Outset Ventures

A little over three years ago, thanks to an introduction from Hamish Penny, I met three electrical engineers with an audacious vision for the future of EV charging. Dustin, Mike and Robert weren't just thinking about building better chargers — they had fundamental insights about how power grids would need to evolve, and how they could unlock that potential. What they had then was a clear vision and deep technical expertise. No hardware, no prototypes — just first principles thinking about grid and charging infrastructure that made perfect sense. That's all we needed to see to back them at the seed stage. Today, I'm thrilled to share that Kwetta has raised its Series A round of US$10.5M. But the real story isn't the capital raised — it's what this team achieved to get here. In just 2 years, with modest seed funding, they went from a blank sheet of paper to $10M in revenue, 39 charging bays deployed, and a technology that can pukk 10x more power from existing grid infrastructure... Their speed and capital efficiency aren't just impressive — they're nearly impossible in the world of hard tech. This is what world-class execution looks like. I'm delighted to be joined by James Palmer on the board as Blackbird leads this round, alongside Virescent Ventures (welcome Kristin!) and our friends at Icehouse Ventures. Special thanks to Dr. Keith Turner for his wisdom and guidance as Chairman, and to Z & Ampol for being fantastic partners on this journey. To Mike, Dustin, and Rob: thank you for letting me be part of this journey from the very beginning. What you've built in such a short time isn't just a company — it's a blueprint for how New Zealand can build globally significant deep tech companies that matter. This is just the beginning of Kwetta's story, and I couldn't be more excited for what comes next.

Dennisson Technologies is Heading to CES 2025! 🚀 Dennisson Technologies is thrilled to announce that it will be showcasing AURAFLEX™, world’s first thin, flexible, and silent muscle motor at CES 2025 in Las Vegas! As one of the world’s largest technology events, CES offers a platform for innovators to redefine the future, and we are excited to join their ranks. This marks a significant milestone for our team as we bring our pioneering technology to an international stage. By showcasing its versatility as a transformative platform across diverse industries, we aim to inspire collaboration and unlock new innovations. Together with other forward-thinking companies, we look forward to exploring how these industries can leverage our solutions to drive meaningful advancements. What to Expect from Us at CES 2025: - AURAFLEX™: world’s first thin, flexible and silent muscle motor. - Live demonstrations and interactive experiences that showcase how our solutions are empowering businesses and individuals worldwide. We are eager to connect with industry leaders, potential collaborators, and tech enthusiasts. If you’re attending CES 2025, visit us at Booth: 8877 (North Hall, Las Vegas Convention Centre) from January 7th to 10th to experience the future of technology firsthand. Stay tuned for updates, as we gear up for this event. Follow us to be part of our journey! #CES2025 #InnovationUnleashed #DennissonTechnologies #WearableTech #TechForGood

An exciting EoY for the Outset Ventures team as we head towards a final close (in 7 days on the 31st December 2024) of our second deeptech fund, aptly named Outset Fund II. Which is on track to be between our original target of 30-50m NZD. Our team backs the most ambitious kiwi founders and technologies from the outset, Fund II has already invested in OpenStar Technologies, Ternary Kinetics, E-Leviate, Zincovery and Kelvius. If you are a founder and believe you have the next nation changing deep technology reach out. If you are a whole sale investor, its not too late to join us, we remain open till the 31st December 2024 (with exceptions for AIP visa investors given the pending changes, until March 31st 2025). Link to portal in the comments though our partners at Icehouse Ventures. Wishing all an EPIC xmas and new year. 🚀 🎄 🎇 Angus Blair | Jess Gilbert | Michael Bignell | Sonya Popoff Will Barker | Sean Simpson | Peter Beck

I joined Outset Ventures about two and half years ago. The plan was to raise a second Fund of between $30m and $50m to help ambitious Deep Tech companies succeed. What a time to raise a Fund. Notwithstanding all the challenges, we will do a final close of the Fund at the end of December with the likelihood of hitting our target range now very real. We have made 5 investments already thanks to all those who supported our first close in December last year and couldn't be happier with the pipeline in front of us. Anyway, thanks to all our LP's who have backed our vision to support the next generation of Deep Tech entrepreneurs build amazing companies. There is still time for other to join - just get in touch

Streaming live from Outset Ventures ! Hon. Simon Watts announces new emissions plan. #climatech #deeptech #ambition #scaleup

🚀 Zenno Astronautics Hits Major Milestone: Successful Seed Expansion Round! 🌍✨ It’s an exciting time for New Zealand’s growing space sector! At Outset Ventures I had the chance to chat with some incredibly talented engineers who are building a bright future for themselves here in New Zealand. Zenno Astronautics, the Kiwi pioneer in superconducting technologies for space applications, has successfully closed its first seed expansion round! Led by New Zealand’s Global From Day One (GD1), this round attracted substantial investments from industry leaders such as Shasta Ventures, Nuance, K1W1, UniServices, NZVC, and New Zealand Growth Capital Partners (NZGCP)’s Aspire Seed Fund. A game-changer in this round is the addition of Global Brain, one of Japan’s largest VC firms. Their investment reflects growing international confidence in Zenno's revolutionary superconducting technology for space. 🌌 Zenno's mission is to create scalable, fuel-free solutions for space. Their cutting-edge technology enables satellites to reposition in orbit, without reliance on Earth’s resources like fuel or frequent resupply—paving the way for a sustainable future in space. With Global Brain on board, Zenno is poised for global expansion, especially into the Japanese market, known for its leadership in space innovation. This milestone underscores the shared vision between New Zealand and Japan in advancing the global space ecosystem. 🚀🌏 Big congratulations to Zenno Astronautics on this achievement! The future of space is fuel-free, and Zenno is at the forefront of this transformative journey! 🌟 #SpaceTech #Innovation #FutureOfSpace #KiwiTech #GlobalExpansion #TechInnovation #VentureCapital Andrew Bayly Sarah Ramsay