# John Dyson

> John Dyson is a Series E investor at Starfish Ventures (Melbourne) backing Retail and Hardware. See 1 investments, check sizes, portfolio. Updated Aug 2026.

- Type: Angel Investor
- Fund: [Starfish Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/starfish-ventures)
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Total investments: 1
- Last investment: Jan 2009
- Lead investor: 0%
- Last updated: Aug 2026
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/john-dyson/32/872/7b2

John Dyson is a Series E investor at Starfish Ventures in Melbourne focused on Retail and Hardware. John Dyson is one of the founders of Starfish Ventures and has played a crucial role in the establishment of the company. John has personally overseen and managed nearly 20 investments in a range of technologies and industries. John has achieved numerous exits for his portfolio companies including a NASDAQ listing, ASX listings and trade sales tolocal and overseas companies.In May 1995, John was appointed General Manager (Australia) of JAFCO Investment (Asia Pacific), a Singapore based private equity manager.In this role John was responsible for establishing the Australian office, recruiting a team of investment professionals and overseeing investments into 24 companies totalling $95M invested and achieving 19 exits. Prior to joining JAFCO, John worked in the investment banking and stockbroking industry for Schroders, Nomura Securities, KPMG and ANZ McCaughan.John is a passionate alpine skier and is the former Chairman of Mount Buller and Mount Stirling Alpine Resort Management Board, which oversees the management of Victoria’s largest alpine resort and is currently a member of the Committee providing advice to the Victorian Government regarding the ongoing strategy development of the Victorian Alpine Resorts.John is also a co-trustee of the Dyson Bequest, a $15M Charitable Foundation that provides grants to a range of social welfare, education and environmental causes.John holds a Bachelor of Science from Monash University, a Graduate Diploma in Finance and Investment from Securities Institute of Australia, Masters of Business Administration from RMIT University and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.John attended the Stanford University Executive Program in 2010. John is also the Chair of Swinburne Ventures Pty Ltd (the entity responsible for the commercialisation of technology for Swinburne University of Technology).John has been an active participant in the venture capital Industry. From 1997 to 2002, John was a Director of the Australian Venture Capital Association Limited, including Deputy Chairman in 1998 and Chairman in 1999; thereafter Victorian Convenor until 2006.John is currently a Director of Aruspex, Distra, iCiX and Qs Semiconductor.

## Investment focus

### Industry

| Industry | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Retail | 1 | 100% |
| Hardware | 1 | 100% |
| Software | 1 | 100% |

## Investments

| Company | Description | Amount | Stage | Date | Website |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ZoomSystems | ZoomSystems is the global leader in the automated retail industry. Founded in 2002, ZoomSystems develops and operates a valuable, unattended point-of-sale solution for brands and retailers. Its in-store and satellite retail units include integrated hardware, software and managed services to deliver a product from manufacturer to consumer, helpingbrands increase sales, expand market reach and enhance the consumer experience.The ZoomShop network has grown to more than 1,500 locations in airports, malls, resorts, military bases and retail stores across the US, Canada, Europe and Japan. Top brand and retail partners include Best Buy, Nespresso, Proactiv, Amazon, Essie, Benefit Cosmetics and Albertsons.ZoomSystems is based in San Francisco, CA and investors include Sierra Ventures, Goldman Sachs, Starfish Ventures and NeoCarta Ventures. | $20M | Series E | Jan 22, 2009 |  |

1 of 1 investments shown.

## Co-investors
- [Goldman Sachs](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/goldman-sachs) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Motorola Solutions Venture Capital](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/motorola-solutions-venture-capital) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [NeoCarta Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/neocarta-ventures) — VC Fund, 1 deal together

## About Starfish Ventures

VC Fund · Melbourne, Australia

Starfish Ventures is an Australian venture capital firm focused on information technology, life sciences, and clean technology companies.

5 contacts available at Starfish Ventures.

| Name | Title | Profile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Anthony Glenning | Investment Director | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/anthony-glenning |
| Eve Burgess | Financial Accountant | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/eve-burgess |
| Felicity Donnelly | Office Manager | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/felicity-donnelly |
| John Dyson | Co-Founder & Investment Principal | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/john-dyson |
| Justin Roberts | Investment Analyst | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/justin-roberts |

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## FAQ

### What does John Dyson invest in?

John Dyson invests primarily in Retail, Hardware and Software startups, most often at Series E stage. Most of the 1 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in United States. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.

### When did John Dyson last invest?

The most recent investment recorded for John Dyson closed in Jan 2009. Shizune tracks 1 investments in total for this profile, including round sizes, stages and portfolio companies, all sourced from confirmed public funding rounds and refreshed monthly.

### Is Shizune's investor data accurate?

Yes — every stat on this profile is calculated from confirmed public funding rounds monitored across hundreds of sources since 2020. This profile was last refreshed in Aug 2026 and is updated monthly. Spotted something off? Use the “Suggest an edit” link near the top of the page.

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