Auckland · Pre-Seed–Growth · 2 people tracked
Find your way into Outset Ventures
624 people in our graph share verified history with the Outset Ventures team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Investment thesis
Outset Ventures positions itself as New Zealand's deep tech engine, backing frontier science and technology companies and helping founders turn ambitious ideas into global businesses. Its campus provides R&D facilities and a supportive community, having served as the birthplace of companies like Rocket Lab, LanzaTech, Mint Innovation, and Ternary. Its latest vehicle, the Momentum Fund, is a high-conviction opportunity fund backing New Zealand's breakout deep tech winners as they scale globally, and is currently engaging select institutional and family office investors.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 2 people
from the firm's website & curated
Founder mafia
3 people who came through Outset Ventures went on to found or lead other companies.
What they invest in
from 23 of 29 portfolio companiesDeep Tech ×10Cleantech ×9Climate Tech ×8Hardware ×6Energy ×5Healthtech ×5Medical Devices ×5AI & Machine Learning ×4
HQs:New Zealand×6United States×3
Who they back
founder profiles across 15 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×82 founders×43 founders×3
Where their founders studiedfrom 14 founders with education data
University of Auckland ×5Massey University - Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa ×2Victoria University of Wellington ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 17 founders with career history
Return On Science ×2Robinson Research Institute - Victoria University of Wellington ×2Victoria University of Wellington ×2Zenno Astronautics ×2
Investments · 29 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 12023 · 12021 · 22017 · 15 dated
Rocket Lab develops launch vehicles and space systems for commercial space access and satellite deployment.
Deep TechHardwareSpace TechLong Beach, US
Peter Beck(Founder)in
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsBessemer Venture PartnersDCVC (Data Collective)Ergo CapitalKhosla VenturesKluz VenturesPromus Ventures+3 more
Aplenty converts wood waste biomass into clean CO2 and heat for commercial greenhouses using its patented Hot Lime technology, helping growers raise crop yields, control heating costs, and reduce fossil fuel use.
AgTechCleantechClimate Tech
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsBooster Innovation Fund
Aspiring Materials develops sustainable materials technology with environmental impact focus.
CleantechClimate TechNew Materials
Christopher Oze(Founder)in
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsArc AngelsBetter Bite VenturesCreative HQ — The IncubatorIcehouse VenturesMotion Capital
Astrix develops inflatable, deployable systems for spacecraft that provide expanded surface area for solar arrays, radiators, antennas, and other components.
HardwareSpace Tech
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Atomic Tessellator combines computational physics with machine learning and enterprise software architecture, though the page does not specify its product offering or customer market.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechNew Materials
BoardDr. Priyank KumarProf. Simon Ringer
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsCrane Venture PartnersIn-Q-TelSalus VenturesConfluentGD1Icehouse Ventures+1 more
Basis manufactures a smart switchboard (electrical panel) for residential homes that provides energy monitoring, cost savings, and electrical safety features including shock and fire protection.
CleantechHardwareIoTAuckland, NZ
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsIcehouse VenturesAccelBessemer Venture PartnersCostanoa VenturesGV (Google Ventures)Khosla Ventures+3 more
Ceryx Medical develops medical device technology, presenting a leadership and research team alongside its publications.
BiotechHealthtechMedical Devices
Julian Paton(Founder)inStuart Plant(CEO)inMalcolm Hamer(CTO)inBrenig Preest(CFO)in
BoardChas Taylor(Chairman)in
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Billy Jeremijenko(Founder)in
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsAera VCBlackbird VenturesPacific Channel
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsArc AngelsIcehouse VenturesNuance Capital
EnergyBank develops a system to firm floating offshore wind at the turbine, enabling co-location of compute modules with power generation and avoiding grid connections through high-seas siting and direct ocean cooling.
CleantechClimate TechEnergy
Tim Hawkey(Founder)inAaron Johnson(Founder)in
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsBlackbird VenturesNuance Capital
Kwetta develops grid-smart EV charging technology with modular hardware that draws more power from a single grid connection, enabling high-powered electric vehicle charging without grid upgrades or delays.
CleantechEnergyHardwareMobility & TransportationNapier, NZ
Dustin Murdock(Co-founder & CEO)inRob(Co-founder & CTO)Mike(Co-founder & CGO)
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsBlackbird VenturesVirescent Ventures
Daisy Lab is a New Zealand company using precision fermentation to produce dairy products without cows, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of traditional dairy farming.
BiotechClimate TechDeep TechFoodTech
Irina MillerinNikki FreedinEmily McIsaacin
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsEven CapitalIcehouse Ventures
Dennisson Technologies develops AURAFLEX, an advanced actuation technology that combines material science and photon physics for compact motion control applications.
Deep TechHardwareNew MaterialsRobotics
Anvil Serg Bañez(Founder)in
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsEven Capital
FoundryLab produces metal casting parts for defense, aerospace, and automotive industries using 3D-printed ceramic molds and automated processes, delivering production-grade parts from CAD to finished product in 72 hours without tooling delays.
Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechDefense Tech
David Moodie(Founder)in
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsArc AngelsIcehouse VenturesNZVCBlackbird VenturesFounders FundGD1+2 more
HeartLab provides a cloud-based platform that improves cardiology imaging workflows for medical teams.
Cloud ComputingDigital HealthHealthtechMedical Devices
Will Hewitt(Founder)in
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsArc AngelsIcehouse VenturesFounders Fund
LanzaTech converts carbon-rich gases from industrial sources like steel mills and landfills into fuels and chemicals using synthetic biology.
Circular EconomyCleantechClimate Tech
Dr. Jennifer Holmgren(CEO)
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsNovo HoldingsActivant CapitalKhosla VenturesQiming Venture Partners
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
A nutrition technology company that uses wild-type unicellular aquatic organisms to produce protein- and fiber-rich, non-GMO ingredients (marketed as Marine Whey) for food applications.
BiotechFoodTechImpact & Social Good
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsAugust OneBooster Innovation Fund
OpenStar develops compact fusion energy technology using a levitated dipole approach and high-temperature superconducting systems, working toward commercial fusion.
CleantechDeep TechEnergyWellington, NZ
Ratu Mataira(Founder & CEO)inThomas Berry(Co-founder & Chief Product Officer)inDarren Garnier(Chief Science Officer)inRod Badcock(Chief Technology Officer)inNicole Ferguson(VP - Finance)inBen Taylor-Bryant(VP - Investor Relations)in
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsBlackbird VenturesIcehouse VenturesNZ Growth Capital PartnersRadar Ventures
Pyper Vision develops fog-casting technology that forecasts fog over airports, aimed at reducing fog-related flight delays and disruptions in the aviation sector.
AI & Machine LearningClimate TechDeep TechSaaS
Emily Blythe(Founder)in
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsAngel HQArc AngelsIcehouse VenturesNZVCMainland Angel Investors
RespirAq develops the RespirAq Active Humidifier System, a compact, battery-powered device that provides active heated humidification for mechanically ventilated patients without an external water supply, using a thermo-responsive smart material to capture and release moisture from the patient's breath.
HardwareHealthtechMedical Devices
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsEven CapitalMovac
Ternary Energy develops electrochemistry-based solutions to provide secure, affordable, emissions-free energy to industrial and urban customers.
CleantechClimate TechDeep TechEnergy
Sean Molloy(CEO & Co-founder)inDr Sean Simpson(Executive Chairman & Co-founder)inProfessor Aaron Marshall(CSO & Co-founder)in
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsArc AngelsIcehouse Ventures
Toku Eyes develops AI-driven solutions for eye health diagnostics and monitoring, bringing together medical expertise in endocrinology and ophthalmology with artificial intelligence capabilities.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechMedical Devices
Michael V. McConnell(Chief Health Officer and Interim CEO)inFrancesca Logan(Chief Commercial Officer)inYariv Levin(Chief Compliance, Ethics and Clinical Affairs Officer)in
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsArc AngelsIcehouse VenturesBlockchain CapitalF-Prime CapitalFunders Club Managementgmjp+6 more
Vertus Energy develops waste-to-energy technologies for anaerobic digestion plants, including BRIO, a unit that increases waste processing capacity and biogas energy potential, and BODA, a carbon sequestration and conversion technology that upgrades biogas to bio-methane or converts captured CO₂ and H₂ into Renewable Natural Gas.
CleantechClimate TechEnergyImpact & Social Good
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsAmadeus Capital PartnersAPEX VenturesEnergy Capital VenturesIcehouse VenturesStartmate
Wellumio develops axana®, a portable, energy-efficient MRI system based on its Pulsed Gradient Free Mapping (PGFM) technology, designed to detect acute stroke quickly in front-line care settings.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechHealthtechMedical Devices
Shieak Tzeng(Co-founder & Co-CEO)inSergei Obruchkov(Co-founder & Co-CEO)inGyan Barik(Executive Director, Business Operations & Australia)inZiad Rouag(General Manager USA)Harry Marfatia(Head of Finance)in
BoardSia Moussavi(Board Chairman)
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsBooster Innovation FundCure Kids VenturesNuance CapitalPacific ChannelIcehouse VenturesNZ Growth Capital Partners
Zenno Astronautics builds superconducting electromagnet systems that let satellites point and manoeuvre without fuel.
Max Arshavsky(Founder)inSebastian Wieczorek(Founder)in
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsAlt VenturesGD1Global BrainNZ Growth Capital PartnersNZVCShasta Ventures
San Francisco, US
Ryan Sandler(President, Chief Executive Officer, Secretary, and Director)Ethan Winchell(Director)
PartnerMat Rowe· solo GP
Co-investorsBooster Innovation FundClimate Venture Capital FundTransUnion
Exits · 1
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioRocket LabNASDAQ: RKLB
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesToku · prnewswire.com · Jul 29, 2026
Zenno Astronautics · labusinessjournal.com · Jul 27, 2026
Wellumio · biopharmaboardroom.com · Jul 27, 2026
Rocket Lab · simplywall.st · Jul 19, 2026
Atomic Tessellator · b2bnews.co.nz · Jul 13, 2026
LanzaTech · finance.yahoo.com · Jun 4, 2026
Zethos · climatevcfund.com · May 12, 2026
Basis · fintechfutures.com · Feb 25, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Outset Ventures made?
- Outset Ventures has 29 tracked investments, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Outset Ventures invest at?
- Outset Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth stages.
- What is Outset Ventures's typical check size?
- Outset Ventures typically writes checks of $100K – $10M.
- What sectors does Outset Ventures focus on?
- Outset Ventures focuses on Biotech, Deep Tech, Energy, FoodTech, Medical Devices, New Materials, Space Tech.
- Where is Outset Ventures located?
- Outset Ventures is headquartered in Auckland, NZ.
- Does Outset Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, Outset Ventures leads investment rounds.
- Who does Outset Ventures co-invest with?
- Outset Ventures most often shares deals with Icehouse Ventures, Arc Angels, Blackbird Ventures, among 40 tracked co-investors.
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