Loading organizations...
Loading organizations...
AfterWork Ventures: Venture capital firm investing in pre-seed and seed-stage ANZ technology startups, focused on a community-led model.
AfterWork Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Sydney, Australia, that invests in pre-seed and seed-stage technology startups across Australia and New Zealand. The organization operates a community-led investment model leveraging a network of tech operators who co-invest and provide hands-on support to portfolio companies. Operating with an estimated 21 to 50 employees, the firm manages a $20 million AUD venture fund and coordinates a community of over 100 active co-investors. The firm specifically targets ambitious founders building businesses with the potential to reach over $100 million in annual revenue. Its industry-agnostic portfolio features investments in several recognizable regional startups, including Cover Genius, Eucalyptus, Car Next Door, Onfido, and Tracksuit. AfterWork Ventures was originally established as a micro-fund before being formally founded in 2020 by Alex Khor and Adrian Petersen.
Key people at AfterWork Ventures.
Key people at AfterWork Ventures.
AfterWork Ventures is an early-stage, community-powered venture capital fund based in Australia and New Zealand that invests primarily in seed and pre-seed technology startups with ambitions to exceed $100 million in revenue[1][3]. Their mission centers on backing next-generation tech companies by providing not only capital—ranging from $100k to $500k per investment—but also access to a network of over 100 tech operators who offer operational support and expertise to portfolio companies[3][4]. They are industry agnostic, focusing on startups that demonstrate strong teams and bold ambitions to make significant impacts in their markets. Their investment philosophy emphasizes empowering founders to transition their “after work” projects into full-time ventures, fostering creativity and imaginative problem-solving[3].
Founded to serve the Australian and New Zealand startup ecosystems, AfterWork Ventures has evolved into a community-driven fund that leverages the collective experience of its network to support early-stage founders. While specific founding year and key partners are not detailed in the available sources, the firm’s evolution highlights a shift towards a model that combines capital with active community engagement and mentorship[3][4]. This approach reflects a broader trend in venture capital towards more hands-on, founder-centric support, particularly in the seed and pre-seed stages.
AfterWork Ventures rides the wave of increasing startup activity in Australia and New Zealand, regions gaining momentum as vibrant tech hubs. Their timing aligns with a growing appetite for early-stage capital and operational support in these markets. By focusing on community-driven support, they address a common gap in early-stage investing where founders often need more than money—they require mentorship and network access. This approach helps accelerate innovation and scale within the local ecosystem, contributing to the maturation of the tech startup landscape in the region[3][4].
Looking ahead, AfterWork Ventures is well-positioned to deepen its influence by continuing to leverage its community model and expanding its portfolio of high-potential startups. Trends such as generative AI, sustainability tech, and digital transformation are likely to shape their investment focus, as indicated by their backing of companies like Velveteen (Generative AI) and Avarni (decarbonization)[4]. Their ability to combine capital with operational expertise will remain a critical differentiator, potentially enabling them to punch above their weight in a competitive venture capital environment. As the Australian and New Zealand tech ecosystems grow, AfterWork Ventures’ role as a catalyst for early-stage innovation is expected to strengthen, helping founders turn ambitious ideas into impactful businesses[3][4].
| Date | Company | Round | Lead Investor(s) | Co-Investor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3, 2026 | Lyka Pet Food | $67.0M Series C | Itai Tsiddon | Craig Blair, Paul Wilson, Craig Blair, Point King Capital, StepStone Group, Wattle Hill Capital |
| Feb 1, 2025 | PropHero | $17.0M Series A | — | ACF Investors, Jenny Fielding, Scott Hartley, Fifth Wall, Jelix Ventures, Red Beard Ventures, Samaipata, Stage 2 Capital, Charles Delingpole |
| Oct 1, 2024 | Enrola | $800K Seed | — | Avalanche VC, Canvas Ventures, IDG Ventures, Meritech Capital Partners, Pareto Holdings, Alexander Rosen, Bradley Horowitz, Frederic Kerrest, Jeremy Stoppelman, Kevin Stumpf, Michael Stoppelman, Ron Pragides, Ryan Carlson, Tushar Garg |
| Oct 1, 2024 | Flora | $1.0M Seed | — | ABB Technology Ventures, Asylum Ventures, Blackhorn Ventures, Construct Capital, Jenny Fielding, Scott Hartley, Everywhere Ventures (The Fund), Highline Beta Inc., High Line Venture Partners, iNovia Capital, Root Ventures, Third Sphere, Ron Pragides, Ryan Melohn |
| Sep 1, 2024 | Matilda Migration | $690K Seed | — | Cultivation Capital, Jenny Fielding, Scott Hartley, Everywhere Ventures (The Fund), Techstars, Alex Oppenheimer |
| Sep 1, 2024 | Restoke | $4.0M Seed | — | Jenny Fielding, Scott Hartley, Everywhere Ventures (The Fund) |
| Mar 1, 2024 | PipeDreams | $26.0M Seed | — | 2xN, Allison Pickens Ventures, formerly The New Normal Fund, Alumni Ventures, Avalanche VC, Bond, Canvas Ventures, Conviction Partners, Scott Hartley, Flexcap, Flucas Ventures, Founders Fund, IDG Ventures, Incisive Ventures, Meritech Capital Partners, Modern Venture Partners, Paradigm, Pareto Holdings, Pear VC, Alexander Rosen, Social Capital, Stellar Capital, Unpopular Ventures, bill weathersby, Bradley Horowitz, Claire Diaz-Ortiz, Elad Gil, Frederic Kerrest, George Godula, Jeremy Stoppelman, John Collison, Julian Shapiro, Karim Atiyeh, Kevin Stumpf, Mandeep Singh, Michael Stoppelman, Ron Pragides, Ryan Carlson, Tushar Garg |
| Feb 21, 2024 | Samphire Neuro | $2.3M Pre-Seed | — | Pamela Walker Geddes, Rowena Ironside, Ayuh, CVX Ventures, Firstpick, Seaside Ventures, Duncan Turner |
| Jan 1, 2024 | Indemn | $3.0M Seed | Markd VC | Cake Ventures, Cornerstone VC, Jenny Fielding, Scott Hartley, Everywhere Ventures (The Fund), Pitbull Ventures, Yes VC, Ash Rust, Jack Leeney |
| Dec 1, 2023 | Everlab | $2.0M Seed | btov Partners | Andreessen Horowitz, Banana Capital, Jenny Fielding, Scott Hartley, Everywhere Ventures (The Fund), Flex Capital, Flourish Ventures, Invariantes Fund, LGF, Ludlow Ventures, Streamlined Ventures, Albert Armengol, Andreas Mihalovits, Tom Blomfield, Zachary Rapp, Flying Fox Ventures, TEN13 |
| Sep 1, 2023 | SearchEye | $740K Pre-Seed | AfterWork Ventures | Archangel Ventures, Everywhere Ventures |
| Sep 1, 2023 | tikpay | $1.0M Seed | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2023 | Lyka Pet Food | $25.0M Series B | StepStone Group | Adrian Petersen, Point King Capital, Shearwater Capital |
| Dec 22, 2022 | Aerotruth | $1.3M Seed | Ben Armstrong | Black Sheep Capital, Change Com, Simon Mckendry, Spring Capital, Unlock Capital |
| Oct 1, 2022 | klikit | $2.0M Seed | Global Founders Capital, B. Paul Santos | Hashed, Kevin Aluwi, Lazerbeam, Nuseir Yassin, Seung Yoon Lee, Gentree Fund, Moving Capital, Nordstar, Pentas Ventures, Reshape |
| Oct 1, 2022 | PropHero | $5.0M Seed | Samaipata | ACF Investors, Jenny Fielding, Scott Hartley, Fifth Wall, Jelix Ventures, Red Beard Ventures, Stage 2 Capital, Charles Delingpole |
| Jul 1, 2022 | Avarni | $2.0M Seed | — | Grit Ventures, Main Sequence Ventures, Morpheus Ventures, The Valley Fund |
| Jun 1, 2022 | Personio | $200.0M Series E | Greenoaks Capital | 468 Capital, Accel, AngelList Syndicator, Animoca Brands, Antler, Atypical Ventures, Avalanche VC, Canvas Ventures, Cherry Ventures, Citi Ventures, CRV, Ali Tamaseb, Double Prime LLP, Earlybird Venture Capital, Founders Fund, Fuse Venture Partners, Global Founders Capital, HV Capital, IDG Ventures, Index Ventures, Insight Partners, Insignia Ventures Partners, Iris Capital, LAUNCHub Ventures, LEA Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, lool ventures, Meritech Capital Partners, Northzone, Notion Capital, Paradigm, Pareto Holdings, QED Investors, Alexander Rosen, Scalar Capital, Sequoia Capital, Singular, Streamlined Ventures, The Hit Forge, TLV Partners, Vera Equity, Visionaries Club, WestCap, Wing Venture Capital, Andrew Robb, Augusto Marietti, Berkay Mollamustafaoglu, Bradley Horowitz, Frederic Kerrest, Gokul Rajaram, Ivan Mazour, Jeremy Stoppelman, Kevin Stumpf, Konstantin von Unger, Louis Beryl, Maria Raga, Michael Stoppelman, Mike Vernal, Nedelcho Spasov, Roland Berger, Ron Pragides, Ryan Carlson, Stanimir Vassilev, Svetozar Georgiev, Tobin Ireland, Tushar Garg, Vitalik Buterin |
| Feb 4, 2022 | OwnHome | $31.0M Series A | — | Entr e Capital, Global Founders Capital, Possible Ventures, Toby Norton-Smith |
| Feb 1, 2022 | PropHero | $2.0M Seed | Melvin Hade | Jenny Fielding, Scott Hartley, Fifth Wall, Jelix Ventures, Samaipata, The Fund |
| Jan 1, 2022 | Skippet | $2.0M Seed | — | Adverb Ventures, Avalanche VC, Broadway Angels, Canvas Ventures, Canyon Creek, DX Ventures, Freestyle Capital, Haystack, IDG Ventures, LGF, Mangrove Capital Partners, Meritech Capital Partners, Moxxie Ventures, NEO, One Planet Group, Pareto Holdings, Pitbull Ventures, Renegade Partners, Alexander Rosen, Root Ventures, Scribble Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Silicon Valley Connect, Think + Ventures, YLEM, Aston Motes, Bradley Horowitz, Christian Reber, Farhad Mohit, Frederic Kerrest, Gokul Rajaram, Jeff Seibert, Jeremy Stoppelman, Kevin Stumpf, Michael Stoppelman, Moshe Lifschitz, Ron Pragides, Russell Cook, Ryan Carlson, Scott Banister, Tushar Garg, Wayne Chang |
| Jan 1, 2022 | Prof Jim | $1.0M Seed | — | Avalanche VC, Canvas Ventures, IDG Ventures, Meritech Capital Partners, Pareto Holdings, Alexander Rosen, Bradley Horowitz, Frederic Kerrest, Jeremy Stoppelman, Kevin Stumpf, Michael Stoppelman, Ron Pragides, Ryan Carlson, Tushar Garg |
| Jan 1, 2022 | Modumate | $3.0M Seed | — | Avalanche VC, Canvas Ventures, IDG Ventures, Meritech Capital Partners, Pareto Holdings, Alexander Rosen, Bradley Horowitz, Frederic Kerrest, Kevin Stumpf, Michael Stoppelman, Ron Pragides, Ryan Carlson, Tushar Garg |
| Jan 1, 2022 | Walnut | $35.0M Series B | Felicis Ventures | 2.12 Angels, A Capital, Avalanche VC, Cadenza Capital Management, Canvas Ventures, Castle Island Ventures, Cyberstarts VC, Eight Roads Ventures, IDG Ventures, Meritech Capital Partners, NFX, Pareto Holdings, Alexander Rosen, Sanofi Ventures, SV Angel, The Hit Forge, Twenty Two Ventures, Webtalk Ltd, Y Combinator, Adrian Aoun, Alex Sok, Ameet Patel, Ariel Maislos, Bradley Horowitz, Frederic Kerrest, Jeremy Stoppelman, Kevin Stumpf, Michael Ma, Michael Stoppelman, Ronny Conway, Ron Pragides, Scott Belsky, Sumon Sadhu, Tushar Garg, Yuval Weisglass, Ariel Cohen, Eynat Guez, James Ireson, Kim Walsh, Michael Shaulov, Ryan Carlson, Sarah Franklin, Stacey Epstein, Stephanie Robotham |
| Dec 1, 2021 | Casa | $21.0M Series A | Acrew Capital | AirAngels, Alt Capital, Avalanche VC, Awesome People Ventures, Balderton Capital, Canvas Ventures, Castle Island Ventures, Citi Ventures, Earl Grey Capital, Footwork, Gigafund, Gradient Ventures, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Hoxton Ventures, ICONIQ Capital, IDG Ventures, Insight Partners, Lowercarbon Capital, Meritech Capital Partners, Not Boring Capital, Pareto Holdings, Preston-Werner Ventures, Radical Ventures, Alexander Rosen, Spero Ventures, Supercharge.vc, The Hit Forge, Tribe Capital, UpHonest Capital, Vibe Capital, Zigg Capital, Allison Pickens (Allison Pickens Ventures), Arash Ferdowsi, Bradley Horowitz, Christian Reber, Derrick Li, Ed Zimmerman, James Beshara, Jeremy Stoppelman, Josh Spear, Justin Mateen, Kevin Stumpf, Michael Stoppelman, Mike Greenfield, Ron Pragides, Ryan Carlson, Scott Belsky, Tushar Garg, Naval Ravikant, Avon Ventures, Lerer Hippeau, Positive Sum, Stillmark, Tioga Capital |