Partner, Blackbird Ventures
Every published round Niki Scevak took part in, and every parcel of existing shares it bought off another holder. Deals we hold but haven't published yet are not counted.
Companies Niki Scevak has backed in a published round, and companies whose existing shares it bought off another holder.
| Company | What it does | First invested | Rounds | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No portfolio companies recorded yet. | ||||
This is a stake in the fund itself, money that the fund's manager invests, not a stake in the fund manager.
Companies Niki Scevak has backed that another company then bought. An exit for the holding, not a deal Niki Scevak did.
Stories naming Niki Scevak. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
Blackbird partner Niki Scevak argues SaaS is not dead; winners will be companies that reinvent for AI, citing Canva's AI pivot and Kaleido acquisition, plus Heidi Health's new software category for doctors.
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Startmate chief Michael Batko departs following an eight-year stint; COO Phoebe Pincus steps up. The piece credits his tenure for the accelerator's growth, returns and alumni, and notes his exits from two side ventures.
Long-serving Startmate chief Michael Batko departs the accelerator's top job, with operations lead Phoebe Pincus promoted to CEO; the piece also recalls two side ventures Batko previously exited.
Meliora, Clive Dickens' advisory firm, has started backing AI companies alongside a student-focused venture fund that is closing in on its fundraising target.
Also Forbes Australia
Student-run venture fund NextGen Ventures has locked in $1.5 million toward a $2.5 million target, backed by Blackbird's cofounders, Airtree and angel investors, and has already invested in AI startup Fluency.
Sonder, a workplace health and wellbeing provider, closed a 40 million dollar round with Blackbird and Seek leading, Hostplus newly investing, and funds aimed at growth across Australia, New Zealand, Britain and AI features.
Blackbird's investment note explains why it led Index's A$3.5 million seed round with Bain Capital Ventures, Y Combinator and industry angels, profiling the planning platform built by two former Canva and Atlassian staff.
Blackbird's note explains its decision to lead Clutch's $2 million pre-seed round, citing the fashion-glue brand's organic social growth, strong Priceline sales, and upcoming United States retail launch.
A profile of Startmate ranking the twenty most valuable companies it has backed, noting their valuations, past raises and founders, plus Bugcrowd's newly announced purchase of Informer and its climate focus.
Blackbird's investor relations lead reflects on its limited partners, recalls the A$29 million first fund and A$1 billion returned to early backers, and flags her move to part-time as the firm seeks a replacement.
Roundup of January raises: Sonder took $16 million in a Series B extension, Ultra Violette landed $15 million from Aria Growth Partners, VAPAR added $5 million; Sonder also named a new chairman.
Blackbird announces it led Clove's US$2.75 million pre-seed round. Founders Anna Guerrero and Sam Killin, formerly of Canva, are building a recipe creation and discovery platform ahead of a beta launch.
Sydney AI platform Leonardo.Ai has completed a Series A on top of its seed round, taking total backing past $47 million from Blackbird, Side Stage Ventures, Samsung Next, Smash Capital and TIRTA Ventures.
Quantum sensor startup Nomad Atomics, founded by three ANU physicists, has closed a Series A backed by Blackbird and Right Click Capital to commercialise miniaturised gravimeters for mining and navigation.
Melbourne virtual soccer league One Future Football launched and announced a $3 million pre-seed round led by Blackbird Ventures, with several athlete investors participating.
Bondi Partners reposts The Australian's coverage of Fleet Space Technologies' $50m Series C round, which Blackbird Ventures led and Bondi joined, valuing the Adelaide-based nanosatellite maker above $350m.
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Blackbird welcomes Michael Tolo, Tom Humphrey and Phoebe Harrop into its investment partnership, citing their craft, founder relationships and contribution to its New Zealand expansion.
Blackbird's investment notes explain why it led a seed round into Canberra printed-electronics startup Syenta, profiling co-founder Jekaterina Viktorova and the company's multi-material 3D printing technology.
Also Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Forbes Australia
Blackbird's team marks the firm's tenth birthday by unveiling a new A$1 billion fund to back ambitious Australian and New Zealand startups, sketching a 2032 vision of technology dominating the economy.
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Solar cell maker SunDrive has raised a $21 million Series B led by Main Sequence Ventures, with CEFC, Grok and Blackbird investing, and first-time backers including Turnbull, Denholm and Adams.
Also RenewEconomy·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·RenewEconomy·RenewEconomy
Ignition Lane's weekly tech roundup covering fresh Australian startup raises, new venture funds and closes, a wave of acquisitions, delistings and a liquidation, executive moves, and Canva's product launch.
Also Techboard·Startup Daily
Blackbird's investment note sets out why the firm led employee wellbeing company Sonder's Series B, recalling its earlier pass, angel Paul Waide's seed backing, and the startup's shift from student safety to corporate wellness.
Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany
Ignition Lane's weekly wrap reports falling Australian venture funding, lists several startup raises and fund raises, covers Chargefox's acquisition, Volt's closure, the Zip-Sezzle merger termination, and global tech news.
Also Startup Daily·Techboard
Blackbird's investment note announcing it led Edrolo's Series B, recalling Startmate's first cheque and Blackbird's seed leadership in 2013, and profiling the education company's growth since.
Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Techboard·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily
Blackbird Ventures plans a ten-figure 2022 raise split across funds for Australian and Kiwi startups plus top-ups to winners. February 2022 was near-record for Australian startup funding, including Scalapay's $692 million Series B.
Blackbird announces a pre-seed investment in Instant, a checkout startup founded by teenage co-founders Liam Millward and William Gao, aiming to simplify online checkouts and reduce cart abandonment for merchants.
Also SmartCompany·Startup Daily·Australian FinTech·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany·Startup Daily·SmartCompany·SmartCompany
Adelaide proptech HappyCo raised US$52 million (A$72 million) in a Series B led by Camber Creek to build new products, hire locally and pursue acquisitions; it is a 2012 Startmate accelerator alumnus.
Also Startup Daily
Analysis of Blackbird's portfolio: its value jumped 400% to $10 billion by September 2021, driven chiefly by Canva's rapid valuation growth across several raises, while the firm readies a fifth fund.
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