Fundraising FoxSydney · Pre-Seed–Series A · 32 people tracked
Also known as Black Nova
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Investment thesis
Black Nova backs brilliant founders solving acute problems in the B2B SaaS industry. The firm looks for teams with deep domain expertise and determined, ambitious founding members, investing across the pre-seed to Series A stages. It emphasizes a transparent, founder-supportive, and trust-based approach to working with the companies it backs.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 32 people
from the firm's website
Founder mafia
The Black Nova VC mafia →9 people who came through Black Nova VC went on to found or lead other companies.
What they invest in
from 45 of 56 portfolio companiesSaaS ×29AI & Machine Learning ×18Enterprise Software ×14HR Tech ×8Developer Tools ×6Healthtech ×6Data & Infrastructure ×5Future of Work ×5
HQs:Australia×16New Zealand×3United States×3United Kingdom×1Ireland×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 31 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×182 founders×93 founders×24+ founders×2
Where their founders studiedfrom 26 founders with education data
University of Technology Sydney ×3UNSW ×3University of Adelaide ×2University of Melbourne ×2
What their founders studiedfrom 27 founders with field-of-study data
Business & Management ×7Computer Science ×7Engineering ×5Finance & Accounting ×5Design & Architecture ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 31 founders with career history
Australian Army ×2Ey ×2Fairfax Media ×2Macquarie Group ×2UNSW ×2
1 hold an MBA (of 29 with degree data)
Investments · 56 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2023 · 22022 · 12021 · 36 dated
8seats is a company-controlled team messaging app for frontline and deskless workforces, positioned as a WhatsApp alternative that keeps work conversations, contacts and history on a business-owned platform.
Enterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaS
Iain McDonald(Founder)inSándor Moldán(Founder)in
Co-investorsJelix Ventures
Altai is a casting platform built for actors, agents, casting teams, and clients to collaborate across locations and time zones in a single space.
MarketplacesMedia & EntertainmentSaaS
Josh Algie(Founder)inRenee Currie(Founder)
Co-investorsAntlerAntler AustraliaSkalata
Arlula builds infrastructure for Earth Observation, providing automated, secure systems that move satellite data through organizations at scale.
Data & InfrastructureSaaSSpace Tech
Sebastian Chaoui(Founder)in
Co-investorsCroc PitchMain Sequence VenturesLockheed Martin VenturesStartmate
Avertro builds CyberHQ®, a cyber resilience command platform that integrates an organization's security tools and translates fragmented data into governance-ready intelligence.
CybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareSaaSAustralia, AU
Ian Yip(Chief Executive Officer & Founder)in
Co-investorsAntler
b2care connects NDIS participants and Support At Home (SAH) clients in Australia with ready-made meals from Coles and other Australian brands, offering national home delivery and a range of dietary options.
FoodTechHealthtechMarketplaces
Bella Sláinte helps people navigating Australia's regulated care systems prepare the evidence and submissions required for funding plan reviews (such as NDIS-style plan reviews), acting as an advocate to translate a participant's experience into the language the system requires.
Digital HealthHealthtechImpact & Social Good
Jessica Martin(Founder & CEO)in
Cable provides battery-backed electricity plans for Australian small businesses, funding and owning the battery and trading it on wholesale markets to charge when prices are low and discharge when high.
CleantechClimate TechEnergySydney, AU
Co-investorsSystemiq CapitalCRV (Charles River Ventures)Jump CapitalStage 2 Capital
Cadence analyzes AI coding session logs to show engineering teams where tokens, time, and money are spent, offering per-PR cost visibility and personalized recommendations for developers.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsSaaS
Dave Slutzkin(CEO)inChris Raethke(CTO)inKeith Lang(CDO)
CipherStash provides queryable, field-level encryption for Postgres databases, keeping data encrypted while applications use it and allowing decryption only under identity-bound access policies.
CybersecurityData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsBrooklyn, US
Dan Draper(Founder)in
Co-investorsAirTree VenturesDarcy NauntonOlima VenturesUncorrelated VenturesSixThirty Ventures
Vertical software helping mining companies reduce costs and increase efficiency through smarter parts management.
Co-investorsMarathon Ventures
Enaxiom develops HydroCool, a regenerative dual-purpose cooling system for data centres that reduces energy use, recycles and regenerates water, and recovers heat for reuse.
Circular EconomyCleantechEnergy
Antonia (Tia) Collings(Founder)in
Co-investorsAntlerImpact Ventures Management Pty LtdEpic Angels
espresso designs portable USB-C monitors, including touch and non-touch models, aimed at professionals and creatives who need a second screen at home, in the office, or while traveling.
ConsumerHardware
Evidentli develops biomedical AI technology for health data analysis and clinical decision support.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDigital HealthEnterprise SoftwareHealthtech
Guy(Founder and Chief Scientific Officer)
Co-investorsInvestible Climate Tech Fund
Expede Nexus is a Microsoft-first content modernization platform that transforms, enriches, and structures unstructured enterprise files and emails before they enter Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Fabric, and Purview.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Factor builds software tools for energy pricing and portfolio management, aiming to replace slow, manual spreadsheet-based processes used by energy teams.
Climate TechEnergyEnterprise SoftwareSaaSWellington, NZ
Alex Parkinson(Founder)Jessica Venning-Bryan(Founder)Maciej Skierkowski(Founder)Simon Pohlen(Founder)
Co-investorsBlackbird VenturesDarcy NauntonFlying Fox VenturesIcehouse VenturesAfore CapitalHyde Park Angels
Functionly provides a platform for visualizing and managing organizational structures by unifying people data across systems.
Enterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkHR TechSaaS
Damian Bramanis(Founder)in
Co-investorsAfterWork VenturesDarcy NauntonRampersandStartmateYuuwa Capital
GovConnex provides research and intelligence tools for public affairs professionals, delivering access to political and industry stakeholder databases, search functionality across hundreds of sources, and analytics to support strategic decision-making.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareGovTechSaaS
Co-investorsDarcy Naunton
A health literacy company developing patient-facing guides intended to support a consistent approach across each stage of care.
Digital HealthHealthtech
Co-investors77 PartnersStartmate Launch Club
Hudled helps businesses manage and optimize their software tools across departments, addressing the complexity of tracking and controlling costs in fragmented SaaS environments.
Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaS
Co-investorsSydney Angels
Kismet operates a digital marketplace connecting users with disability and healthcare services.
Digital HealthHealthtechMarketplacesAustralia, AU
Co-investorsAirTree VenturesCrane Venture PartnersDarcy NauntonFlying Fox VenturesProsus Ventures
Lodgicl provides an integration-first intelligence layer for property insurers and their suppliers, structuring data already collected to sharpen policy coverage reads, build preliminary repair scopes, and speed claims decisions.
AI & Machine LearningInsurTechSaaS
Co-investorsAntlerDarcy Naunton
Marlee is a collaboration and performance platform that uses AI and science-based questionnaires to measure people's work motivations and traits, giving teams insights into how members work, communicate, and perform.
AI & Machine LearningHR TechSaaS
Co-investorsFive V CapitalRemarkableRemarkable Australia+ AcceleratorSalesforce Ventures
The Mintable is a management development platform that trains managers through cohort-based learning programs combining practical tools, research-backed frameworks, and community.
EdTechFuture of WorkHR TechSaaS
Lauren Humphrey(Co-founder)Melissa Miller(Co-founder)
Co-investorsDarcy NauntonFlying Fox Ventures
Notiv builds an AI-powered meeting solution that uses speech recognition and natural language processing to improve conversations and help teams share information more effectively.
AI & Machine LearningFuture of WorkSaaS
Chris Raethke(CEO)Jaco Du Plessis(AI Lead)Dr Iain McCowan(Engineering Lead)
Co-investorsAirTree VenturesBlack Sheep CapitalDarcy NauntonFront Row FundTransition Level Investments
Nullify is an autonomous AI system that automates product security tasks across detection, triage, remediation and closure, handling vulnerability discovery, impact scoring, exploit proof, and pull request creation without requiring human intervention in the critical path.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityDeveloper Tools
Shan Kulkarni(Founder)inTim Thacker(Founder)in
Co-investorsRoot Ventures Manager, LlcSyn Ventures Seed Management Llc
BrazeAI Decisioning Studio is an AI platform that helps marketers make personalized 1:1 customer decisions by optimizing channel, offer, creative, and timing across hundreds of customer attributes.
AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechBoston, US
George Khachatryan(Founder)Victor Kostyuk(Founder)
BoardMike Ghaffary(Director)in
Co-investors515 VenturesAfterWork VenturesAlumni VenturesCanvas VenturesCarbide VenturesDarcy Naunton+4 more
Operata provides a real-time CX Insights Graph that correlates technical, operations, and experience data to surface performance anomalies and actionable recommendations for contact center and customer experience teams.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Romilly Blackburn(Founder)inAndy Scott(Founder)John Mitchem(Founder)
Co-investorsDarcy NauntonFlying Fox VenturesTidal Ventures
Ornata retrofits existing tractors and farm equipment into autonomous machines that connect by satellite to its operations centre, where remote operators ("Autonomists") plan and run field operations such as seeding, spraying, and harvest support.
AgTechAI & Machine LearningRobotics
Joshua Tepper(Founder)in
Outhire provides an AI-powered sourcing platform that searches an applicant tracking system, past applicants, and 500M+ public profiles to identify and rank candidates matching a job brief.
AI & Machine LearningHR TechSaaS
Will Russell(Founder & CEO)in
Co-investorsSkalata
Pathzero offers a climate intelligence platform that helps financial institutions and companies manage carbon emissions data from ingestion to disclosure, including a private markets disclosure network connecting asset owners with fund managers.
Climate TechFintechSaaSSydney, AU
Carl Prins(Founder)inCharbel Ayoub(Founder)inAlex De Muelenaere(COO / CFO)in
Co-investorsAntlerAntler AustraliaDarcy NauntonCarthona Capital
Phantm develops solutions for managing packaging materials and regulatory compliance in the materials industry.
Circular EconomyClimate TechData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Elliot Costello(Cofounder and CEO)inSimon Taylor(Cofounder and Director)inSean Bonadeo(Cofounder and Director)inMatt Kendallin
Co-investorsDarcy NauntonSalus Ventures
Portainer builds a container management platform that simplifies deployment and administration of containerized applications.
Cloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsEnterprise Software
Anthony Lapenna(Founder)inNeil Cresswell(Founder)in
Co-investors33NAlt VenturesBessemer Venture PartnersBright Pixel CapitalMovacNZ Growth Capital Partners+2 more
Prefactor is an observability and evaluation platform for AI agents that scores every agent run in production for quality, drift, and risk, then enforces policies by pausing, throttling, or requiring approval on risky runs at runtime.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsSaaS
Matt Doughty(Founder)Simon Russell(Founder)
Co-investorsAntlerPSG Equity
Protex AI applies computer vision and generative AI to analyze video footage from industrial sites, identifying operational patterns and safety risks in real time.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareIoTLogistics & Supply ChainLimerick, IE
Dan Hobbs(Founder)inCiarán O'Mara(Founder)inCat McGurren(Head of Talent)Angelica Shah(Senior Talent Acquisition \u0026 People Operations Partner)
Co-investorsDarcy Nauntonfirstminute capitalNotion CapitalY CombinatorAussie AngelsElkstone Capital Partners+5 more
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Upflowy (Psyke) offers a low-code/no-code tool for building and optimizing signup flows and web conversion funnels.
AdTechDeveloper ToolsMarketing TechSaaSSydney, AU
Co-investorsTidal VenturesAntlerCounterpart VenturesGlobal Founders CapitalJapan Angels
ReFresh is a compliance platform for managing workplace psychosocial risk, covering hazard detection, risk assessment, controls, incident management, consultation, and board reporting for HR and safety leaders.
HR TechSaaSWellness & Fitness
Remote Social provides tools that help team leaders at distributed organizations organize connection and relationship-building activities for their teams.
Future of WorkHR TechSaaS
Co-investorsAntler
Australian online marketplace connecting prospective dog owners with vet-approved, responsible breeders.
Sydney, AU
Nathan Olivieri(Founder)in
Co-investorsAntlerDarcy Naunton
RoseRx is a conversational AI platform for the pharmaceutical industry that converts approved content into compliant, always-on conversations with healthcare professionals and patients.
AI & Machine LearningHealthtechSaaS
Co-investorsDarcy Naunton
SaucedIt is an AI-driven HR and operations platform for Australian hospitality venues, handling rostering, payroll, onboarding, and WHS compliance with modern award and tax rules built in.
AI & Machine LearningHR TechSaaS
John Walton(Founder)in
Shaparency provides a cloud-based board management and collaboration platform for boards and committees, letting teams build board packs, prepare agendas, take minutes, sign documents, and manage action items in one secure place.
Enterprise SoftwareGovTechSaaS
Ben Nowlan(Founder)in
Co-investorsDarcy Naunton
SignOnSite is a software company serving the construction industry, providing worker-first design principles for construction management and operations.
CleantechConstruction TechSaaSCanberra, AU
MitchAlex
Co-investorsCommon Sense VenturesTractor Ventures
Skoutli operates an online platform for finding and booking locations (such as homes and spaces) for creative projects and productions, connecting space owners with producers and other creative professionals.
Creator EconomyMarketplacesMedia & Entertainment
Caroline Lepron Aguesse(Founder)in
Co-investorsDarcy Naunton
Salem, US
Ernest J. Simmons, Jr.(Executive Officer, Director)Nathaniel D. Hunter(Executive Officer)Steven Wang(Executive Officer, Director)
Teamtailor is an applicant tracking system (ATS) and recruitment platform that helps companies manage the entire hiring process, from job posting and candidate sourcing to interviews, onboarding, and analytics.
AI & Machine LearningHR TechSaaS
Erik Andersson(Founder)in
Co-investorsHitachi VenturesSprints CapitalXAnge
tikpay provides a ticketing and payment platform that combines tickets and payments in a single account, giving travellers access to buses, trains, and ferries across multiple operators.
FintechMobility & TransportationSaaS
Michael Walters(Founder)in
Co-investorsMetagrove VenturesAfterWork VenturesFunc Ventures, Llc
B2B lead generation and predictive analytics platform powered by technographics.
Co-investorsFlying Fox VenturesH2 Ventures
Varicon provides civil construction software aimed at civil contractors and construction firms.
Construction TechSaaS
Ofer Assor(Founder)in
Co-investorsDarcy NauntonArtesianGalileo VenturesTidal Ventures
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
AuggieAverto team imageBoaBrieftsaasguruSpec ToolboxYbot
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Prefactor · getreadyforagents.com · Sep 9, 2026
Enaxiom · trysignalbase.com · May 6, 2026
Operata · thesaasnews.com · Feb 23, 2026
RightPaw · help.rightpaw.com.au · Feb 10, 2026
Nullify · finance.yahoo.com · Feb 5, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Black Nova VC made?
- Black Nova VC has 56 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited.
- What stage does Black Nova VC invest at?
- Black Nova VC invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What is Black Nova VC's typical check size?
- Black Nova VC typically writes checks of $100K.
- What sectors does Black Nova VC focus on?
- Black Nova VC focuses on Enterprise Software, SaaS.
- Where is Black Nova VC located?
- Black Nova VC is headquartered in Sydney, AU.
- Does Black Nova VC lead rounds?
- Black Nova VC has led 3 of the 6 rounds where its role is on record.
- Who does Black Nova VC co-invest with?
- Black Nova VC most often shares deals with Darcy Naunton, Antler, Flying Fox Ventures, among 56 tracked co-investors.
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