10 investors are actively backing Western Australia startups in 2026. WA's $150M WAVCI program has pulled 7 new VC firms into Perth. The state raised $93M+ with a 7% year-on-year growth rate.
Perth is building a real VC ecosystem, not just mining spin-offs. The WAVCI has structurally changed who's paying attention to WA founders.
Don't approach Sydney-based VCs without checking if they have a WAVCI mandate. Seven funds now have government incentives to deploy capital into WA.
Use Ellty to prepare your data room before reaching out. WA investors move quickly once they see organised materials.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose Ventures | Early-stage VC | Pre-seed to Series B | Sector-agnostic, Perth-first | purpose.ventures |
| FundWA | Seed VC | Seed ($200K-$1M) | WA tech, 100% WA focus | fundwa.com.au |
| Tenmile | Health-tech VC (evergreen) | Seed to growth | Health tech, biotech, medtech | tenmile.com |
| BetterLabs | Corporate VC + studio | Seed to Series A ($200K-$3M) | Mobility, insurance, clean tech | betterlabs.com.au |
| Skalata Ventures | Pre-seed VC | Pre-seed to seed | Sector-agnostic, WAVCI mandate | skalata.vc |
| Artesian Ventures | Multi-strategy VC | Pre-seed to Series A | Agrifood, energy, health, defence | artesianinvest.com |
| Brandon Capital | Life sciences VC | Seed to Series C | Biotech, pharma, medtech | brandoncapital.vc |
| Melt Ventures | Clean tech VC | Seed to Series A | Clean tech, IoT, manufacturing | melt.ventures |
| Perth Angels | Angel network | Pre-seed ($50K-$250K) | Early-stage tech, WA | perthangels.com |
| Yuuwa Capital | Early-stage VC | Seed to Series A | Life sciences, ICT, WA | yuuwa.com.au |
Track who opens your WA startup pitch
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Start free 14-day trialWhat is a WA investor?
WA investors back founders in mining tech, health, defence, clean energy, and agrifood. The WAVCI mandate means most active WA funds have government pressure to deploy locally.
Check sizes range from $50K angel tickets to $10M+ growth rounds. WA has a strong university research base at Curtin and UWA generating biotech and deep tech deal flow.
WA's $150M WAVCI program is the biggest policy shift in the state's startup history. Seven VCs now have a mandate to find WA deals.
Read how New South Wales investors compare. NSW has deeper capital, but WA now has structural incentives Sydney doesn't.
Western Australia's Venture Capital Initiative is diversifying our nation-leading economy by backing local founders and building a world-class startup ecosystem right here in Perth.
10 WA investors backing Perth founders
1. Purpose Ventures
Purpose Ventures closed a $55M debut fund in December 2024 with WA Government backing. It's Perth's flagship early-stage VC. My Mirror raised $4M in November 2024. SpacetoCo raised $2M pre-Series A in November 2024. Portfolio company Corametrix won Oceania's Best Health Tech Startup in 2025.
Use Ellty to send your pitch as a trackable link. Knowing which sections they spent time on helps you follow up with the right angle.
- Recent Deals: My Mirror $4M Nov 2024; SpacetoCo $2M pre-Series A Nov 2024; Corametrix 2025; $55M fund closed Dec 2024
- LinkedIn: Purpose Ventures LinkedIn
- Sector Focus: Sector-agnostic (health, SaaS, marketplace, consumer)
- Stage Focus: Pre-seed to Series B
- Location: Perth, WA, AU
- Website: purpose.ventures
2. FundWA
FundWA is the only VC fund 100% dedicated to WA-based ventures. It's backed by WA Government's New Industries Fund and writes $200K to $1M initial checks. Portfolio includes Corametrix, Hola Health, and Detail Earth. FundWA is the first port of call for any WA-based founder seeking seed capital.
- Recent Deals: Corametrix health tech 2025; Hola Health 2025; Detail Earth 2025; WA Government mandate active
- LinkedIn: FundWA LinkedIn
- Sector Focus: Tech (health, defence, education, software), WA only
- Stage Focus: Seed to Series A ($200K-$1M)
- Location: Mount Pleasant, Perth, WA, AU
- Website: fundwa.com.au
3. Tenmile
Tenmile is Andrew Forrest's $250M evergreen health-tech VC backed by Tattarang. Proton Intelligence closed a USD $6.95M seed in January 2025. AdvanCell closed a USD $112M oversubscribed Series C in February 2025. Tenmile is the largest dedicated health investor in WA, with presence across Perth, Sydney, and San Francisco.
Set up an Ellty data room with your clinical data and regulatory pathway before approaching Tenmile. They run thorough health-tech due diligence before engaging.
- Recent Deals: Proton Intelligence USD $6.95M seed Jan 2025; AdvanCell USD $112M Series C Feb 2025; CurveBeam AI portfolio
- LinkedIn: Tenmile LinkedIn
- Sector Focus: Health tech, biotech, life sciences, medtech
- Stage Focus: Seed to growth (evergreen, all stages)
- Location: Perth, WA, AU (also Sydney and San Francisco)
- Website: tenmile.com
4. BetterLabs
BetterLabs is Perth's only corporate VC, backed by RAC (Royal Automobile Club of WA). It runs a $23M fund alongside a venture studio. WeMoney closed a Series A-III in April 2025 with BetterLabs backing. Loopit closed USD $3.95M in 2024. Their focus on insurance, mobility, and clean tech maps directly to RAC's membership base.
- Recent Deals: WeMoney Series A-III April 2025; Loopit USD $3.95M 2024; The Volte 2024; HeyLady portfolio
- LinkedIn: BetterLabs LinkedIn
- Sector Focus: Mobility, insurance, clean tech, life/work/money
- Stage Focus: Seed to Series A ($200K-$3M)
- Location: Perth, WA, AU
- Website: betterlabs.com.au
5. Skalata Ventures
Skalata received $5M through WAVCI and established a Perth office in 2025. They already backed WA companies C0-architecture and Omni Biotech before the WAVCI appointment. They're sector-agnostic and invest at pre-seed to seed. Their Perth presence connects Melbourne deal flow to local WA founders.
Use Ellty to share your pitch with Skalata. A trackable link shows you when they've actually reviewed your materials.
- Recent Deals: C0-architecture WA pre-WAVCI; Omni Biotech WA; Perth office established 2025; WAVCI $5M mandate
- LinkedIn: Skalata Ventures LinkedIn
- Sector Focus: Sector-agnostic, scalable businesses
- Stage Focus: Pre-seed to seed
- Location: Melbourne VIC (Perth office from 2025)
- Website: skalata.vc
Share your pitch with trackable links
Use Ellty to see which WA investors open your materials.
Start free 14-day trial6. Artesian Ventures
Artesian has 600+ investments and established a Perth office in 2025 under the WAVCI program. They run dedicated funds for agrifood, energy, health, medtech, and defence - sectors that match WA's priority industries. Artesian is Australia's most prolific early-stage VC by deal count and actively sources WA-relevant sectors.
- Recent Deals: Perth office established 2025; WAVCI mandate active; agrifood and energy mandates match WA priority sectors
- LinkedIn: Artesian LinkedIn
- Sector Focus: Agrifood, energy, health/medtech, defence and space
- Stage Focus: Pre-seed to Series A
- Location: Sydney NSW (Perth office from 2025)
- Website: artesianinvest.com
7. Brandon Capital
Brandon Capital closed Fund Six at A$439M in July 2025. The WA Government is an LP in Fund Six. Perth portfolio company OncoRes Medical (breast cancer diagnostics) shows genuine local commitment. Brandon focuses exclusively on life sciences with rigorous IP and regulatory due diligence before any commitment.
Read the due diligence for investors guide before approaching Brandon Capital. They assess IP provenance, clinical data, and regulatory timelines upfront.
- Recent Deals: Fund Six A$439M close July 2025; AdvanCell Series C 2025; PolyActiva 2025; OncoRes Medical Perth portfolio
- LinkedIn: Brandon Capital LinkedIn
- Sector Focus: Life sciences exclusively (biotech, pharma, medtech)
- Stage Focus: Seed to Series C
- Location: Melbourne VIC (WA LP and portfolio via WAVCI)
- Website: brandoncapital.vc
8. Melt Ventures
Melt Ventures focuses on clean tech, IoT, and advanced manufacturing. They joined the WAVCI as one of seven selected funds and established a WA office in 2025. WA's critical minerals and energy transition sectors are a direct match for Melt's thesis and they're actively sourcing early-stage deals.
- Recent Deals: WAVCI program entry 2025; WA office established; clean tech mandate matches WA energy transition priorities
- LinkedIn: Melt Ventures LinkedIn
- Sector Focus: Clean tech, IoT, advanced manufacturing
- Stage Focus: Seed to Series A
- Location: National (Perth office from 2025)
- Website: melt.ventures
9. Perth Angels
Perth Angels is WA's longest-running angel network, established in 2010 and affiliated with the global GBAN network. They back early-stage WA founders with $50K to $250K tickets in medtech, drones, cybersecurity, and SaaS. Active pitching events run in 2025-2026. Perth Angels is the right first step before approaching WAVCI funds.
Set up an Ellty data room before your Perth Angels pitch night. Angels compare multiple decks at once - shareable materials win meetings.
- Recent Deals: Active pitching events 2025-2026; GBAN network affiliation; medtech and cybersecurity deal flow active
- LinkedIn: Perth Angels LinkedIn
- Sector Focus: Medtech, drones, cybersecurity, SaaS, early-stage tech
- Stage Focus: Pre-seed to angel ($50K-$250K)
- Location: Perth, WA, AU
- Website: perthangels.com
10. Yuuwa Capital
Yuuwa Capital is a $40M early-stage VC, one of WA's oldest, founded in 2009 with Federal Government support. Portfolio includes PolyActiva (drug delivery), iCetana (AI video analytics), and Nexgen Plants (agri biotech). The fund is approaching maturity - latest confirmed investment was January 2024, so verify active deployment before reaching out.
- Recent Deals: PolyActiva January 2024; iCetana AI video analytics portfolio; Nexgen Plants agribiotech portfolio
- LinkedIn: Yuuwa Capital LinkedIn
- Sector Focus: Life sciences and ICT
- Stage Focus: Early-stage to seed
- Location: Perth, WA, AU
- Website: yuuwa.com.au
How to verify a WA fund is still deploying
Check the fund's last investment date on Crunchbase or Dealroom before reaching out. Funds near end-of-life slow to a trickle - no confirmed deals in 18+ months is a warning sign.
Ask directly: "Which fund are you investing from and what's the vintage?" A GP who hesitates is a red flag. Dead portfolio companies with no follow-on are another.
Use Ellty to track which investors actually open your materials. A fund that requests your deck and never opens it is likely not deploying.
How to get a warm intro to WA investors
West Tech Fest runs December 7-11, 2026 in Perth. It's the best single event for warm intros to Purpose Ventures, FundWA, and WAVCI fund managers in one place.
StartupWA runs regular events connecting pre-seed founders with Perth Angels and local seed investors. Their network includes Curtin Accelerate and UWA's commercialisation team.
Read the best fundraising software guide before your outreach. Running 10+ investor conversations in parallel needs a proper system.
What WA investors prioritise in 2026
WA's WAVCI priority sectors are energy transition, defence, health and life sciences, agrifood, and mining tech. Funds with a WAVCI mandate have reporting obligations - they need deals in these sectors to hit KPIs.
Don't pitch consumer SaaS to Melt Ventures or crypto to Brandon Capital. Sector fit matters more in WA than Sydney because fund mandates are narrower and specific.
Most WA investors will ask about your local team and WA revenue before a second meeting. Remote-first founders need a stronger commercial case to overcome the geographic preference in WAVCI.
How to pitch a WA investor
Four steps that match how Perth VCs evaluate founders in 2026.
- 1.Map which WAVCI fund matches your sectorEnergy, health, defence, or agrifood - pick the right fund.
- 2.Attend West Tech Fest for warm introsDecember 2026, Perth - WAVCI GPs attend every year.
- 3.Get a Perth Angels intro before approaching VCsAn angel round shows local traction to WAVCI investors.
- 4.Send materials via Ellty before your first meetingWA VCs request decks fast - have a shareable link ready.
How Ellty helps you land a WA investor
You know the investors. Now send materials they'll track and know who's engaged.
- 1.Build a WA-focused data room with sector contextAdd your WA team, local customers, and WAVCI sector fit.
- 2.Set email verification on links to Perth VCsKnow exactly which fund manager opens your deck.
- 3.Track page analytics after every sendFollow up same day if a WA VC spends time on financials.
Common questions from WA founders
- It's a $150M program. Apply via Purpose Ventures, FundWA, Skalata, Artesian, Melt, Brandon, or Health Translation Group.
- Most WAVCI funds strongly prefer it. The mandate rewards locally registered companies.
- Purpose is sector-agnostic; FundWA backs only WA companies and writes smaller initial checks.
- Before contacting any WAVCI fund. They request materials quickly after first interest.
- Their last confirmed deal was Jan 2024. Verify active deployment before reaching out.
