The food and beverage industry in Australia is the largest growing sector. Its annual turnover surpasses $50 Billion which is more than 18% of the overall Australian manufacturing turnover.
With such amazing stats, one might wonder are there any active startup investors who fund businesses related to food and beverage?
Yes! There are hundreds of startup investors in Australia who love funding startups in this sector.
To help you shortlist some investors to pitch to, we have prepared the following list of the top 10 startup investors in Australia who invest in the food & beverage industry.
So, before we get started, here’s a little tip:
“ Even when we have spent hours researching and finding the list of the most active startup investors, it is recommended to do some additional research before preparing a pitch deck ”
Contact: Fill a Form
Website: Investible
Focused Sectors: Climate Tech, Smart Cities, Food & Agriculture, Transport, Clean Tech
Present in: Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia (invests globally)
Notable Investments: National Renewable Network, Invest Inya Farmer, and Renewable Metals
Total Investments: 175+
Investible is an Australian venture capital firm that has expanded to America and across the Asia-Pacific region.
Founded in 2014, Investible has always been focused on innovative startups that are working on a new product. Recently, they have started funding food and beverage-related startups that work on providing the most delightful edibles.
The investors prioritize companies that are in the seed and early stages. They invest in a wide range of startups as long as they can produce a decent ROI.
The investment range of Investible is around 2M AUD.
Contact: Contact Us
Website: Grok Ventures
Focused Sectors: Cleantech, Enterprise, Software, Fintech, Food & Beverages
Present In: Australia, United States, Hong Kong
Notable Investments: Gridmo, Lydian, and Antora Energy
Total Investments: 55+
Founded in 2008, Grok Ventures is a notable venture capital firm that invests in a wide range of startups. The network was founded by Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar.
Grok Ventures has a prime focus on food-related startups that have the potential to scale internationally. They want to invest in startups that can transform the mentioned industry.
The investment range of Grok Ventures can range up to several million AUD depending upon the startup sector and its market competition.
Contact: Fill a Form
Website: Artesian Venture Partners
Focused Sectors: Climate & Sustainability, Agrifood, Health, Artificial Intelligence & Robotics, Education, Gender Equality
Present in: Global presence with a focus on Asia-Pacific (Australia, China, Southeast Asia).
Notable Investments: Environsuite, Cargil, Nano-Dsat
Total Investments: 625
Artesian Venture Partners is a global venture capital firm that is focused on startup funding and funds management. Funding startups since 2004, the network has a portfolio of over 600 startups and likes to be involved in impact investing.
Artesian has a team of around 60 startup investors. They usually invest in startups that are addressing global challenges in a wide range of sectors. The main goal of Artesian is to fund innovative businesses and fund companies that can drive 5-10x ROI.
Notably, Artesian Venture Partners have arranged numerous startup accelerators, pitching competitions, networking events, and public mentorship programs to boost the entrepreneurial landscape.
The investment range of Artesian Venture Partners can go up to several million dollars.
Website: Home | Blackbird
Focused Sectors: Tech, Food, and Healthcare
Present in: Aus, US, and NZ
Notable Investments: Tracksuit and Sunday
Total Investments: 100+
Operating since 2012, Blackbird Ventures is one of the leading VC firms in Australia.
Just like any other VC firm, Blackbird Ventures prefers funding startups that are based on unique ideas. They are particularly interested in businesses that can generate a higher ROI and are at the seed/late stages.
The investment range of Blackbird Ventures is around 15M AUD.
Contact: Fill a Form
Website: Tidal Ventures
Present in: Australia and the US
Notable Investments: Asseti, Flagship, and Orkestra
Total Investments: 40
Founded in 2016 (previously named AddVenture Fund), Tidal Ventures has been investing in Australian and American startups in a wide range of sectors. They focus on early-stage companies that are working on unique ideas and are being led by experienced founders.
The investors at Tidal Ventures prefer businesses with an MVP (Minimum Viable Product), a sales pipeline, and a proven growth model. The investment range of Tidal Ventures is 500,000 AUD.
Contact: Fill out a Form
Website: Equity Venture Partners
Focused Sectors: Software, SaaS, Information Technology, Food
Present in: Australia, New Zealand, Canada
Notable Investments: SiteMinder, Deputy, Ignition, and Shippit
Total Investments: 90+
EVP is a venture capital firm that is managing around $300M in Australia. The network has been operating for many years and has a strong focus on funding early-stage startups.
During the investment stage, the investors focus on startups that are in the B2B sector. They also take a strong interest in companies that are based on ambition, pragmatism, and having in-depth knowledge of their relative industry.
The investment range of EVP is around $5M AUD.
Contact: Fill out a form
Website: Sklata Ventures
Focused Sectors: Early-stage technology-driven ventures
Present in: Australia
Notable Investments: Brio and Halter
Total Investments: 56
Founded in 2018, Sklata Ventures is an Australian venture capital firm with headquarters in Melbourne.
Sklata Ventures prioritizes startups that have a potential for huge growth and long-term sustainability. The investors value businesses that are introducing unique food startup ideas and working on providing agrifood solutions.
The investment range of Skalata Ventures depends on the startup sector and its relative market.
Contact: Fill a Form
Website: Afterwork Ventures
Focused Sectors: Technology, food, software, consumer products
Notable Investments: Lyka, Samphire, Indemn
Total Investments: 40+
Headquartered in Sydney, Afterwork Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm with a strong focus on food companies.
The network was founded in 2019 and has made multiple investments in pre-seed and early-stage startups. The team of investors prioritize companies that have revenue ambition exceeding $100 million. They also prefer startups that are led by experienced founders (8-10 years) and have qualified teams to scale the idea globally.
The investment range of AfterWork Ventures is around 1M AUD.
Contact: Maropost Ventures | Website
Website: Fill a Form
Focused Sectors: Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology, and Food
Present in: United States, Australia, Sweden
Notable Investments: Detected, Exeger, and Lyre's Spirit CO
Total Investments: 20+
Maropost Ventures is a relatively young venture capital firm that invests in early-stage businesses. The network was founded in 2020 and extends as a VC arm of a Canadian company that offers e-commerce solutions.
Similarly, the investors prefer startups that can align with the e-commerce platform of Maropost. They are also investing in the food sector of Australia and are planning to launch a new fund dedicated to food startups.
The average check size from Maropost Ventures is around 500,000 AUD.
Contact: +614 096 111
Website: Melbourne Angels
Focused Sectors: Biotechnology, Information Technology, Manufacturing
Present in: Australia, United States, New Zealand
Notable Investments: Apop Imaging and Alkira Software
Investing since 2003, Melbourne Angels is also an experienced investment network that focuses on early and seed-stage businesses. When investing in startups, Melbourne Angels look for high-growth businesses that are led by startup leaders who are well-experienced.
And since Melbourne Angels is a group of investors, they invest differently than a VC firm, either through investor meetings or startup accelerators. In most cases, an individual investor might like a startup idea and discuss it with fellow investors of Melbourne Angels.
Startup leaders can reach out to them through their website or meet individual investors from this group. The average check size from Melbourne Angels is around $1M AUD.
Done with the list of top startup investors in Australia backing food and beverage startups? Let us share some final words of wisdom before we wrap up.
Angel Investors always focus on startups that can be profitable businesses. And if you’re thinking about how to achieve that, read some guides on preparing a strong pitch deck, delivering a strong presentation, and getting a warm introduction to angel investors.
Good Luck securing an investment for your food business!
A: Venture capital firms are organized setups that aggregate capital from various investors and deploy it into startups at a larger scale, offering expertise and guidance.
In contrast, individual angel investors are private individuals who invest personal funds directly into startups, typically at an early stage, using a more personalized approach and hands-on involvement in the startup's growth.
A: Yes, many angel investors provide mentorship programs and financial support. They leverage their experience to offer strategic insights, assist in critical decision-making, and facilitate introductions to their network connections. This mentorship is pivotal for startups, aiding them in overcoming obstacles and expediting their growth trajectory.
A: To make a startup investible, focus on a scalable business model, a strong team, a well-defined market opportunity, and evidence of market validation.
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