Eleven seed investors and VCs call Sydney home. They write first cheques from A$100K pre-seed to A$5M+ at seed stage. Here's who invests, what they look for, and how to get a meeting in 2026.
Sydney has more active seed VCs than any other Australian city.
Blackbird, Square Peg, and AirTree have backed most of the country's breakout tech companies.
Smaller funds like Folklore, Investible, and EVP write cheques specifically at pre-seed and seed.
Use this list to match the right fund to your stage and sector - and see how it differs from private equity before you reach out.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackbird Ventures | Seed + Series A VC | A$200K-A$5M seed | Broad tech: SaaS, marketplace, consumer, deep tech | blackbird.vc |
| Square Peg Capital | Seed + Series A VC | A$1M-A$10M seed to Series A | Enterprise tech, fintech, marketplace, healthtech | squarepeg.vc |
| AirTree Ventures | Seed + Series A VC | A$500K-A$5M | Broad tech: SaaS, marketplace, climate, fintech | airtree.vc |
| Folklore Ventures | Pre-seed + seed VC | A$500K-A$3M | B2B software, marketplace, deep tech, consumer | folklore.vc |
| Investible | Seed specialist VC | A$250K-A$2M seed | Broad tech: AI, fintech, health, climate, SaaS | investible.com |
| Carthona Capital | Deep tech seed VC | A$500K-A$3M | AI, robotics, biotech, cyber, defence, deep tech | carthona.com |
| Reinventure | Fintech seed VC | A$500K-A$3M | Fintech, financial services, payments, insurance | reinventure.com.au |
| Sapien Ventures | Pre-seed + seed VC | A$250K-A$1.5M | B2B SaaS, marketplace, consumer tech | sapienventures.com.au |
| EVP | Seed specialist VC | A$250K-A$1.5M | Enterprise SaaS, marketplace, productivity | evp.vc |
| Skip Capital | Seed + Series A VC | A$500K-A$5M | Tech, media, retail, consumer | skip.capital |
| Main Sequence Ventures | Deep tech seed VC (CSIRO) | A$500K-A$5M | Deep tech, space, biotech, quantum, AI | mainsequence.vc |
Share your seed deck and track who opens it
Build an Ellty data room. Know when each Sydney seed investor reviews your documents.
Start free 14-day trialWhat is a seed investor?
A seed investor provides the first institutional capital to an early-stage startup.
In Sydney, seed rounds typically close between A$1M and A$3M for 15-25% equity.
Seed investors expect a working product, early traction, and a clear market thesis. Use Ellty's pitch deck sharing to send your deck with trackable links before your first call.
Before you pitch any fund, prepare your financial due diligence documents. Seed investors ask for your model faster than you'd expect.
We invest in founders who are building something they can't not build. Conviction at the earliest stage is what separates a real company from a project.
11 Sydney seed investors deploying capital in 2026
1. Blackbird Ventures
Blackbird is Australia's largest VC with A$2.3B+ AUM across seven funds.
They backed Canva at seed stage and have a proven track record of writing early cheques at pre-product.
- Stage: Seed and Series A
- Check size: A$200K-A$5M at seed stage
- Focus: Broad tech: SaaS, marketplace, consumer, deep tech
- Portfolio: Canva, SafetyCulture, Culture Amp, Airwallex
- LinkedIn: Blackbird LinkedIn
2. Square Peg Capital
Square Peg manages A$750M+ and has offices in Sydney, Tel Aviv, and Southeast Asia.
They backed Fiverr and A Cloud Guru at early stage and now run dedicated seed programs.
- Stage: Seed to Series B
- Check size: A$1M-A$10M
- Focus: Enterprise tech, fintech, marketplace, healthtech
- Portfolio: Fiverr, A Cloud Guru, Employment Hero, Deputy
- LinkedIn: Square Peg LinkedIn
3. AirTree Ventures
AirTree closed its A$420M Fund 5 in 2024 and has A$2B AUM across all funds.
They run a free Explorer Program to train new angel investors who co-invest alongside AirTree.
- Stage: Seed and Series A
- Check size: A$500K-A$5M
- Focus: Broad tech: SaaS, marketplace, climate, fintech
- Portfolio: Canva, Culture Amp, SafetyCulture (early backers)
- LinkedIn: AirTree LinkedIn
4. Folklore Ventures
Folklore is a Sydney pre-seed and seed specialist with A$500M AUM across multiple funds.
They focus on product-led companies and have backed Dovetail, Canopy Tax, and others.
- Stage: Pre-seed and seed
- Check size: A$500K-A$3M
- Focus: B2B software, marketplace, deep tech, consumer
- Portfolio: Dovetail, Canopy Tax, Scope3, Partly
- LinkedIn: Folklore LinkedIn
Organise your seed documents before you pitch
Upload your deck, cap table, and model to Ellty. Share with investors in one click.
Start free 14-day trial5. Investible
Investible has backed 80+ seed-stage companies since 2015 and manages A$150M+ across funds.
They run Club Investible with 250+ angel co-investors. Check the investment due diligence checklist so you know what Investible reviews before committing.
- Stage: Seed specialist
- Check size: A$250K-A$2M
- Focus: AI, fintech, health, climate tech, SaaS
- Portfolio: 80+ companies including Tiliter, Humanforce
- LinkedIn: Investible LinkedIn
6. Carthona Capital
Carthona Capital is a Sydney deep-tech seed fund with A$200M AUM since 2008.
They back AI, robotics, biotech, cybersecurity, and defence companies at the earliest stages.
- Stage: Pre-seed and seed
- Check size: A$500K-A$3M
- Focus: AI, robotics, biotech, cyber, quantum, defence tech
- Portfolio: Zibra AI, Presien, Myriota
- LinkedIn: Carthona LinkedIn
7. Reinventure
Reinventure is backed by Westpac and focuses exclusively on fintech and financial services.
They've deployed A$100M+ across three funds since 2014. Use an investor update system from day one - Reinventure portfolio companies send monthly investor updates.
- Stage: Seed and Series A
- Check size: A$500K-A$3M
- Focus: Fintech, payments, insurance, lending, wealth management
- Portfolio: Uno, Spriggy, Splitit, Pocketbook
- LinkedIn: Reinventure LinkedIn
8. Sapien Ventures
Sapien Ventures is a Sydney pre-seed and seed fund focused on B2B and marketplace startups.
They write small first cheques and follow on aggressively into their best performers.
- Stage: Pre-seed and seed
- Check size: A$250K-A$1.5M
- Focus: B2B SaaS, marketplace, consumer tech
- Approach: Founder-first, active board participation
- LinkedIn: Sapien Ventures LinkedIn
9. EVP (Emerging Venture Partners)
EVP is a Sydney seed fund on Fund 2 with a A$75M+ target and enterprise software focus.
They write cheques of A$250K-A$1.5M and are active co-investors with Blackbird and AirTree. Know what documents go in a data room before EVP requests them.
- Stage: Seed specialist
- Check size: A$250K-A$1.5M
- Focus: Enterprise SaaS, marketplace, productivity tools
- LinkedIn: EVP LinkedIn
10. Skip Capital
Skip Capital is Kate Campbell's Sydney VC, backed by the Atlassian co-founder's family office.
They write A$500K-A$5M cheques across tech, media, and retail. Review what a pitch deck needs to include before you approach Skip for a seed round.
- Stage: Seed and Series A
- Check size: A$500K-A$5M
- Focus: Tech, media, retail, consumer, climate
- Portfolio: Safety Culture, TikTok, Eucalyptus
- LinkedIn: Skip Capital LinkedIn
11. Main Sequence Ventures
Main Sequence is CSIRO's venture fund with A$250M AUM across two deep-tech funds.
They exclusively back deep-tech spinouts from Australian universities and research institutions.
- Stage: Pre-seed and seed (deep tech)
- Check size: A$500K-A$5M
- Focus: Deep tech: space, biotech, quantum, AI, robotics
- Portfolio: Baraja, Q-CTRL, Fleet Space Technologies
- LinkedIn: Main Sequence LinkedIn
How Sydney seed VCs source deals
Most Sydney seed deals come from referrals within the local startup network.
Blackbird and Folklore both run community programs to find founders before they raise.
Cold outreach to partners still works at smaller funds like EVP, Sapien, and Carthona.
If you're approaching multiple funds, use Ellty to send each one a trackable pitch deck - you'll know which partners actually opened it before you follow up.
Valuation at seed stage in Sydney
Sydney seed valuations in 2026 sit between A$5M-A$15M pre-money for most tech startups.
Deep tech and hard tech companies often command higher seed valuations due to IP value.
Repeat founders and companies with strong early metrics attract higher valuations. Understand financial due diligence before you negotiate. Investors will challenge every assumption in your model.
Don't optimise only for valuation at seed. Board composition and investor value-add matter more.
How to run a seed funding process
A successful seed process starts 3-4 months before you need the money.
Build your target list, warm up relationships, and have all documents ready before first meetings.
Organise your cap table, financial model, and pitch deck in an Ellty data room before your first investor meeting. You'll use it immediately.
Send investors a structured investor update even before you close your round. Funds that receive updates before investing are more likely to commit.
How to pitch Sydney seed investors
Steps that seed investors in Sydney use to evaluate founders at the earliest stage in 2026.
- 1.Research each fund's portfolio before you reach outBack your pitch with portfolio relevance. Show you understand each fund's thesis.
- 2.Build your data room before your first callSeed investors ask for documents fast. Have your model and cap table ready.
- 3.Send a trackable pitch deck with ElltyKnow which investors opened your deck. Follow up the same day they reviewed it.
- 4.Run parallel conversations across multiple fundsDon't wait for one no before moving on. Seed rounds close when you're in demand.
- 5.Follow up weekly until you get a clear answerSeed investors move slowly between meetings. Persistence signals conviction to them.
How Ellty helps you raise a seed round in Sydney
Share your seed deck and data room with trackable links. Know when each investor reviews your documents.
- 1.Upload all your seed documents to one placeAdd your pitch, model, and cap table once. Investors access the right version.
- 2.Set access permissions per investorControl who sees your cap table details. Grant or revoke access in one click.
- 3.Get notified when a seed investor opens your deckSee which slides investors spent time on. Follow up right after they review.
What Sydney founders ask about seed funding
- Most seed investors take 15-25% for an A$1M-A$3M cheque. Terms vary based on your traction and how many funds are competing for the deal.
- A clear problem, early traction, and a strong founding team. Product signals matter more than revenue at the seed stage.
- Most Sydney seed rounds close in 2-4 months from first pitch. Running parallel conversations with funds speeds up the process.
- Yes. Seed investors expect organised documents fast. Trackable links show you which investors are most engaged before you follow up.
- Having a lead makes the rest of the round easier to close. Blackbird, Folklore, and AirTree often lead Sydney seed rounds.
- Approach when you have a working product and early traction. Pre-launch rounds still close for repeat founders with a track record.
