Sidestage

High-Level Overview

Side Stage Ventures is a founder-led seed-stage venture capital firm based in Australia, specializing in pre-seed and seed investments in high-potential early-stage tech startups.[1][2][3] The firm's mission is to back the top 1% of "outlier founders" by writing the first cheque and providing hands-on support to help them build and scale globally scalable businesses, drawing from the team's own experiences as founders, operators, and investors.[2][4] Sector-agnostic with a focus on big markets, it invests across fintech, healthtech, edtech, and more, emphasizing differentiated products solving meaningful problems.[1][2] In the startup ecosystem, Side Stage contributes through capital, strategic guidance, a robust network, and a community that fosters debate and support, having backed successes like Go1, Airtasker, and amaysim.[1]

Origin Story

Side Stage Ventures emerged from a team of serial entrepreneurs and investors who built the fund they wished they'd had when starting their own companies, focusing on the unique struggles of early-stage founders.[2] Key figures include Co-Founder and General Partner Markus Kahlbetzer, with over 18 years in venture capital, agriculture, real estate, and equity markets, and a track record in top Australian investments via his role at BridgeLane Group.[1] Elli Hanson, Principal Investor, brings founder experience from co-founding Flaus (named in TIME's Inventions of the Year), plus global design strategy expertise at Ogilvy earning 25 Cannes Lions.[1] The firm's evolution centers on a founder-led model, expanding to support pre-seed/seed tech startups locally and globally while prioritizing people over sectors.[2][3][4]

Core Differentiators

• Founder-Led Investment Model: Backed by ex-founders who "lean in" post-investment with operational expertise, creating safe spaces for honest debate and support—unlike traditional funds.[2][4]
• Focus on Outliers: Targets exceptional founders with proven hustle, global vision for billion-dollar businesses, and ability to sell their story, paired with differentiated products in massive markets.[2]
• Network and Track Record: Leverages partners' successes (e.g., Go1, Airtasker) and broad experience for strategic guidance; comfortable across all sectors and models.[1][2]
• Community and Operating Support: Builds a tight-knit ecosystem for founders, teammates, and LPs, emphasizing entrepreneurship as a force for good like climate or health solutions.[2]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Side Stage Ventures rides the wave of Australia's burgeoning tech startup scene, where early-stage funding gaps persist despite global VC interest in APAC innovation hubs.[1][3] Timing is ideal amid post-pandemic digital acceleration, with market forces like rising fintech/healthtech demand and underserved big markets favoring their sector-agnostic, high-conviction bets on local talent with global ambition.[2] They influence the ecosystem by de-risking pre-seed/seed stages—often the hardest for founders—through founder empathy and networks, amplifying Australia's output of unicorns and fostering a culture of bold, world-changing entrepreneurship.[1][2][4]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Side Stage Ventures is positioned to deepen its role as Australia's go-to seed partner for elite founders, potentially expanding globally as APAC VC matures. Trends like AI-driven disruption in big markets (health, climate) and founder-friendly capital will fuel their portfolio; expect more exits from bets like past winners, evolving their influence toward multi-stage support or larger funds. This founder-first approach, rooted in real struggle, sets them apart to capture the next wave of outliers shaping tech's future.[2]