AfterWork Ventures

Exciting News! We are chuffed to announce our investment in Matilda's pre-seed round - the migration tech startup on a mission to digitise, destress and simplify the visa application process. The two founders Damian Png and Niamh Mooney are AfterWork community members and proven powerhouses, with critical expertise in product, commercial and digital marketing. We're proud to back their tech-forward solution that takes the headache out of the immensely stressful process of applying for a visa. 🎆 WHY WE'RE EXCITED 🎆 🛂 Australia processes a lot of visas (almost 3m a year) - the process is confusing, complicated and stressful 😕 Migration agents leave a lot to be desired! NPS is low and complaints are high 👌 Conditions are ripe for a new entrant - the market is fragmented, distribution is localised and there's no real love for existing solutions 🔑 Matilda offer a simple solution that harnesses AI to automate and accelerate the administrative parts of the process, while reserving human touch for the moments that matter (strategic use of AI means better margins, without shortchanging the customer experience). ☀ Their vision to improve the migration experience is timely and a personal passion point for the founders We're delighted at the chance to lead Matilda's pre-seed round, alongside Wollemi Capital Group, Everywhere Ventures, Co Ventures and Startmate Read our full investment notes here https://lnkd.in/gbR2rHTR

Congratulations to one of our first community members Duncan Allan on the launch of his new business Fourteen10. At a time when advertising has never been harder and more complex, they are entering the market with a pointed proposition that shakes up the tired media agency landscape. “Designing an agency from scratch to solve important advertising challenges for its clients, means the new business model must look nothing like the status quo." Co-founder Cameron Roberts Part of their approach centres on strategically super-charging top talent with AI. We recently wrote about the new wave of AI-powered service businesses that are using AI in the right ways, and the right times, to uplift the end-to-end experience - Fourteen10 are bringing this playbook to life in a new category and we're here for it! https://lnkd.in/gPcB3gXQ

We're thrilled to announce our investment in Enrola, an online education comparison platform eliminating decision paralysis for prospective students. With two formidable founders at the helm, Jo Thomas and Yvette Quinby, Enrola has the credibility and expertise to transform the student experience, at a pivotal moment in time. 🎆 WHY WE'RE EXCITED 🎆 💥 - Vocational Education Training is booming - there's over 4.5 million students enrolling annually in Australia 📕 With over 2,133 course options from a growing number of providers, it's a struggle for students to find the right course, from a quality provider 🔎 Enrola simplifies this process, helping students find the course that's right for them; based on their desired goals, learning outcomes, lifestyle and study preferences and budget requirements 😁 To top it off, they give students confident-boosting support throughout this high stakes decision; from initial discovery to enrolment 📈 With more competition than ever, Enrola is a welcome reprieve for Registered Training Organisations, who are looking for effective marketing solutions that drive enrolments. We're delighted at the chance to lead Enrola's pre-seed round, alongside Skalata, Antler and a host of strategic angels. Check out our full investment notes here https://lnkd.in/gfTgq-2r #edtech #vocationaltraining #startup #founders

Services are a mammoth industry; accounting for a whopping 63% of Australia's GDP. Yet as venture investors, we tend to skirt service businesses as traditional wisdom dictates they can't be scaled. With the advent of AI - things might be changing. We took a long, hard look at the evolving AI landscape and explored whether the AI-powered service model could fit the mould of venture capital returns. In this article, we outline eight key conditions that can help AI-powered service businesses thrive. Through startups like Hnry, PropHero and Matilda, we learn how they leverage AI to transform their industries while maintaining a focus on delivering exceptional outcomes for their customers. This is a nascent, exciting field, changing rapidly. All thoughts very welcome. https://lnkd.in/gPcB3gXQ #AI #CustomerExperience #ServiceBusiness #VentureCapital #Innovation #TechEnabledServices

Today we celebrate the news of Switchboard's $1.5m Seed round! Captained by the formidable Hugh Dixson, Switchboard are on a mission to demystify the worlds of supply chains and freight management, as they automate processes, remove manual handling, reduce costs and errors, and improve data quality through their digital supply chain solution. In a sector that is millennia older than the invention of the computer (let alone the internet), it’s little wonder that digitisation of supply chains has been historically siloed, where communication between systems both within the same organisation and to external partners has relied heavily on outdated, often manual processes – causing much frustration and complication for all involved. Thanks to Switchboard, businesses of all sizes and industries need only integrate once with Switchboard and are ready to exchange data with any supply chain system across suppliers, customers, and logistics providers. AfterWork are proud to now be 2x time backers of Switchboard across their pre-seed and most recent seed round; joining our friends at TEN13, Investible, Archangel Ventures, Skalata, and Startmate. You can ready more in our investment notes here!

One of our favourite things to do is interrogate how nascent trends and technologies may evolve. This time, we've fallen down the spatial computing rabbit hole to investigate both the fantastical and foundational; and see if we can identify the line between hype, reality... and dystopia. https://lnkd.in/gs_aArmF #spatialcomputing #VR #AR #computervision #applevisionpro

Ok! Our second panel that's we're proposing for SXSW Sydney this year is all about the rise of Brand Experience. In this panel, 4 brilliant DTC founders will discuss the shift in focus from merely satisfying customer needs, to creating immersive and engaging brand experiences that are both memorable and meaningful. Georgia Geminder (gem), May Bandi (Skipper), Sam Naparstek (Rocco) and Rachael Wilde (Tyers) (tbh) Wilde will dive deep into the realm of brand storytelling, emotional engagement and experiential marketing and their approach to creating iconic, enduring brands. Please help us get it over the line with your vote! 1. Go to https://lnkd.in/g5hR23Wb 2. Register for SXSW with your email address - it’s free 3. Verify your identity with the 6 digit code sent to your email address. 4. Enter your name, email address, choose a password, accept the privacy policy and hit “complete registration”. 5. Use the search bar to search for “breaking ground”   6. Find our session “Brand Experience Unleashed: Why the Era of Cx is Over". Click the love heart at the bottom that reads “Vote”.

SXSW Sydney is happening again this October, and right now public voting for their programming is live. We’ve put together two stellar panels and we need your help to make them a reality. Voting is open for the remainder of the week. Please vote so we can take to the stage and share a host of practical, pertinent insights with you. 🏔 Our first panel is called... Breaking Ground: How Emerging Fund Managers Ventured into Venture Alex Khor Cheryl Mack, Matthew Browne and Kylie Frazer will share how they are flipping the script to make their mark on the VC landscape and the new requisite skills required to navigate the rapidly changing VC ecosystem. They’ll also discuss their views on the transformative forces shaping VC; from the rise of new investment trends and technologies, to new funding models, to the pulse of emerging markets. 🤟 How To Vote 🤘 1. Go to SxSW - https://lnkd.in/g5hR23Wb 2. Register with your email address (it’s free). 3. Verify your identity with the 6 digit code sent to your email. 4. Enter your name, email address, choose a password, accept the privacy policy and hit “complete registration”. 5. Type ‘breaking ground’  into the search bar 6. Find our sessions “Breaking Ground: How Emerging Fund Managers Ventured Into Venture" 7. Click the love heart at the bottom that reads “Vote”. Please vote. Please share. Please help us make it happen!

We're over the moon to share the news of Samphire Neuroscience' $2.3m Seed round, where we were delighted to double down on our initial investment. For the millions of women around the world who face a monthly battle with debilitating menstrual pain and other symptoms (brain fog, fatigue, mood variability), Samphire may soon provide welcome relief. As in reported in Techstars, Samphire Neuroscience has developed a head-mounted therapeutic wearable that applies a non-invasive, low electrical current type of brain stimulation, called tDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation). The wearable targets regions of the brain associated with pain perception and mood regulation to, essentially, reduce sensitivity and block pain signals — applying (non-pharmaceutical) neuromodulation as a targeted treatment for period pain and PMS. Congratulations to Emilė R. and Alex Cook on your big day! #femtech

A huge congratulations to the Everlab team on their $3 million pre-seed round, led by leading European VC fund b2venture. We're also delighted to be investing alongside local funds TEN13, Flying Fox, and Playbook Ventures. Our investment in Everlab is a real vindication of our community-powered model. Sam Kothari has been a valued member of the AfterWork community since he was Head of Growth at Airwallex, and Marc Hermann joined the community soon after he moved to Sydney from Berlin. Along with Dr Steven Lu and Anshul Jain, Everlab is a team of experienced entrepreneurs and operators - with a hunger in their belly to build something significant. We're excited to be on this journey as Everlab leads the paradigm shift from reactive to preventative health, and builds an operating system for wellbeing and longevity! #venturecapital #fundraising #startups #health #longevity