Fundraising Fox

Stone & Chalk

Accelerator

Sydney · Seed–Series A · 12 people tracked

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Investment thesis

Stone & Chalk is a not-for-profit innovation ecosystem in Australia dedicated to helping the country grow into a more sustainable, tech-driven economy. It supports entrepreneurs at every stage — from startups to scaling tech businesses — as well as corporations and government, providing access to networks of founders, investors, mentors, and partners along with advice, funding connections, and partnerships. It aims to remove roadblocks so innovators can move faster and create real impact, with emphasis on sustainability and diversity. Following a merger completed in 2024, it also runs Stone & Chalk Cyber (formerly AustCyber), supporting the cyber security community.

Source: firm website, verified Aug 2, 2026.

Stage
Seed–Series A
HQ
Sydney, AU
Instruments
Equity · Grants
Tracked investments
6

Team · 12 people

from the firm's website
Stela Solar· CEO

CEO of Stone & Chalk and a recognised technology leader, previously Managing Director for Data & AI at Accenture ANZ, inaugural director of Australia's National AI Centre, and held leadership roles at Microsoft. She also serves on Beyond Blue's Data & AI Advisory Council.

Ben Colley· General Manager, South Australia

General Manager for SA, an Australian technologist with experience in innovation, product management and startup-to-scaleup companies, having worked across Australia, the UK and the US.

Callum Brook· Chief Operating Officer

COO with 25+ years leading insurance, insurtech and financial services businesses in Australia and the US, with expertise in business strategy, product design, P&L management and scaling teams.

Danielle Hirst· Chief Financial Officer

CFO and senior finance professional with expertise in business partnering, commercial management, operations, investment analysis and governance across diverse industries.

Gillian Shea· Director

Non-executive director with over 20 years' experience as an auditor at EY and KPMG, working with listed and non-listed clients across many industries.

Jacqui Duncan· General Manager, New South Wales

General Manager for NSW focused on building relationships within the startup and scaleup ecosystem and supporting resident startups to scale.

James Mabbott· Director

Non-executive director and KPMG partner in charge of KPMG Futures, with over 25 years in business growth, innovation and emerging technology; advisory board member at UQ and UTS institutes.

Kate Pollard· Director

Non-executive director with 25+ years across professional services, banking and real estate; co-founded and scaled HR tech platform Circle In to exit and now leads FORK Collective advising scale-ups.

Kylie Anne Neal· Group Executive, People & Culture

HR specialist with over 10 years' experience and degrees in Psychology and Coaching Psychology, focused on company culture and HR solutions.

Olivia Grandjean-Thomsen· Director, Marketing

Marketing and communications leader with experience across public, private and not-for-profit sectors, focused on storytelling, team development and business results.

Paulette Parker· Group Executive, Partnerships

B2B marketing, communications and campaign specialist with 15+ years across technology (SaaS), professional services and media.

Richard Kimber· Chair

Chair of Stone & Chalk Group and AustCyber, non-executive director of Daisee (which he founded in 2017), former CEO of OFX Group and FirstDirect Bank, and Google's first Regional Managing Director for South East Asia.

Investments · 6 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path
Arlula

Space startup that landed a major satellite deal with Japan.

Cropify

Startup founded by Anna Falkiner, part of the Stone & Chalk community.

FrankieOne

Startup founded by Aaron Chipper, part of the Stone & Chalk community.

iO Energy

Provides cleaner energy options to help customers reduce bills and carbon footprint; founded by Luke Morton and Rob Morris.

Littlepay

Simplified a complex payments process, focused on solving one hard problem well.

Paytron

Startup founded by Francois Henrion and Jacob Veldsman, part of the Stone & Chalk community.

Frequently asked questions

What stage does Stone & Chalk invest at?
Stone & Chalk invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
What sectors does Stone & Chalk focus on?
Stone & Chalk focuses on Cybersecurity, Deep Tech, Fintech, Impact & Social Good.
Where is Stone & Chalk located?
Stone & Chalk is headquartered in Sydney, AU.

Media · Podcasts & interviews

from their channel

Show us the Data: National Report & Sector Briefing

Stone & Chalk

Stone & Chalk 10 Year Anniversary

Stone & Chalk

Expanding to the USA for Australian startups

Stone & Chalk

KPMG Future Technology Program - Richard Savoie - Adiona

Stone & Chalk

A deep dive into AustCyber’s new SCP

Stone & Chalk

AI for Founders: Prompting

Stone & Chalk

Images

Stone & Chalk photo

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