Aura Ventures

Join Aura Ventures Partner Eric Chan at Pitchapalooza — brought to you by the team behind Cut Through Venture and OnePitch VC. What is Pitchapalooza? A pitch competition, but not as you know it. Just as software ate the world, AI is eating software. Pitchapalooza is inviting companies of all stages to showcase how they’re integrating AI to enhance their products and operations. The grand finale will feature pitches from both AI-native startups and established companies using AI in bold, innovative ways. All applicants will receive feedback from Australia’s most active VC investors, along with access to $20,000 worth of perks from leading software and service providers. And for the winners? Prepare to unlock a major prize pool—details coming soon. Find out more at pitchapalooza.ai | Applications open 1st of February.

𝗦𝗮𝗵𝗵𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 🎯 This mission was to build models that passively predict mental health and wellness using device data. We did that. Since then, we've evolved into a platform providing passive, actionable and real-time health, lifestyle, and behavioral data. Data designed to seamlessly integrate into a wide range of applications, providing them with massive amounts of innovation potential and solutions to countless problems. It's our hope that with this pursuit we’re shaping an extraordinary future for human-centric technology, something that is more relevant than ever. 🤖 😲 Through it all, one thing has remained at our core; remaining a constant: the belief that the most powerful products are the ones designed from us and for us—🌏 as humans! As we continue to grow and push boundaries we wanted our brand to reflect where we are today and where we’re headed. 𝗦𝗼, 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀—𝗦𝗮𝗵𝗵𝗮’𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 👉 sahha.ai It's one that embodies our vision, and commitment to enabling human-centric technologies to flourish 🚀 Also, here is a little video we did to keep things super serious 😎

To our LPs, founders, and friends who joined us for Aura Ventures Investor Summit 2024 — thank you. It was our immense pleasure to celebrate 2024 and give a glimpse behind the curtain into the future of tech investing with Aura Ventures. From VR demos with Zac Duff of JigSpace, to compliance talks with Haast Co-Founder Kunal Vankadara, to a live podcast session between Eric and Koda Capital’s David Clark — this year’s Summit aimed to captivate, enlighten and add value in ways that no one had seen before. The evening was a special one for us, illuminating our milestones over the last decade as well as the year. As we gear up for 2025, we’re grateful for the continued support and calibre of the community that we've cultivated around us, and can't wait to see what the next chapter brings.

We are thrilled to welcome Scannable to our portfolio as part of our ongoing thesis in the Vertical SaaS space. We can't be more excited to partner with 🧗♂️ Rob Stirling and the team on their journey. A big thank you our co-investor DCM Ventures for being such fantastic partners in this deal. We're excited for what lies ahead and look forward to watching Scannable continue to grow and redefine their space. #verticalsaas Aura Ventures

Textbook Ventures has been connecting students to the startup industry for almost a decade. We had the pleasure of attending their annual 2024 Sydney Startups Careers Fair at Sydney Startup Hub. Early-stage tech talent is an enormously exciting aspect of our growing innovation ecosystem. We loved seeing portfolio company Hatch's Hannah Johnston featured on the keynote panel, meeting the next generation of founders and operators at the very start of their journey, and giving students a glimpse into the world of VC. #startupcareers #studententrepreneurs

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting Supercharging SaaS — a forum for software founders, operators and investors — in partnership with our friends at Google Cloud and EVP. An afternoon of insights and connection, from the opening fireside chat on the future of B2B SaaS with Eric and Sabrina, to Justin Lipman's fundraising masterclass, to Emily Qiao's expert breakdown of AI tooling with Tony Moriarty, Eric Tran and Mark Velik — it was brilliant to see a range of tactical sessions for founders building and scaling generational software companies. We're grateful to our partners, special guests and the community for their contributions, with special thanks to Ellie Fitzgerald & Raphael Hodes, and look forward to the next! #AI #techstartups #saas

What do fundraising, GTM strategy and AI adoption look like for SaaS Startups in the AI era? At Aura, we're all about seeking out the best teams reasoning from first principles and using software to accelerate innovation. With the advent of AI and democratisation of information technology, there's arguably never been a better time to be a software founder. To that end, we're excited to be partnering with our friends at Google and EVP to present Supercharging SaaS, a curated forum for software founders, operators and investors to connect, learn and grow together. When: Wednesday 25th September 4:00-6:30pm Where: Sydney Google Office, 48 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont Who: Existing and aspiring software founders and operators. Join us for an afternoon of insights, best practice sharing and community connection as we dive into the key trends and opportunities for SaaS startups in the AI era. Experts will share unique perspectives on all things SaaS fundraising, GTM and AI adoption, all in a relaxed afternoon with networking and beverages. 🎟️ Limited spots available. Full agenda and registration via link below. We can't wait to see you there! #techstartups #saas #ai

What's been happening across the Aura Ventures portfolio? 📄 Shippit released their landmark State of Shipping Report, an exclusive view into the current shipping and delivery landscape of the Australian retail industry in 2024. 🍽️ Harvest B was selected to feature in the Powerhouse Museum's new series, Powerhouse Food: Producers! The team will host an exclusive tour and tasting at the Harvest B Foundry in Penrith. Audiences will be able to deep dive into their innovative approach to protein production. 💻 JigSpace shared an array of product updates for Apple Vision Pro, adding important features for Jigs to suit all kinds of environments and content security. 📚 Tutero recently gained attention for their AI-powered Co-Teacher program, helping busy educators reduce lesson planning by 50% with curriculum-aligned activities, differentiated instruction, and personalised content creation. 🤝 Haast landed their new partnership with Equity Trustees, setting the pace for digital innovation in governance. 💸 Integrated announced their acquisition by Sydney-based fintech DASH Technology Group. ⚡ Ordermentum Founder and CEO Adam Theobald shared his insights on the role of technology in managing finance and ops in partnership as part of the Ignite Hospo program. #venturecapital #techinvestments #startups

While our role at Aura is to underwrite unparalleled ambition in world-class founders — we know that sustained, impactful innovation requires the collaboration of capital, government, institutions and local communities. Grassroots innovation, capability development, and policy are the cornerstones of building strong local economies. Last week, Sabrina joined Spark Festival's panel to discuss Startup Funding and Growth, supported by partners UNSW Founders, Investment NSW and Catalysr, with a powerful opening keynote from Charishma Kaliyanda, MP. Key takeaways from the discussion: 1. When it comes to funding, no doesn't always sound like no. Measure success not by how many yeses, but by how many no's you hear. Use every no as an opportunity to reflect on how your articulated vision aligns with the market. 2. While Australia's startup ecosystem has made significant strides, fragmentation still exists. To support founders, we need cohesive collaboration across government, venture capital, education, and industry. 3. Technology and innovation are essential for local communities to thrive, develop, and connect with the world. Our communities hold lived experiences and unique insights into untapped markets. 4. We have access to a plethora of platforms that have democratised technology and technical capabilities. It's never been easier, faster and cheaper to test and iterate new ideas. It was a pleasure to contribute to this conversation alongside Andrew Corbett-Jones, Anne-Marie Elias and David Lt (Lillo-Trynes), connect with the local community, nurture tangible support and action, and be a voice for venture capital and founders in the Australian startup ecosystem. #venturecapital #startupfunding #techstartups

Interested in learning more about our portfolio? Here are the highlights from last month. 🌏 Shippit officially launched their multi-carrier platform in New Zealand. 💸 Integrated was acquired by Sydney-based fintech DASH Technology Group. 🌱 Harvest B launched B Strong, their new line of plant-based Meal Prep Proteins. 💻 Haast's partnership with Equitee Trustees set the pace for AI-led digital innovation in financial services. 🏛 Liam King, Co-Founder of Haast, presented the opening statement at the Senate Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence. 📱 Sahha released the Sahha Demo App, allowing users to start building applications with real-time data logs. 🥽 JigSpace's Co-Founder and CEO Zac Duff spoke at AWE, the world's #1 AR/VR tech event, giving the inside word on spatial computing for enterprise. Follow to stay up to date on our portfolio & ecosystem news. #investments #techstartups #venturecapital