The Transparent Venture Capital podcast, brought to you by Tribe Global Ventures, the VC helping B2B Tech companies scale into the UK and US. This podcast seeks to give insights into venture investing for both founders and investors, and have a bit of fun along the way.
Today's guest is Chris Milligan, and Entrepreneur and Investor based in London. We are proud to also have Chris as a shareholder, investor, and venture partner at Tribe Global Ventures. Fresh out of university at QUT, Chris founded Adepto, a B2B SaaS HR platform. In 2015, Chris participated in an early version of Tribe's UK mission and relocated to London five months later, raising a Seed round from UK investors and establishing Adepto in Europe. With teams in both Brisbane and London, Chris continued to scale Adepto, raising further capital and working with global customers, including PwC, Cisco, AECOM, and BAE Systems. In 2019, Adepto was acquired by the US learning platform Degreed, where Chris joined the leadership team and supported a $150 million Series D. Since leaving Degreed in 2022 and still based in London, Chris founded Konfir, an instant employment and income verification solution built on banking, payroll, and tax data. Having raised £3.6m in Pre-seed and Seed funding from UK angels and VCs, Konfir is on track to become the go-to solution for UK verifications. Chris is a passionate supporter of Venture Capital and has invested in and advised over 15 early-stage tech companies in both Australia and overseas. He frequently visits Australia, blending his expertise and experience to support emerging entrepreneurs. hello@tribeglobal.vc
Aaron and Don debrief on the 9 days they had in the US with founders and investors.
In this week's episode: Let's be clear -- the very best B2B companies just explode. www.reshop.com has closed a USD$17m capital raise in 2025. 14 venture capitalists unpack the year ahead. A bridge to nowhere. Its the Data stupid. Cloning websites made easy. hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this week's episode: NASDAQ & S & P 500 fall- why it matters. Kirstin Hunter joins equity platform Birchal as CEO. The startup lesson Australia still struggles with. Why taste, not tech, will be the advantage in the age of AI. Ingredients AI founders will need. Why startups fail. You can have everything you want, just not at the same time. Is your CEO a fraud? Sharts: hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this week's episode: Employment Hero AI adoption drive. Michael Luorebuilt a basic version of Docusign in 2 days. AI development not fool proof just yet. We are all just wrappers of the previous thing. Market places are squarely in the firing line of AI agents. New definitions of product market fit. Cold outreach by Paypal. Top of funnel is a waste of time sub $5mil? Sharts hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this week's epsidoe: Findings from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services on the Wholesale investor tests are out. AI Agents talking in their own language (data over sound). Voice agents getting better. User experience is part of the rapid growth story: B2B feeling B2C. Vu Tran seeking resumes. Don't assume a static world: model performance and cost. Good Empire in administration. Sharts hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this week's episode: Five V SaaS Summit, Sydney March 20th 2025. KKR Acquires Stake in HRM Platform Employment Hero from SEEK Investments. Kiki's investor reports reveal millions burned amid legal risks. The middle class engineer is dying. And it's dying because they're not needed anymore. Small teams are the future. What comes fast can be lost fast. Splose AI raises $5million. Finding creative loop holes. hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this weeks episode: OpenAI AI SDR. Investigating ChatGPT Search: Insights from 80 Million Clickstream Records. Glass jaw man baby make face bid to buy OpenAI. YC's first AI Startup School. Cursor becomes the fastest company to $100M ARR. 2021 VC cohort looking very grim. VC's don't reject you after deep DD. About 50% of companies will go from Seed to Series A. Lessons in VC. Themes of the week. Sharts. hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this week's episode: Outbound isn't dead. The worst thing that can happen to your startup isn't failure. Australian start-up Lorikeet cracks $100m valuation in AI agent boom. Robotics has reached a tipping point. First bullet point or last bullet point AI companies. Miss America Nuclear Power debate. Adrian Di Marco awarded OAM for his service to information technology. Theme's of the week. Sharts hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this episode we are joined by Chris Gillings of Cut Through Venture and Mitchell Bissinger of Folklore Ventures to discuss the 2024 State of Australian Startup Funding Results. You can get access to the full report here. hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this week's episode: The Keeper Test: Netflix website description. The severance package. What the staff say about it. Deepseek: 20VC episode SEO getting harder. Own your own audience. Can you return a VCs fund? Find a niche. Sharts: hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this episode of In The Trenches, Dave and Jake from VenueNow share their evaluation of www.relevanceai.com with Don and Duncan from Tribe Global Ventures. The Ben AI YouTube channel referenced: https://www.youtube.com/@BenAI92 hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this week's episode: Matt Vitale sets down and leaves Birchal. Rise of the zombie VCs: Australian venture capital faces a year of reckoning. LinkedIn is in danger of being swamped by AI-generated slop. Not all channels are equal Meta removes fact checkers & scraps diversity policies Silicon Valley's lurch to the right catches the eye of local VCs. Strategy is to learn and change as quickly as possible. Theme's of the week. Sharts:
In this episode of Founder Focus, we are joined by Dr Vu Tran. Vu is a visionary entrepreneur and co-founder of Black Sky Industries, a leading Australian aerospace and defense company specializing in sovereign solid rocket propulsion systems and advanced manufacturing. Before co-founding Black Sky Industries, Vu Tran was a co-founder of Go1, one of the world's leading online learning platforms. Go1, has raised approximately $400 million in total funding with the last valuation of approximately $3 Billion. The key topics of the episode include: Transition from Go1 to Defense Tech: Vu explained his journey from co-founding Go1 to co-founding Black Sky Industries. He emphasized the importance of succession planning and his realization that he thrives in early-stage ventures, which led to his pivot toward defense technology. Focus on Sovereignty in Defense: Vu highlighted the critical need for sovereign capabilities in Australia, explaining the risks of over-reliance on foreign defense systems and the importance of building local capacity, particularly in rocket propulsion and related technologies. Insights for Founders: Vu shared his belief in the value of self-awareness and understanding one's strengths and passions. He spoke about the importance of stepping back as a founder when necessary and fostering a strong organizational culture to sustain growth. Cultural Leadership Approach: At Black Sky Industries, Vu introduced the concept of separating HR administrative tasks from people and culture development. This approach aims to ensure personal and professional growth for employees while aligning their roles with the company's mission. Defense as a Growing Market: Vu discussed the expanding total addressable market (TAM) for defense technology globally, emphasizing the high demand and low supply for solid rocket motors and other technologies. He pointed out that defense tech is an emerging space with significant investment opportunities. Challenges and Misconceptions in Defense: Vu addressed public criticism and misconceptions about working in the defense sector. He emphasized the defensive—not offensive—nature of Black Sky's mission, focusing on protecting sovereignty rather than aggression. Bootstrapping Success: Black Sky Industries is entirely bootstrapped and profitable, with about 30 employees. Vu shared lessons from his Go1 experience about taking calculated risks and scaling sustainably. Technology and Innovation: Vu mentioned the potential second-order effects of defense technology on civilian applications, such as using rocket motors for research and innovation in other industries. Broader Perspectives on Venture and Growth: The discussion touched on the challenges of venture capital and the need for founders and investors to focus on areas with less competition and high-growth potential, such as defense. hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this week's episode: 2025 predictions. Employment Hero uses mostly scrip to acquire company. Text to action AI will fundamentally change the world. The Great UI overall because of AI Agents. AI and hardware working together to change the lives of people paralysed. People with more resilience live longer. Here are six ways to build it. Why first time founders can outperform multi founders. Bench Accounting shuts down abruptly after raising $100million. Product Market Fit broken down into 2 categories. VC Firms Drop. A reminder that capital comes easiest from networks that like and trust you. hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this weeks episode: Share price decline for accelerator Scalare Partners. Open AI goes down for 4 hours Satya Nadella on future of business apps in agentic era. After 2 years of talking about how important AI is, the government is going to spend the next 12 months developing a capability plan. Google announces quantum computing breakthrough. Resourcefulness over resources. Blackbird-backed HR start-up Tandem shuts down due to lack of demand. Birchal raises $2 million in 29 hours through crowdfunding. Ten13 turns 5. Sharts: hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this weeks episode: Jerry Seinfeld's take on AI. Jeff' Bezos all in on AI. AI tool ability to synthesis data: Andrew Tate YC's request for startups. Picking the category winner: VC mental torture. Eyes on the price. Startmates $500 voucher. Donald actually has something smart to say. hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this week's episode: Med-Gemini Instagram dubbing. Follow the ball? Australia's fastest growing companies. Introducing the Salary Efficiency Ratio from Edward Keelan. AI company growth rates. From selling access to selling work. Inside Swoop Aero's fall from $100 million buyout offer to liquidation. Hostplus' $125m VC bet signals super's resurgent interest in start-ups. Scale takes aim at Australia's venture gender gap with $100m fund. This VC for elite athletes is launching its first fund. Micro-VCs: fund size as a strategy. Sharts: hello@tribeglobal.vc
Ben Thompson is the CEO and co-founder of Employment Hero, a platform revolutionizing how small and medium-sized businesses manage their HR, payroll, and benefits. With a mission to make employment easier and more rewarding for everyone, Ben has been at the forefront of driving innovation in the workforce management space. Under his leadership, Employment Hero has grown to serve businesses globally, empowering teams with tools that foster productivity and engagement. This episode discusses topics such as raising capital, go-to-market strategies, managing shareholders, his views of building a high performing culture, DEI, and handing criticism from people outside the business. hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this weeks episode: AI gets rich. Chegg: a cautionary tale the large AI companies eating the smaller ones. Employment Hero abruptly changed course on strategy. Just don't call it a pivot. The tech industry must evolve beyond ‘problematic geniuses'. Carta Data: 50% of employees depart within three years. Luke Anear to step down as SafetyCulture CEO, transition to executive chair role. Canva poaches Zoom's chief financial officer. Starting a company vs starting a fund. hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this weeks episode: Directionally right: where the SaaS market is going- lower prices even if you survive. AI voice agents map by Bessemer. Decidr.ai AI parallel world https://youtu.be/MiPXWf_8BUs AI Chat Bot https://youtu.be/zRT86TKMaKA AI CRM automation https://youtu.be/ta2hGRlmtm0 AI natural language search: https://youtu.be/yHDhgw9AEAw Scalare completes ASX listing. Trump wins: what founders can learn from Trump. Fintech non-bank lender Bridgit has secured a $250 million facility with Citi. Equitise falls into administration. Hivery falls into administration. Figuring out what to build is the most valuable thing. Rocket pads Gilmour Space and Southern Launch get ready for lift off. Sharts hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this weeks episode: AI voice bots becoming functional for sales and support. AI using video to remove the SaaS and the human. AI being used to hire staff. Smart pre-launch strategies using networks and fomo. Channels are changing too. House sold using ticktoc. Canva creates specific AI team. Sharts: hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this episode, Aaron and Don dial in from Denver and share their thoughts from the Tribe 2024 US Expansion Mission with Ash and Jack.
Today we are joined by Chris Gillings, founder of Cut Through Venture and part of the Venture Capital investment team an Five V Capital. Chris talk to us about key aspects of the Q3 2024 Australia Venture Capital Funding report which you can access here. The report is a data-driven analysis of Australia's venture capital ecosystem, released quarterly to inform investors, founders, and the wider startup community about current market trends and dynamics. The report compiles comprehensive data on investment volumes, sector-specific trends, funding sources, and investor sentiment. This quarterly update helps track the flow of capital into startups, shifts in sector popularity, and emerging areas of opportunity and challenge within the startup landscape. https://www.cutthrough.com/
In this weeks episode: SXSW: Australian founders have some advice for government. Founder Mode by Paul Graham. Harry Stebbing raises Europe's largest venture fund of 2024. Drone start-up Swoop Aero crashes to earth, enters administration. Disrupt Radio, the media startup about startups, is hoping to stage a live comeback next month. What do VC's do all day. Themes of the week. Sharts: hello@tribeglobal.vc
Tom Humphrey is a venture capital investor with Blackbird, one of Australia's leading venture capital firms. At Blackbird, he focuses on partnering with early-stage technology startups and providing the guidance and capital necessary to help these companies scale. With a deep understanding of the startup ecosystem, Tom is known for his strategic insights into what it takes for founders to build transformative businesses. Before joining Blackbird, Tom had extensive experience as COO of Kanopy, a video streaming platform for academic and public libraries that went through 2 financing rounds and exited to KKR. This background enables him to understand both the investor and founder perspectives, making him a valuable partner for the entrepreneurs he supports. Tom contributes exceptional content aimed at educating and empowering both founders and investors. His writings hosted on Blackbird's website delve into topics such finding product market fit, and the evolving nature of AI as a service. We highly recommend consuming any content Tom puts out. Key aspects of this episode include: Traditional outbound channels are now "dead". The generational shift changing go-to-market strategies. AI in vertical SaaS. Much more! hello@tribeglobal.vc
Tom Waterhouse, renowned racing identity turned venture capitalist, joins us on the podcast to share his journey from the world of racing to founding his investment firm, Waterhouse VC. Tom founded Waterhouse VC in 2019, focusing on investing in global businesses related to the wagering and gaming sectors. The fund primarily invests in B2B services to wagering operators rather than consumer-facing companies. They target companies that provide essential services to wagering operators. This includes investing in businesses at the intersection of wagering, video gaming, and media. Waterhouse sees emerging opportunities in the Metaverse and online ecosystems where wagering services could play a role. Tom offers insights into how he approaches venture capital investment using options, his key areas of focus, and the vision behind Waterhouse VC. The fund leverages the Waterhouse family's extensive experience in the wagering industry and targets high-growth opportunities, particularly in sectors where regulatory pressures on operators could create demand for innovative B2B services. hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this weeks episode: Q3 2024 Cut Through Venture Report: VC funding plummets again as mega deals remain elusive. $3b Queensland unicorn Go1's investors prep secondary. Bookings platform Attekus raises $5m from Five V, QIC Ventures. Brisbane recycling social enterprise Circonomy placed in voluntary liquidation. VC firm Antler exceeds target for second Australian fund. Google NotebookLM. Sharts: hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this week's episode: 'Venture capital is broken': Scalare pitches backdoor IPO as VCs question model. Ed Keelan of Octopus Ventures releases Losing Product Market Fit part 3. Startmate returns. Cannon-Brookes-backed millennial super fund Spaceship snapped up by eToro in $80 million merger. VC's looking for low hanging M&A fruit. Is the SaaS era over? SaaS Growth is cooling but free trials are converting at double the rate to freemium models. What are your competitors doing? By Magic Breif. Sharts: hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this week's episode: Eucalyptus pauses Compound, its $1000-a-month men's longevity program. The curious case of scale-up advisory's backdoor ASX listing via a defunct lolly shop. The lines between equity, secondary sales and debt are blurring. "You gotta burn to earn", but how much is too much? DAAS capital: Death-as-a-service platform Willed raises $3 million as media company Seven signs on. Great listener questions: Investment into the GP How IC's work Sharts hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this weeks episode: Investor Adir Shiffman must pay Sleeping Duck co-founders' legal costs, court orders. Startup Daily Awards. Persistence. Persistence combined with the right focus. Build it and the likely wont come. Australia's startup scene has delivered the 3rd-highest liquidity behind the U.S. and China, new analysis shows. AI getting rid of internal systems at Klana. Bluejay AI goes into liquidation owing approximately $8million. Snake oil': Don't believe the artificial intelligence hype. - Sharts hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this weeks episode: Why Uber abandoned Carshare for Turo. Losing product market fit. Ed Keelan's Part 2 Blog. SafetyCulture raises $165Mil in primary and secondary at $2.5 billion valuation. Calling it a $165Mil raise is not right by Simon Thomsen. You can raise $10Mil and still walk away with zero. Why Startup Marketers Should Be Diagnosticians — Advice from OpenAI's and Stripe's First Marketing Hire. Beware of marketing personas. Taking advice from founders and investors. VC red flags Sharts hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this week's episode: Nvidia slumps on earnings day. AustralianSuper takes billion-dollar hit on venture capital failure. Super funds squeezed out of VC. Uber scraps $105m Aussie car-sharing division. Drive Mate hopes to fill Uber's gap. Startups shutting down at a greater rate. Losing product market fit by Ed Keelan. Retention.com cuts staff, talks about loosing PMF. Early DPI may not be a good thing. Sharts: hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this weeks episode of Tribe Talkin': Blackbird and Canva not to happy about leakers of Leonardo.ai deal details. Jesse Wu departs Afterwork Ventures. Investors back ‘unicorn' Go1 CEO swap, as IPO plans emerge. Edtech LoveHeart AI schools up on $2.3 million Seed round. Crowdfunding firm Equitise seeks survival funding after ‘diabolical' 18 months. Outbound is dead. hello@tribeglobal.vc
On this weeks episode of Tribe Talkin': Man baby owner of X/Twitter is suing a group of advertisers and major companies, accusing them of unlawfully agreeing to "boycott" the site. Flippa's CEO says he's been told not to publicise VC exits that aren't fund returners because they don't fit the narrative. Is it easier to get $200million than $2million? Shunned by banks and major funds, Sircel managed to secure $5 million. Loan Bio lays off the majority of its staff in the US after six months. 5 execs have left Canva ahead of IPO. Start-up founder Dr Dean Freestone is suing the Victorian government's troubled venture capital fund Breakthrough Victoria. Companies becoming more product led to arrest falling growth. Atlassian has a weak quarter. Public SaaS metric benchmarks by Matt Aird. Tech unicorn SafetyCulture is on the hunt for a new Chief AI office. Venture backed startups take a decade to build. The best vintages of VC is when its hard. 10 startup lies. Sharts: hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this weeks episode: TEN13 passes $100M invested. OneVentures launches new $200m fund to address the lack of growth stage funding in Australia. Australian venture capital firms face a battle for their future. Leonardo was finding it harder and harder before the Canva acquisition. Hundreds of millions of people have tried ChatGPT, but most of them haven't been back. Retail AI start up Hivery backed written down to Zero. Big players will continue to ramp up investment in AI capacity. hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this great episode of Founder Focus, we are joined by Wayne Gerard. Wayne is the Co-Founder and former CEO of Redeye, a cloud-based Engineering Drawing Management System that enables organisations to securely store, markup, and collaborate on engineering drawings and documents from any device. Redeye was acquired by Accruent. Accruent is a global provider of solutions for unifying the built environment. Wayne founded Prtnr Ventures (pronounced Partner) is an investment and advisory company focused on creating a sustainable and vibrant future. Prtnr invests in climatetech and healthtech to enhance the health and longevity of our planet and people. Whilst CEO of Redeye, Wayne appointed as Queensland's 4th Chief Entrepreneur and worked tirelessly to support entrepreneurship throughout QLD. In 2015, Wayne was named Queensland Entrepreneur of the Year. Wayne has also been a serving member on several boards, including StartUpAus and the Premier's Business Advisory Council. Wayne is authentic and deeply honest of the ups and down of the Redeye journey, and there are many lessons for entrepreneurs and investors in this episode. Wayne give so much to the QLD innovation ecosystem, and we appreciate the time he spent with us. hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this weeks episode: ESOP fine print. "Losing money is an under-appreciated asset with our strategy" Ubers early backers. Microsoft has become Canva's most dangerous competitor? Construction safety scaleup HammerTech nails $105 million raise. Workplace talent management platform SeenCulture has raised $1 million. Eye of the tiger in founders by Phil Morle. Airtree: IPO's and exits. Entrepreneurial activity on the Gold Coast is among the highest in the world. Sharts: hello@tribeglobal.vc
In this weeks episode: Federation's Sendle deal draws intense VC scrutiny as fresh terms offered. US on track to cut interest rates. “Investment ready vs ready for investment” - Marc Orchard Timing between seed and series A. Tesla tumbles on report of delayed Robotaxi unveiling. Behind the scenes of the Archegos collapse. Behind Eucalyptus' big bet that men will spend $1,000 a month on their health. Failure is built into the system. Michael Fox moving to London. Why is Woolies having success where Milkrun wasn't after investing $80m+? Vu Tran Post: "I'd be terrified about the idea of starting a new B2B SaaS business in the current environment". Sold for $1, Scyne claws back a third of PwC's revenue. Sharts: hello@tribeglobal.vc
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