Wollongong is building a thriving startup ecosystem, with initiatives like iAccelerate at the University of Wollongong supporting entrepreneurs through mentorship and funding. Wollongong also has cutting-edge startups like Hysata, which is engaged in efficient hydrogen electrolyzers in pursuit of clean energy solutions. To support further, we've put together an extensive list of venture capital companies and investors. You can find out more about these opportunities here. Here's a table that summarizes the overall VC data for a quick overview:
| VC Firm | Ticket Size | Stages | Founding Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| iAccelerate Seed Fund | Up to $30,000 | Seed | 2012 |
| OneVentures | $1M - $20M | Series A to Series C | 2010 |
| AirTree Ventures | $100K - $20M | Seed to Series C | 2014 |
| Tidal Ventures | $500K - $2M | Seed | 2016 |
| Rampersand | $100K - $2M | Seed to Series A | 2013 |
| Empress Capital | Not publicly disclosed | Pre-Seed, Seed | 2020 |
| Blackbird Ventures | $30K - $20M | Pre-Seed to Series C | 2012 |
| Main Sequence Ventures | $500K - $20M | Seed to Series B | 2017 |
| Artesian Venture Partners | $50K - $5M | Seed to Series A | 2004 |
| Uniseed | $500K - $5M | Seed to Series D | 2000 |
1. iAccelerate Seed Fund
iAccelerate is a startup incubator that empowers visionary entrepreneurs with education, mentorship, and support. Through an inclusive and collaborative community, they allow innovators to turn ideas into impactful businesses. Through the creation of a strong community, they foster entrepreneurship and impact in the real world.
- Website: iaccelerate.com.au
- Founding Year: 2012
- Investment Range: Up to $30,000
- Stage: Seed
- Sector Focus: Various, with a focus on innovative and high-growth potential startups
- Geography: Wollongong, Australia
2. OneVentures
OneVentures is one of the most outstanding Australian venture capital companies managing more than $900M in FUM. Growth equity, growth credit, and healthcare-focused, OneVentures partners with transformative tech and healthcare companies driving global challenges of digitization, clean energy, and healthcare innovation. With a hands-on approach, they invest, mentor, and strategically enable scaling for high-impact ventures worldwide.
- Website: one-ventures.com.au
- Founding Year: 2010
- Investment Range: $1 million to $20 million
- Stage: Series A to Series C
- Sector Focus: Healthcare, Technology, edtech, deep tech
- Geography: Australia
- Notable Investments: Go1, Vaxxas, Buddy Platform, 3D Medical, TrademarkVision
3. AirTree Ventures
Airtree Ventures is a VC that actively empowers outstanding startups from Australia and New Zealand. Early-stage investors, they come forth to back pioneering founders and share in every step toward their global success. With more than 100 groundbreaking tech companies in their portfolio, Airtree is committed to long-term partnership, regional growth, and going global.
- Website: airtree.vc
- Founding Year: 2014
- Investment Range: $100,000 to $20 million
- Stage: Seed to Series C
- Sector Focus: SaaS, Marketplace, Fintech, Healthtech, edtech
- Geography: Australia and New Zealand
- Notable Investments: Prospa, A Cloud Guru, Canva, Employment Hero, Go1
4. Tidal Ventures
Tidal is an early stage venture capital firm that invests behind product-led ANZ founders that are bound for international markets and focused on making a positive mark on the world. We are headquartered in Sydney with an office in New York. The Tidal team brings together operator and investor experience, with a combined 30 years of working in the venture capital sector and operational experience at global tech companies such as Atlassian, Yahoo, Inference Solutions, Rackspace and Broadsoft. Tidal Ventures launched its first Seed fund in 2016 under the brand AddVenture Fund. We have nine existing portfolio companies: PredictHQ, Shippit, Hone, Whistle Group, SocialSuite, Frankie Financial, Drive Yello, Bonjoro and Atlas Trend.
- Website: tidalvc.com
- Founding Year: 2016
- Investment Range: $500,000 - $2 million
- Stage: Seed
- Sector Focus: Technology, SaaS, Marketplaces
- Geography: Australia, including Wollongong
5. Rampersand
Rampersand is a leading venture capital firm in Australia and New Zealand, recognized for spotting startup potential early. As the first VC investor in two-thirds of its portfolio, Rampersand has enabled over 50% of its companies to secure follow-on funding, with a third progressing to Series A with global top-tier VCs.
- Website: rampersand.vc
- Founding Year: 2013
- Investment Range: $100,000 to $2 million
- Stage: Seed to Series A
- Sector Focus: SaaS, AI, fintech, healthtech
- Geography: Australia
- Notable Investments: Myriota, Doshii, HealthMatch, Hyper Anna, Sidekicker
6. Empress Capital
Empress Capital provides venture capital finance to early-stage AI companies in Australia and New Zealand. A Pre-Seed and Seed investor, they provide capital, mentorship, and strategic counsel to facilitate AI companies' scalability. With the vision of bringing about innovation and impact, Empress Capital finances AI solutions, tools, and infrastructure, paving the way for high-growth businesses that will build the future.
- Website: empresscapital.vc
- Founding Year: 2020
- Investment Range: Not publicly disclosed
- Stage: Pre-Seed, Seed
- Sector Focus: Artificial Intelligence
- Geography: Australia and New Zealand, including Wollongong
7. Blackbird Ventures
Blackbird is a venture capital firm based out of Australia and New Zealand that backs ambitious founders with game-changing ideas. They invest across all technology types, from software to space, and support startups from inception to IPO and beyond. With a community worth more than $7 billion-Canva, Zoox, and Culture Amp are part of their portfolio-Blackbird keeps a main stake in the community, mentorship, and belief in founders.
- Website: blackbird.vc
- Founding Year: 2012
- Investment Range: $30,000 to $20 million
- Stage: Pre-Seed to Series C
- Sector: Software, SaaS, AI, space tech, biotech
- Geography: Australia and New Zealand
- Notable Investments: Canva, Culture Amp, SafetyCulture, Myriota
8. Main Sequence Ventures
Main Sequence is Australia’s leading deep tech investment fund, launched in 2017 by CSIRO to bridge the gap between research and commercialisation. With $1B+ under management, it invests in science-driven startups tackling global challenges—from space tech to decarbonisation, AI, food security, healthcare, and industrial innovation. Main Sequence supports deep tech founders from seed to Series B, helping turn groundbreaking scientific discoveries into industry-defining companies.
- Founding Year: 2017
- Website: mseq.vc
- Investment Range: $500,000 - $20 million
- Stage: Seed to Series B
- Sector: Deep tech, climate tech, space tech, AI, biotech
- Geography: Australia
- Notable Investments: Myriota, Morse Micro, Q-CTRL, V2Food, Eden Brew
9. Artesian Venture Partners
Artesian is a global alternative investment firm founded in 2004 with experience in venture capital, public and private debt, and impact investments. Focusing on value creation in challenging situations, Artesian invests for governments, companies, and family offices. Rooted in values like impact, innovation, integrity, and sustainability, Artesian is dedicated to sustainable, long-term growth.
- Website: artesianinvest.com
- Founding Year: 2004
- Investment Range: $50,000 to $5 million
- Stage: Seed to Series A
- Sector Focus: AI, FinTech, Clean Energy, Agriculture, healthtech, SaaS
- Geography: Australia
- Notable Investments: Myriota, AgriDigital, Coviu, HealthMatch, Beamible
10. Uniseed
Uniseed, Australia's longest-standing venture capital fund, works with top research institutions and UniSuper to commercialize groundbreaking innovations. With over $7 billion per annum of research spend from its partners, Uniseed manages a number of funds, including a $75M of commitment by UniSuper. Some of its success stories in the portfolio are the successful exit of Spinifex (Novartis). New partners joined in 2023, expanding its reach.
- Founding Year: 2000
- Website: uniseed.com
- Investment Range: $500,000 - $5 million
- Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D
- Sector Focus: Biopharma, EdTech, Solar Energy
- Geography: Australia, United States
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
- Is VC high risk?
Venture capital is a type of investment that can be risky but has the potential for high returns. However, there is no guarantee of success. Investing in startups is always uncertain, and you might lose your money. Even though VC firms try to minimize risks, investing in startups is always uncertain, and you might lose your money. - What is the best country to set up a VC fund?
If you’re looking to set up a VC fund, many people think the United States has the best venture capital (VC) funds worldwide. This is because the US has a big economy, lots of money available, and many successful startups. - What cities have the most VC investments?
The top five cities for venture capital investment are San Francisco, New York City, Boston, San Jose, and Los Angeles. These cities together receive more than two-thirds (67.5%) of all venture capital investments. - What is the minimum amount for a VC fund?
Venture capital funds usually ask for a minimum investment of $250,000 to $500,000, and sometimes even more. Investing a small amount of money can still cost a lot. These funds are usually only open to wealthy people and big organizations that have a lot of money. - How do I choose a VC fund?
To choose a VC fund, check how much experience and success the venture capital firm has had before. Look at the companies they’ve invested in before to see if they match what your business does. This can help you figure out if they’re a good match for you.
Best of luck with your amazing ventures.
Please note that this list is filtered by various metrics, and all the data are collected through various third-party websites, mostly the VC website. Since data such as ticket size or industry may change, you are requested to visit the official website given in the blog for the latest and updated information.