Founders thrive when they get more than just money from their investors. Those who go the whole way need investors to join their team, not the other way round. Investors who make introductions to target customers, future staff, and leading international funds when you’re ready. Investors who pitch in when their expertise is needed, and who aren’t there just for shiny investor reports, but also when things get hard.
What we’re looking for?
Smart tech solving big problems is a given. For us, it’s all about team. Strong founders with a good mix of skills and a clear sense of what kind of team they need to build to win their race. Australians tend to undersell themselves and come to VCs with clear plans for achievable wins, which is good. But we also want to hear your big vision.
What kind of companies?
We aren’t sector-specific and have invested in enterprise, B2B and B2C companies. We’ve invested in startups across fin-tech, data, cybersecurity, augmented reality, HR and workplace platforms, as well as logistics.
We’re particularly interested in companies building unique technology, with scalable business models, and with strong founders at the helm.
The perfect fit
The world’s best, not just Australia’s best: we are in a globally competitive environment.
- Big vision, big ambition, big belief.
- Ambitious, well-rounded teams
- Solving real problems
- Companies serving big markets, or niches you can own.
- Tech companies: while all companies are now tech-enabled, we are looking for companies that build the breakthrough tech itself.
Our investment process
We keep it as time-efficient as possible for founders. For companies that make it all the way through, it’s a few meetings, with the nitty-gritty due diligence running as a parallel process. Most of the companies we’ve backed got a clear “yes we’re committed” very quickly.We have a six-step process, with a go/no go after each stage:
- An initial phone call with one of the team here
- Meeting with the investment team
- Deeper dives: go to market, product, team
- Internal discussion with the investment team on a term sheet
- An investment case is pulled together for the investment team to present at the investment committee
- Documents signed
When do we invest?
We invest at the late seed to series A stage. We’ve been the first cheque for many of our startups but in round two or three for some of the others. Usually, companies have a product already in market or about to launch as well as a clear on view their target customers and go-to-market, even though we all know this will evolve a lot over the years.
Diversity & inclusion
The funding gap for underrepresented founders both here in Australia and across the world is well documented — the vast majority of funding flows to straight, white, locally-born, men.
We’re not satisfied with this status quo so we’re making positive steps to foster an inclusive ecosystem and improve diversity in tech.
Rampersand implemented a new initiative in August 2019 that aims to understand and help address the funding gap in the startup industry; the Rampersand VC Inclusion Advisory Board and our own Diversity Program.
The dream pitch
Here’s what we want to understand:
You and your team — a startup’s success is largely about its leadership
The problem you are solving and why
Your unique solution — both the product now, and what it will be in the future
Progress to date — this helps us know how well you’re doing but also if you’re at the right stage for a meeting.
Big plans — both the huge vision and the more immediately achievable elements of it. We want to hear both.
When To Get In Touch?
We like to hear from founders early in their journey. Taking on investment is a big decision for founders. Connecting early gives both sides the chance to get to know each other well. Talk to us today.