We support the most exceptional founders, operators and investors with best-in-class programs, propelled by a highly trusted mentor-driven community, and backed by the best angels, venture funds and tech startups in the region. Startmate helps technically-focused founders create world-class companies that solve customer problems. It invests AUD $120,000 for a 7.5% equity stake. Startmate’s three-month program offers a $75,000 investment, mentorship from more than 40 successful founders, sage legal counsel, and a one week trip to Silicon Valley. At the conclusion of the program, there are two demo days, one in Sydney and the other in Melbourne, where the chosen startups present in front of early-stage investors. Startmate was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.

Startmate

Main Sequence Ventures invests in ambitious founders creating the next set of global industries leveraging deep tech or frontier technologies. The firm is backed by the Australian National Science Agency, CSIRO, the Australian Federal Government, and private investors.  All Main Sequence investments leverage world-leading research from Australian public research organizations such as CSIRO, any of Australia's 41 universities or its multitude of other industry research agencies.

Main Sequence Ventures

Blackbird is an Australasian venture capital firm whose mission is to invest in wild hearts, with the wildest ideas, right at the beginning.  We back generational ambition with generational ownership by raising funds and investing in the best startup companies all the way through their journey from idea to beyond IPO. Blackbird was founded in 2012, with a small first fund of $30M from the community of Australian technology founders. That fund invested in the very first rounds of Canva, Zoox, CultureAmp and SafetyCulture and has a TVPI of more than 35x. Today, our portfolio is worth over $7B and includes more than 100 companies across Australia and New Zealand, including rising stars like Propeller, Gilmour Space, Halter, Eucalyptus and Harrison AI.

Blackbird Ventures

WPAN Group Australia is an empowerment investor that creates an environment to empower people to chase their dream to change the world.

PAN Group Australia

Uniseed was established in October 2000 as a $20 million joint venture between the University of Melbourne (UM) and the University of Queensland (UQ).  This proof of concept fund (Fund-1) operated with significant input and support from the commercialization offices of the two universities (UniQuest and Melbourne Ventures Limited), with staff of these organizations making up the majority of the Investment Committee and leading due diligence and management of most investment opportunities.  Over 20 investments, typically of $250,000 - $500,000 were made from this fund.  A new $40 million venture fund (Fund-2) ran from 2005-15, with the addition of a third leading university, the University of New South Wales, and a major private institutional investor, the Westscheme superannuation fund.   The founding universities (UQ & UM) also committed further funds. Australian Super took over Westscheme's essets and commitments in July 2011.  With the start of Fund-2, an independent management team was established, consisting of the CEO and three Investment Managers; one at each university catchment. The Investment Committee was restructured, with dedicated committees established for biotechnology or other technologies. The nominal investment limit was increased to $2.5 million to allow participation in follow-on funding rounds so as to preserve Uniseed's equity position.  On 1 November 2015, Uniseed started its third and largest fund (Fund-3) with the addition of the University of Sydney and the CSIRO to the Universities of Queensland, Melbourne and NSW. This followed three high profile exits in the preceding 14 months (Fibrotech; Spinifex & Hatchtech). Each of the five partners committed $10 million over 10 years to the new fund (total fund $50 million).  Uniseed’s partner research organisations spent nearly $4 billion on research, making up over 40% of the total research spend at 67 research organisations in Australia. Together, these organisations accounted for nearly 500 invention disclosures (34% of total) and 500 new registered IP rights filed (45% of total) over the same period(2013 National Survey of Research Commercialisation).    Unlike private venture capital funds, Uniseed is dedicated to the needs of its research partners, and committed to servicing them consistently over the long term, irrespective of the short term conditions in external capital markets.  It works in very close partnership with the research partner commercialisation companies and staff, providing a valuable adjunct to the capabilities these companies and staff provide.  They in turn provide a best-practice commercialisation service tailored to their respective organisations. These companies are able to leverage to great effect the scale of operation and expertise of the Uniseed network.  The fund is run with commercial discipline, ensuring independence and financial rigor in its investment decision-making processes.  Success is measured by a balance of return on investment (including the flow of funds for research to further the commercialisation of intellectual property generated within the research partner catchments), the establishment of viable start-up companies, the generation of research income for research partners and the improvement of partner commercialisation processes.

Uniseed

Right Click Capital invests in and champions Australia and New Zealand’s bold and visionary tech founders. The firm provides pre-seed and seed capital, guidance, influence, and connections needed to make an industry-defining startup highly attractive for the next stage. Right Click Capita was founded in 2003 and based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Right Click Capital

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization is the federal government agency for scientific research.    It manages three national research facilities, including the Australian Animal Health Laboratory at Geelong; Australia Telescope at Parkes, Coonabarabran, and Narrabri; and the oceanographic research vessel Southern Surveyor.    CSIRO’s research highlights include the invention of atomic absorption spectroscopy, development of the first commercially successful polymer banknote, the invention of the insect repellent in Aerogard, and the introduction of a series of biological controls into Australia, such as the introduction of myxomatosis and rabbit calicivirus which causes rabbit haemorrhagic disease for the control of rabbit populations.    Employing nearly 6,500 staff, CSIRO maintains more than 50 sites across Australia and biological control research stations in France and Mexico. It was founded in 1926 originally as the Advisory Council of Science and Industry.

CSIRO

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation invests using a commercial approach to overcome market barriers and mobilize investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and low emissions technologies. They seek to catalyze and leverage private sector funding for the commercialization and deployment of clean energy technologies necessary for the transition to a carbon-constrained economy.

Clean Energy Finance Corporation

Skip Capital is passionate about backing technology-enabled businesses. It invests in founders and teams with deep experience, who are solving global problems. Skip Capital has made investments in artificial intelligence (AI), software as a service (SaaS), health tech, artificial intelligence, internet of things (IoT), energy, food, education, wellness, and infra-tech. The firm was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Sydney, New South Wales.

Skip Capital

Investing at the frontier of research innovation.

Stoic VC

MegaChips Corporation, a fabless company, focuses on the development of system LSIs and systems products that incorporate original algorithms and architecture. Customers use MegaChips solutions for their office automation, networking and storage needs in a wide range of areas, including imaging, audio, home networking, power management, security and communications environments. The company is headquartered in Osaka., with design centers in san jose, Tokyo and Bangalore

MegaChips

SpringCapital is an Australian Venture Capital firm investing in high-tech companies. It operates an Investment Club and ESVCLP Fund.

SpringCapital Investment

Malcolm Inc manages Malcolm Jenkins’ complete off the field business portfolio and brand partnerships. Current investments include Media, Tech, Apparel, Restaurants and Real Estate.

Malcolm

Hostplus is an industry superannuation fund for the hospitality, tourism, recreation, and sport industries.

Hostplus

Telstra Super is a Financial Services company providing financial planning,investment and insurance services.

Telstra Super

HESTA provides superannuation services, including investment options, insurance, and retirement planning to its members. The super fund is tailored for people working in the health and community services sector.

HESTA

NGS Super provides SuperFund for those in non-government education and community organizations.

NGS Super

Supporting exceptional Australian Founders through Capital and Contribution

Venture Builders

Virescent Ventures is a venture capital that invests in cleantech innovation companies.

Virescent Ventures

Morse Micro

Morse Micro is a fast-growing wireless integrated circuit solutions company that is reinventing Wi-Fi for the Internet of Things (IoT). The company was founded by Wi-Fi pioneers and innovators, Michael De Nil and Andrew Terry, joined by the original Wi-Fi inventor Prof. Neil Weste and wireless industry veterans, whose teams designed Wi-Fi chips into billions of smartphones. Headquartered in Australia with offices in China and the U.S., Morse Micro’s strong and diverse system team, portfolio of IP and patents, enables Wi-Fi HaLow connectivity across the complete IoT ecosystem, from surveillance systems and access control to industrial automation and mobile devices, allowing connected devices to reach farther. www.morsemicro.com

Morse Micro is a fabless semiconductor company focused on developing Wi-Fi HaLow technology for internet of Things (IoT) connectivity. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Sydney, Australia, the company has developed the industry's smallest, fastest, and lowest power Wi-Fi HaLow compliant system-on-chip (SoC) and modules. Morse Micro's Wi-Fi HaLow technology operates on narrow frequency bands in the unlicensed sub-1 GHz spectrum, offering 10 times the range, 100 times the coverage area, and 1000 times the volume of traditional Wi-Fi technologies. This makes it particularly suitable for long-range, low-power IoT applications across various industries, including smart homes, smart cities, industrial IoT, and agriculture.

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Reinventing Wi

Silex and Morse Micro partner on Wifi HaLow module

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A new generation of building blocks for emerging tech

Next-gen Semiconductors

Morse Micro, Vantron team to boost IoT connectivity through Wi-Fi HaLow

Morse Micro is a fabless semiconductor company focused on developing Wi-Fi HaLow technology for internet of Things (IoT) connectivity. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Sydney, Australia, the company has developed the industry's smallest, fastest, and lowest power Wi-Fi HaLow compliant system-on-chip (SoC) and modules. Morse Micro's Wi-Fi HaLow technology operates on narrow frequency bands in the unlicensed sub-1 GHz spectrum, offering 10 times the range, 100 times the coverage area, and 1000 times the volume of traditional Wi-Fi technologies. This makes it particularly suitable for long-range, low-power IoT applications across various industries, including smart homes, smart cities, industrial IoT, and agriculture.
The company's flagship product, the MM6108 SoC, supports 1, 2, 4, and eight MHz bandwidths and can deliver throughput of tens of Mbps, capable of streaming HD video. Morse Micro's technology enables IoT devices to achieve wireless connectivity up to 3 km, significantly beyond the reach of conventional Wi-Fi. The company's solutions are designed to overcome the limitations of traditional Wi-Fi by offering better penetration through obstacles and extended battery life for IoT devices.
As of January 2023, Morse Micro had raised over AU USD 200 million in capital, making it the largest and best-funded Wi-Fi HaLow company globally. The company has been expanding its global presence with offices in the UK, US, China, Japan, Taiwan, and India. In November 2023, Morse Micro was recognized in Fast Company's Next Big Things in Tech list for its innovative approach to IoT connectivity.

SiFive is a fabless semiconductor company founded in 2015 that specializes in designing processor cores and chips based on the open-source RISC-V instruction set architecture. The company provides commercial RISC-V-based platforms and custom silicon solutions, offering a range of processor core IP, development boards, and SoCs. SiFive's technology enables system designers to quickly and easily build custom chips for various applications including data centers, networking, storage, and edge computing. The company's cores offer 30-40% better power efficiency and a smaller size compared to alternatives, allowing for more cores on a chip. SiFive's online platform simplifies the process of designing and testing chips and core IP, even for those new to silicon development. In September 2020, SiFive appointed Patrick Little as President and CEO to accelerate adoption of its technology for next-generation computing solutions. As of March 2022, SiFive had a post-money valuation between USD 1-10 billion.
Key customers and partnerships
SiFive has collaborated with several high-profile organizations. In 2022, NASA announced that SiFive's RISC-V-compatible CPU cores would power its new High-Performance Spaceflight Computer, expected to deliver a 100-fold improvement in performance over its predecessor. SiFive has also worked with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center to create an open-source API for popular compilers, enabling applications to use the RISC-V Vector Extension for high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and computer vision. The company has partnerships with major technology firms, as evidenced by its involvement in initiatives supporting RISC-V International.

SiFive

Alif Semiconductor is a supplier of 32-bit AI/ML-enabled microcontrollers (MCUs) and fusion processors. Founded in 2019, the company's flagship product line is the Ensemble family, which ranges from single-core microcontrollers to multi-core fusion processors. The Ensemble devices combine Arm Cortex-M55 MCU cores, Cortex-A32 microprocessor cores, and Ethos-U55 microNPUs for AI/ML acceleration. Alif's processors are designed to be energy efficient, utilizing the company's Autonomous Intelligent Power Management (aiPM) technology that powers on only what's needed, when needed. This allows for extended battery life in applications like wearables, security cameras, and IoT devices.
The Ensemble family includes the E1, E3, and E7 series, with the E1C serving as an entry-level option. These processors offer high AI performance combined with ultra-low power consumption. For instance, the Balletto family, announced in April 2024, is claimed to be the world's first Bluetooth Low Energy wireless microcontroller featuring hardware optimization for AI/ML workloads. It can perform up to 46 GOPS (Giga Operations Per Second) and is designed for applications such as true wireless stereo earbuds and lifestyle wristbands.
Alif's processors incorporate advanced security features, including a Secure Enclave with its own resources and a configurable secure firewall structure. The company's security architecture aims to counter and resist malicious attacks in deployed edge products. Alif Semiconductor's products are designed to enable seamless integration of technology for everyday life by focusing on low-power techniques, functional integration, accelerated AI and ML edge processing, high security, wireless connectivity, and operating system diversity.
Key customers and partnerships
Alif Semiconductor has collaborated with several companies in the semiconductor and technology sectors. In November 2022, Alif partnered with onsemi to create a camera reference design for low-power applications using machine vision. This collaboration aimed to address challenges in implementing imaging products with long battery life and localized AI/ML capabilities.
In January 2024, Alif Semiconductor and Telit Cinterion unveiled the Vision AppKit, described as the world's smartest and most efficient connected camera reference design. This kit combines Telit Cinterion's wireless technology with Alif's Ensemble E3 series MCU for on-device AI use cases like face and object detection and image classification.
Alif has also worked with Plumerai, a creator of edge AI solutions, to deploy what they claim is the world's most precise person detection on the Ensemble platform. This collaboration demonstrated the potential for accurate computer vision AI in a small form factor that can run on battery power for extended periods.

Alif Semiconductor

Atmosic Technologies is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in ultra-low-power wireless platforms for the internet of Things (IoT). The company's core focus is on developing energy-efficient solutions that reduce or eliminate battery dependency in connected devices. Atmosic's product portfolio includes system-on-chips (SoCs) based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, enhanced with proprietary features for improved power efficiency and energy harvesting capabilities.
Atmosic's flagship products include the ATM3 and ATM33 series of Bluetooth 5.3 SoCs, which incorporate the company's Lowest Power Radio and On-demand Wake-Up technologies. These innovations enable Atmosic's chips to achieve significantly lower power consumption compared to standard Bluetooth solutions. The company's latest offering, the ATM34/e series announced in January 2024, expands its capabilities to support Matter-over-Thread protocol, providing additional flexibility for smart home applications.
The company's technology has found applications in various IoT devices, including asset trackers, beacons, remote controls, keyboards, mice, and wearables. One notable implementation is in Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag2, which utilizes Atmosic's ATM3325 SoC to achieve a 43% reduction in power consumption compared to its predecessor.
Atmosic's business model revolves around selling its SoCs to device manufacturers and providing development platforms to support integration into various IoT products. The company aims to address the growing demand for sustainable and low-maintenance IoT solutions across multiple sectors, including consumer, enterprise, healthcare, and industrial applications.
Key customers and partnerships
Atmosic has established partnerships with several companies in the IoT ecosystem. Samsung Electronics incorporated Atmosic's ATM3325 SoC into its Galaxy SmartTag2, showcasing the technology's ability to extend battery life in consumer products. In March 2023, Atmosic collaborated with Dracula Technologies to create a battery-free remote control reference design, combining Atmosic's ATM33 SoC with Dracula's organic photovoltaic technology.
The company has also partnered with Exeger, a Swedish manufacturer of solar cell technology, to develop energy harvesting solutions for IoT devices. In July 2024, Atmosic announced a partnership with blukii, a brand of hard&softWERK, to power a new Bluetooth beacon with extended battery life.
Atmosic's customer base has expanded significantly, with the company reporting a 500% increase in its customer base and a tenfold increase in shipments in January 2022. The company has also formed a partnership with Universal Electronics Inc., a global leader in universal control solutions for home entertainment and smart home devices.
In the distribution space, Atmosic partnered with Mouser Electronics in December 2023 to make its products more accessible to IoT developers worldwide. This partnership aims to accelerate the growth of sustainable IoT devices by providing immediate access to Atmosic's low-power wireless portfolio.

Atmosic

TenaFe, Inc. is a solid-state drive (SSD) controller startup that develops innovative storage technologies for data centers, edge computing, and client OEM applications. The company specializes in creating PCIe NVMe SSD controllers with advanced features. TenaFe's product lineup includes PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD controllers designed with DRAMless architecture, such as the TC2200, which achieves transfer rates of 4.8GB/s, and the TC2201, which can reach speeds up to 7.4GB/s. For data center applications, TenaFe offers the TC2310, a PCIe Gen 5 NVMe controller that prioritizes performance, power efficiency, and low latency, with a maximum active power average of less than 20W. This controller is compatible with various form factors including E1.S, E1.L, U.2, and E3.S. TenaFe also produces the TB2200, a PCIe Gen 4 NVMe BGA SSD designed for emerging applications such as autonomous vehicles, AR/VR products, and gaming phones. This small form factor SSD is soldered down to provide vibration resistance and shock-proof capabilities. In addition to hardware, TenaFe has developed TenaFe Insight, an SSD development platform that streamlines the process from architecture design to mass production, allowing for on-site or cloud-based development and collaboration with partners. The company's technology incorporates a patented LDPC engine to improve Quality of Service, leading-edge compression algorithms to enhance endurance and capacity, and designs optimized for minimal power consumption.

TenaFe

Menlo Micro is a company that specializes in developing and manufacturing innovative microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches, known as the Ideal Switch technology. The company's core product offering is a range of high-performance MEMS switches that combine the benefits of mechanical relays and solid-state switches. Menlo Micro's Ideal Switch technology enables switches that are significantly smaller, faster, and more reliable than traditional electromechanical relays while providing lower power consumption and better efficiency than solid-state alternatives.
The company's product portfolio includes various switch configurations such as single-pole/single-throw (SPST), single-pole/four-throw (SP4T), and double-pole/double-throw (DPDT) switches. These switches are designed for applications across multiple industries, including industrial automation, smart building controls, energy management systems, telecommunications, aerospace and defense, medical devices, and consumer electronics.
One of Menlo Micro's flagship products is the MM9200, introduced in December 2022. This device is capable of handling 10A of current in a miniature 5mm x 5mm surface-mount package, with an ultra-low contact resistance of 0.010 ohms. The MM9200 offers fast switching speeds of 10 microseconds, a voltage standoff of ±300V, and a mechanical endurance of over 1 billion switching cycles. In March 2023, the company released the MM1200, a six-channel SPST switch designed for power and signal switching applications in both DC and AC circuits.
To support its Ideal Switch products, Menlo Micro also develops complementary technologies such as the MM101, an 8-channel low-voltage to high-voltage driver with an integrated charge pump, released in January 2023. This driver solution aims to simplify the integration of Menlo Micro's switches into various applications.
In July 2023, Menlo Micro announced plans to establish its first domestic production facility, called the Ideal Fab, in Tompkins County, New York. The company committed to investing USD 50 million in this facility over three years, with the potential for additional investments up to USD 150 million as part of a multi-year growth strategy.

Menlo Micro

Companies that develop low-power, high-performance semiconductors for sensors, wearables, and other connected devices.

Companies that develop semiconductors that can support high-bandwidth and low-latency requirements of 5G networks and other wireless communication technologies.

Companies that develop semiconductors that focus on automotive applications such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving as well as in-car entertainment and communication systems.

Companies that develop semiconductors to improve the performance of data center infrastructure.

Companies developing semiconductors for other emerging tech applications, including quantum and edge computing.

Companies in the IoT applications segment develop semiconductors for sensors, wearables, and other connected devices

Develop semiconductor materials and technologies to advance technologies such as IoT, 5G, and AutoTech

RF applications segment companies develop semiconductors for 5G networks and other wireless communication technologies

Morse Micro

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