Stories

Investment Notes: Wonder

Sharing more about our pre-seed investment in Wonder, an AI creative studio.

What it's like to combine motherhood with running a startup

Founders from within and beyond Blackbird's portfolio explore how best to combine motherhood with running a startup.

Investment Notes: Springboards

More about our investment into Springboards, an AI-core platform purpose built for creative professionals in the advertising industry. 

Investment Notes: Factor House

Sharing more about our investment into Factor House, a Melbourne-founded startup building developer tools for processing real-time data.

Investment Notes: Index

Sharing more about our investment in Index, a dynamic and collaborative platform for product managers.

Investment Notes: Lorikeet

We are pleased to announce that Blackbird has led a USD $9M funding round into Lorikeet.

‘I’m really uncomfortable with certainty’: Meet Michelle Gilmore

Learn how Juno aims to use artificial intelligence to build “the listening engine for the world" from co-founder and CEO Michelle Gilmore.

Investment Notes: Clutch

Sharing more about our investment in Clutch, a consumer goods company whose first product is a liquid fashion tape called Clutch Glue.

How Anh Van combines art with science for her sustainable packaging company La Foundary

As published on Missing Perspectives, meet Anh Van, the co-founder of sustainable packaging company La Foundary.

Annie Liao on raising $1.8M for her unique artificial intelligence start-up at 23-years-old

Build Club founder Annie Liao shares her unconventional path into the start-up world, from VC to founder.

From Strangest Strangers to Co-Founders: The Co-Founder Journey with Sean & Sahan from Veslo

Two early stage founders share their experience finding the right co-founder, and advice for others in a similar position.

Sunroom Co-Founder Michelle Battersby on knowing your strengths and the power of intuition

Michelle Battersby breaks down her journey from marketing at Citibank to now co-running her own founder-led business.

Tracking the gender diversity in our investment pipeline

The latest data from Blackbird on the gender diversity in both our investment team and our investment pipeline.

Investment Notes: Atticus

We are excited to announce that Blackbird has invested in Atticus’ $10.8M capital raise.

Growing the Blackbird Aotearoa flock

Blackbird Aotearoa is having its own startup moment: we’ve had three new Blackbirds join us in the last month, taking us to a team of seven.

The most important marketing question 90% of Giants founders didn’t know they needed to ask

Gemma Clancy runs us through her first cohort as a Giants Mentor, and what early stage founder could also be asking.

What a time to be alive! Sunrise returns next week.

In advance of this year's Sunrise Australia, Blackbird Partner Tom Humphrey takes a moment to share what Sunrise means to him.

A Blackbird Takes Flight

Sam reflects on the journey of Blackbird Aotearoa so far, and the opportunity ahead.

Completing the cycle for LPs

Reflecting on what our LPs mean to Blackbird, what's ahead for our investor community and why we're looking for our next IR superstar.

David Booth joins Blackbird Aotearoa

We are stoked to announce that David Booth has joined Blackbird Aotearoa's investments team as an Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR).

Introducing the Foundations Stage at Sunrise Australia 2024

We’re unveiling the newest (and third) stage and program addition to Sunrise Australia 2024.

A Note From Sam on Kiki

For those following Kiki news, I want to share some background and my perspective on recent media.

2023 Year In Review

Today we’re sharing our wrap on another wild and remarkable year at Blackbird.

Indistinguishable from Magic: The 7 Sources of Moat in AI

“In business, I look for economic castles protected by unbreachable moats” - Warren Buffet

Investment Notes: Clove

We are excited to announce that Blackbird has led a US$2.75M pre-Seed round in Clove.

Investing in More Women and Non-Binary Founders: Part 2

We're sharing a progress update on investing in more women and non-binary founders and what we're learning in cultivating the ecosystem.

How To Be An Investor at Blackbird

Wondering what makes a standout VC? CoS Alexandra Gifford breaks down Blackbird's investment team growth framework.

A word from Rick Baker on The Voice to Parliament

Spotlight On: Connor Archbold, co-founder of Tracksuit

Get to know Tracksuit co-founder Connor Archbold in our monthly founder profile.

Operator Spotlight: Tyler Brown, Partly

Meet Tyler Brown, Technical Solutions Engineer at Partly. With a foundation in space science, he bridges galaxies and automotive gears.

Indistinguishable from Magic: Mapping the Emerging AI Market

“You can't use an old map to explore a new world” – Albert Einstein

Sunrise Speaker Spotlight: Cameron Adams, Canva

This week, for our Sunrise sneak peak, we interview Cam Adams, the co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Canva.

Investment Notes: Marqo

We're proud to have led the seed round into Marqo, the team enabling AI-Based search for developers.

Foundry Mentor: David Bell, Remedy Robotics

We dive into David Bell's career switch from research to entrepreneurship and the lessons learnt. Foundry applications are now open.

Investment Notes: Kiki

We've led the seed round into Kiki (formerly EasyRent). A refreshing take on subletting- focused on people, not property.

Investment Notes: Carepatron

We've co-led the seed round for Carepatron, an NZ-based company revolutionising how independent health practitioners work.

Operator Spotlight: Travis James

We sat down and chatted with Travis James, Growth Operations Manager at Blinq, about his journey from Apple, to Uber to Blinq.

Spotlight On: Joel Connolly, Sunrise Aotearoa Edition

At Sunrise, it's all about learning new things, finding inspiration, exploring your creativity and hearing stories from our most impressive.

Indistinguishable from Magic: A River of Inquiry into AI

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” - Arthur C. Clarke

Sunrise Speaker Spotlight: Brooke Roberts, Sharesies

This week for our Sunrise sneak peek, we interview Brooke Roberts, co-Founder, Director and co-CEO of Sharesies.

Exploring New Creative Frontiers: Into the Metaverse with Ivan Medrano

We talk all things metaverse, diversity in art, creativity and digital fashion with two-time Protostar alumni, Ivan Medrano

Operator Spotlight: Alex Crawshaw, Halter

We sat down to chat with Alex Crawshaw about leaving a big four to join one of NZ's fastest-growing start-ups, Halter.

Sunrise Speaker Spotlight: David Yu, VeVe

This weeks sneak peek behind the Sunrise curtains: David Yu serial entrepreneur and founder of VeVe.

The Next Giants Cohort? 60% women founded

Giants is back! Our free community for wild hearts, wherever they are. Get mentoring, resources, and connect with like-minded people.

Spotlight On: Flavia Tata Nardini, Fleet Space Technologies

For this months Founder profile, we chat with Flavia Tata Nardini Co-Founder & CEO of Fleet Space Technologies

Sunrise Speaker Spotlight: Tim Brown, Allbirds

This week for our Sunrise sneak peek, we interview Tim Brown, the creative vision behind and founder of Allbirds.

Investment Notes: Nomad Atomics

We've led the pre-series A round into ANU physicists-led company Nomad Atomics. Learn more about what the team is building.

Sunrise Speaker Spotlight: Jon Gelsey Xnor.ai & Auth0

This year we'll be giving you a peek behind the curtains before we #MeetAtSunrise and we're kicking it off with Jon Gelsey.

Investment notes: Aquila

We've led the seed round into Aquila, led by Will Jeremijenko and Nelson Smith and their vision to revolutionise renewable energy.

Spotlight On: Ross Chaldecott, Kinde

In our latest monthly Founder profile, we chat with Ross Chaldecott, co-founder and CEO of Kinde

Investment Notes: One Future Football

We are excited to have led the pre-seed round for One Future Football.

A different kind of legal career at Blackbird

Alissa Lucas shares her journey from corporate law, to legal analyst at Blackbird and beyond.

Spotlight On: Laura Bell Main, SafeStack

Meet Laura Bell Main, Founder and CEO of SafeStack, giving software dev teams the ability to build high-quality, secure software at speed.

Who actually gets their dream job? 

Embodying the idea of the hungry and not proven, learn about Becca's career journey from a completely different industry to Blackbird.

Investment Notes: Cotiss

We've led the pre-seed round into Kiwi-founded startup Cotiss. Learn more about what the team is building.

Investing in More Women Founders

Today we’re publishing for the first time our data on how well we’re doing at investing in more women founders.

It's not you, it's me.

Phoebe shares more about her investing process and why you shouldn't be disheartened if a VC decides not to invest in your startup.

Spotlight On: Tim Doyle, Eucalyptus

In our latest monthly Founder profile, we chat to Tim Doyle, co-founder and CEO of Eucalyptus.

On Failure

In contrast to the last few years, 2023 will feature more failures. What do they mean for the startup ecosystem?

Investment Notes: Halter’s Series C

Why we believe that Halter will be one of the great companies to emerge from New Zealand.

Spotlight On: Helena Ngo, MoreGoodDays

Get to know Helena Ngo, the co-founder of MoreGoodDays, in this month’s founder profile.

Investment Notes: Sumday

Sharing more about our investment into Sumday, a non-financial accounting startup to help accountants change the world.

Investment Notes: MoreGoodDays

We’re proud to have led the seed round into MoreGoodDays, a startup making chronic pain treatment accessible to the 1.6B people who need it.

Investment Notes: Tracksuit

Blackbird Aotearoa has led the seed round for Tracksuit, a Kiwi-founded startup delivering beautiful, affordable, always-on brand-tracking.

Greatness from Within

Welcoming Michael Tolo, Tom Humphrey and Phoebe Harrop to the Blackbird Investing Partnership

Blackbird Aotearoa is hiring a Principal

Let me tell you about the best job going in Aotearoa this year.

Understanding a great mentor relationship with our Giants in Residence

We asked some of our most active and in-demand mentors about the lessons learned, and how they show up for the next generation of founders.

Spotlight On: Matt Hinds, co-founder of Sauce

Get to know Sauce co-founder Matt Hinds in our monthly founder profile.

Investment Notes: Syenta

We recently led the seed round into Syenta, a printed electronics company founded in Canberra. Learn more in our investment notes.

Spotlight On: Jenny Busing, Excellent

Get to know Jenny Busing, the co-founder and co-CEO of Excellent in our latest founder profile.

Investment Notes: HYPR

We are excited to announce Blackbird has led an equity financing in HYPERLABS Inc., a stealth-mode San Francisco based robotics startup.

Blackbird is hiring an IT Analyst

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

Spotlight On: Franki Chamaki, HIVERY

For our latest founder chat, we're speaking to HIVERY co-founder and VP Marketing Franki Chamaki.

Firing Up the Sales Engine

Digging into the tactical level of GTM: how to do better in sales, lift conversion rates and increase the velocity of customer acquisition.

Investment Notes: Soul Æther

We’ve led the pre-seed round for Soul Æther, a fictional world and a company in one. What does that mean? Read on to find out.

Investment Notes: Checkmate

We’ve recently co-led the Seed round in Checkmate, a platform unifying the e-commerce experience.

Spotlight On: Aleks Dahlberg

In our latest founder profile, we chat to Sahha founder Aleks Dahlberg.

The Importance of Passion Projects

Patagonia's founder and Blackbird Protostars have more in common than you think

Investment Notes: Sonder

We’ve led the Series B round in Sonder, a rapidly growing employee and student wellbeing company.

Investment Notes: Spice AI

Learn more about our investment in Spice AI, a web3-focused data and AI infrastructure platform.

Spotlight On: Keaton Okkonen

A quick chat with Keaton Okkonen, co-founder and CEO of Melbourne-founded startup Black.ai

The Next Generation of Biohackers

Why we're excited about companies engineering biology

Blackbird invests early

When is the right time to engage with Blackbird? The right time is now. You're never too early.

Investment Notes: Sitemate

We are proud to have led a funding round into Sitemate, a startup we first met through the Startmate Accelerator back in 2017. 

What to expect at Sunrise Aotearoa

We're answering all your Sunrise Aotearoa questions

Our Seed Investment In Blinq

Sharing our investment thinking on Blinq, one of the fastest growing viral SaaS businesses in the world right now.

Spotlight On: Melissa Miller, The Mintable

Get to know Melissa Miller, the co-founder of The Mintable, a startup creating a place where managers belong backed by us here at Blackbird.

Investment Notes: Carepatron

We've invested in the pre-seed round for Carepatron, a Kiwi-founded startup building the world's most beautiful digital workspace for health

The cofounder question

Diving into one of the biggest questions we hear from idea stage founders: do I need a cofounder? and how do I find one?

Investment Notes: Edrolo

We're proud to lead the Series B round for Edrolo, a company we have been privileged to know for some time now.

Spotlight On: Dr. Julio Ribeiro, co-founder & CEO of Inventia Life Sciences

Meet Dr Julio Ribeiro, the co-founder and CEO of Inventia Life Sciences