# Startmate

> Startmate is a VC fund backing Software and Information Technology. See 186 investments, check sizes, portfolio and contact details. Updated Aug 2026.

- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Total investments: 186
- Last investment: Aug 2026
- Lead investor: 36%
- Last updated: Aug 2026
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/startmate
- X (Twitter): http://twitter.com/startmate
- Website: https://www.startmate.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/StartMate/211506805527526

Startmate is a VC fund in Melbourne focused on Software and Information Technology. We support the most exceptional founders, operators and investors with best-in-class programs, propelled by a highly trusted mentor-driven community, and backed by the best angels, venture funds and tech startups in the region.Startmate helps technically-focused founders create world-class companies that solve customer problems. It invests AUD$120,000 for a 7.5% equity stake.Startmate’s three-month program offers a $75,000 investment, mentorship from more than 40 successful founders, sage legal counsel, and a one week trip to Silicon Valley. At the conclusion of the program, there are two demo days, one in Sydney and the other in Melbourne, where the chosen startups present in front of early-stage investors.Startmate was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.

## Contacts

5 contacts available for Startmate. Shizune tracks 17 team members at Startmate. Sign up free to unlock them: https://app.shizune.co/sign-up/investor-profiles/find-team-emails/startmate?utm_source=investor_profile

## Investment focus

### Industry

| Industry | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Software | 44 | 24% |
| Information Technology | 24 | 13% |
| Artificial Intelligence | 21 | 11% |
| SaaS | 19 | 10% |
| Internet | 16 | 9% |

207 industries tracked in total.

### Stage

| Stage | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Seed | 96 | 52% |
| Pre-Seed | 67 | 36% |
| Series A | 4 | 2% |
| Venture - Series Unknown | 4 | 2% |
| Series C | 2 | 1% |

9 stages tracked in total.

### Country

| Country | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Australia | 107 | 58% |
| United States | 29 | 16% |
| New Zealand | 17 | 9% |
| United Kingdom | 1 | 1% |

## Team

| Name | Title | Investments | Profile |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Alex de Aboitiz | Mentor | 0 | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/alex-de-aboitiz |
| Anubhav Ghosh | Launch Operations | 0 | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/anubhav-ghosh |
| Bardia Housman | Mentor | 1 | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/bardia-housman |
| Ben Armstrong | Mentor | 4 | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/ben-armstrong-2 |
| Brendan Brummer | Mentor | 1 | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/brendan-brummer |

## Investments

| Company | Description | Amount | Stage | Date | Website |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Vexev | Vexev is on a mission to introduce innovative imaging diagnostic tools. | $6M | Venture - Series Unknown | Aug 06, 2026 |  |
| Arlula | Arlula provides a single integration point for a global network of satellite imagery. | $2.4M | Seed | Mar 24, 2026 |  |
| Thermal Dawn | Thermal Dawn develops a low-cost thermal storage for home heating and cooling systems that uses solar to cut energy costs. | $120K | Seed | Feb 17, 2026 |  |
| CheckGen | CheckGen offers science-led molecular skin analysis for skincare brands and clinics. | $120K | Seed | Feb 17, 2026 |  |
| Wiingman | Wiingman is an AI-powered event operations platform that provides tools for planning, staffing, and delivering events. The platform combines generative AI document creation with operational planning features such as staff and supplier management, project hubs, and a job board. Its Wiingman IQ Store generates stakeholder-ready event plans, staffbriefs, and other documentation from user inputs. Wiingman also offers subscription plans for individual professionals, event organising teams, and enterprises, with access to a supplier directory, learning management tools, and smart check-in and asset tracking utilities. The service is designed for event organisers, freelancers, and suppliers working across public events, brands, and agencies. Through its modules, Wiingman supports documentation, communication, onboarding, and compliance workflows in a single environment. | $120K | Seed | Feb 17, 2026 |  |
| Tendor | Tendor.ai is a software platform focused on government procurement and tender management. It aggregates tender opportunities from multiple sources and organizes them into a centralized system for businesses. The platform uses AI to analyze tender documents, extract evaluation criteria, and structure compliance requirements. It also supportsdrafting tender responses and generating evidence-based submissions aligned with procurement standards. Tendor.ai is designed to streamline the tendering process and reduce manual effort in preparing bids for government contracts. | $120K | Seed | Feb 17, 2026 |  |
| Ascenda | Ascenda offers mental health support for employees at companies. | $120K | Seed | Feb 17, 2026 |  |
| Superstat | Superstat uses AI to automate sports stats, highlights, and insights for every player, parent, and coach. | $120K | Seed | Feb 17, 2026 |  |
| Zabidou | Zabidou develops laser-based sensing systems that give machines real-time perception to separate materials and improve sorting efficiency. | $120K | Seed | Feb 17, 2026 |  |
| Draper | Draper is an AI-powered marketing intelligence platform that analyzes real-time data from online sources to make growth decisions. | $120K | Seed | Feb 17, 2026 |  |

10 of 186 investments shown.

## Co-investors
- [Blackbird Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/blackbird-ventures-australia) — VC Fund, 53 deals together
- [Soul Capital](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/soul-capital) — VC Fund, 8 deals together
- [Everywhere Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/everywhere-ventures) — VC Fund, 7 deals together
- [Main Sequence Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/main-sequence-ventures) — VC Fund, 7 deals together
- [Artesian VC](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/artesian-capital-management) — VC Fund, 6 deals together
- [Aussie Angels](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/aussie-angels) — VC Fund, 6 deals together

## Similar investors

### Similar stage
- [Antler](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/antler-be9c) — VC Fund
- [Alumni Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/alumni-ventures-group) — VC Fund
- [Right Side Capital Management](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/right-side-capital-management) — VC Fund

## FAQ

### What does Startmate invest in?

Startmate invests primarily in Software, Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence startups, most often at Seed and Pre-Seed stage. Most of the 186 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in Australia. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.

### How do I contact Startmate?

Public channels for Startmate include LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and the website linked on this profile. For a verified work email and phone number, create a free Shizune account — contact data is searched across 20+ sources and validated before delivery, so your outreach lands in the right inbox.

### Who are the partners at Startmate?

The team at Startmate includes Alex de Aboitiz (Mentor), Anubhav Ghosh (Launch Operations) and Bardia Housman (Mentor), among 17 team members tracked by Shizune. The Team section lists each member with their title, investment count and links.

### 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.

# About Shizune
Shizune.co is an investor database. Core features:
- 48,091 startup investors (angels, VCs, accelerators, and others)
- Email, phone, LinkedIn (for intros), socials, and other contact data
- Updated daily from public funding news
- CSV and Excel export

The User can access the full database FOR FREE after signing up: shizune.co