()
Hiring surge helps HR tech capital raising over the line despite virus
AFR - Apr' 20
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![Brandcrush co-founder and chief executive officer Teresa Aprile.]()
I was once told ‘you’re not a typical founder’ — but there’s nothing typical about startupland
SmartCompany - Feb'20
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![Muso founders Alan Jin, Brandon Crimmins and Jeremiah Siemianow.]()
Money talks: Live music marketplace Muso lands $1.5 million, including from company that first backed AC/DC
SmartCompany - Oct' 19
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![Bridget Loudon has raised more capital for Expert360 and is looking for the right time to go public]()
Expert360 secures $12m, sets itself for future IPO
AFR - Feb' 20
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![Brandcrush co-founders Matthew Hurle and Teresa Aprile.]()
“Completely scary and absolutely empowering”: One-year-old startup Brandcrush bags $1 million
SmartCompany - Sep' 19
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![AmazingCo Founders Nick Brozovic, Silvia Hope and Jeremy Cox.]()
A $1 trillion opportunity: AmazingCo bags $5 million to capitalise on experience-based spending trend
SmartCompany - Sep' 19
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![AmazingCo co-founders Silvia Hope, Nick Brozovic and Jeremy Cox have raised another $5.1 million.]()
AmazingCo attracts cash after wowing US
AFR - Sep '19
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PredictHQ Raises $10 Million, Unlocking Data Intelligence to Power The Future of Predictive Commerce
GlobalNewswire - Nov'18
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![Shane (left) and Brett Hodgkins, co-founders of material tracking app Matrak.]()
The $3m bet on the next construction tech unicorn
AFR - Jul' 19
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Skedulo Raises $28M Series B Led By Microsoft’s M12 Venture Arm
Crunchbase - Mar' 19
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![]()
Melbourne startup Mentorloop gears up for UK expansion
Startup Daily - Feb' 19
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![CEO and founder Olympia Yarger]()
Food waste climate tech startup Goterrra lands in Queensland
Startup Daily - Nov' 23
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![Expert360, run by Bridget Loudon, has just ruled off a convertible raising.]()
Big names in freelancer marketplace Expert360's raising
AFR - Feb' 19
FAQs for early-stage startup founders:
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A: You can learn more about our investment focus and approach to VC funding here.
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A: We stage-gate the various levels of our deal flow funnel using our What Do We Need To Believe (WDWNTB) framework. Read more about the framework here.
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A: We don't offer direct advice, however we recommend this fantastic resource to help you craft your pitch deck here.
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A: You can see the full list of startups we have invested in and learn more about them on our portfolio page.
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A: We primarily invest in early-stage startups. To find out more about the funding stages for startups in Australia and New Zealand head here.
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A: We participate in and run regular startup community events. To be notified of an upcoming event subscribe to our SubStack.
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A: We are always happy to help people with introductions to the community. You can explore the various ways to get in touch here.
Looking for VC fund investment? Get in touch!
Our doors (or inboxes) are open! We aim to be as accessible as possible to all Founders with great ideas from all walks of life. Even if it's just a kernel of an idea, please don't think it's too early to reach out.
Are you looking to invest in early-stage startups?
Head to our investor page to find out more about why you should consider investing in early-stage startups and why our investor network backs us to fund the next wave of impactful Australian/New Zealand tech companies.