Rick Baker

Rick Baker is a Co-founder and Partner at Blackbird Ventures based in Sydney, Australia. Prior to establishing the venture capital firm, he managed the institutional venture portfolio at MLC, where he successfully deployed over $500 million into various global funds. His operational background includes co-founding two distinct software companies, IDC Global and Right Party Connect, the latter of which was eventually acquired by Adeptra. At Blackbird Ventures, Baker has helped direct AUD 1.2 billion in capital across nearly 100 early-stage technology startups, including notable investments in highly recognizable industry leaders like Canva, SafetyCulture, and Gilmour Space. Before his investing career, he earned academic degrees from the University of New South Wales and Sydney University. Baker currently focuses on identifying early-stage software platforms, robotics, and space technology companies emerging from the Australian and New Zealand startup ecosystems.