What stage does Thorney Investment Group invest at?

Thorney Investment Group invests at the Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth, Late Stage stages.

Where is Thorney Investment Group located?

Thorney Investment Group is headquartered in Melbourne, AU.

Thorney Investment Group

Venture capital

Melbourne · Seed–Late Stage · 25 people tracked

★ Follow + Add to CRM ⤳ Find an introduction

✨ Fox Verdict

Investment thesis

Thorney pursues a constructivist investment approach, taking an active role in investee companies to unlock value and improve shareholder returns over the medium to long term. It targets companies with strong management that have skin in the game, viable and scalable business models, and appetite for growth. Through Thorney Opportunities it focuses on small-to-mid cap Australian listed and unlisted companies across sectors such as media, automotive, energy and pharmaceuticals. Through Thorney Technologies it backs early-stage companies with disruptive technology across areas including fintech, e-commerce, education, agriculture, medical, telecommunications, robotics and AI, sourcing deal flow via networks in Australia, Israel and the USA.

Invests inAgTech AI & Machine Learning Biotech E-commerce EdTech Energy Fintech Media & Entertainment Medical Devices Mobility & Transportation Robotics Australia Israel Melbourne United States

Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.

Stage

Seed–Late Stage

Melbourne, VIC, AU

Instruments

Equity

Founded

1991

Tracked investments

Team · 25 people

from the firm's website & curated

Alex Waislitz· Chairman & Founder

Founder and Chairman of Thorney Investment Group, who established the firm in 1991 with a vision of being a 'thorn in the side' of complacent company managers and driving improved shareholder returns.

Adi Zuk· Investment Managerin

Andrew Silverberg· Investment Manager & Senior Analyst - United States Portfolio· United States

US-based investment manager who joined Thorney in 2019 to manage its US-listed equities, unlisted investments and properties. Previously a senior portfolio manager at a NYC family office, partner in a hedge fund, and portfolio manager at Fred Alger Management.

Anthony Vogel· Investment Manager· Greater Sydney Areain

Joined Thorney in 2017 after working as an equity research analyst at stockbroking firms and a Sydney fund manager.

Ashley West· General Legal Counsel· London, England, United Kingdomin

Avee Waislitz· Investment Manager· Richmond, Victoria, Australiain

Joined Thorney in 1994 after beginning his career in business banking at a major financial institution.

Bronson Ritterman· Property Investment & Development Manager

Joined Thorney in 2014 and runs its property division, focusing on private sector property debt and equity projects. Previously a civil engineer for over a decade on major projects in Australia and the UK.

Craig Smith· Chief Financial Officer (CFO)· Australiain

Joined Thorney as CFO in 2008 and serves as company secretary for Thorney Opportunities and Thorney Technologies. Previously held CFO/company secretary roles at ASX-listed Baxter Group and Tolhurst Noall.

Daniel Bustos· Accountant

Dean Higgins· Trader

Joined Thorney in 2006 and is responsible for trading and execution of equities. Previously worked in trading and equity capital markets roles at international investment banks.

Eric Tan· Investment Manager

Joined Thorney as an investment analyst in 2018 with a background in equity and managed funds research, including roles at CIMB and Contango Asset Management.

Ivan Ng· Tax Accountant

Jack Cronan· Investment Manager· Greater Melbourne Areain

Joined Thorney in April 2024 after two decades in finance, most recently as a portfolio manager at Kinetic Investment Partners. A CFA charterholder who previously worked at KPMG, Barclays Capital and Australian Unity Investments.

James Oliver· Settlements Manager

Jeremy Davis· Investment Manager· Greater Melbourne Areain

Joined Thorney in 2012 after working at funds management organizations including OB Group and Guild Capital Asset Management. Began his career at accounting firm BDO Nelson Parkhill.

Karina Bader· Investment Manager

Joined Thorney part-time in April 2025. A resources (mining and energy) investment professional with over 20 years' experience, including work as an exploration geologist and in funds management.

Margaret Ross· Investment Manager· Greater Melbourne Areain

Joined Thorney in 2005, having previously worked as a research analyst at several stockbroking firms.

Martin Casey· Chief of Staff (COS)

A long-term adviser to Thorney who became Chief of Staff for the Waislitz Family Office in 2022. Also a partner at VC firm Rampersand and a director of several companies; formerly a law firm partner and Credit Suisse investment banker.

Mike Bartlett· Aviation Manager

Peter Landos· Chief Operating Officer (COO)· Greater Melbourne Areain

Joined Thorney in 2000 as COO after working in Macquarie Bank's Investment Banking Group. Specializes in M&A, restructurings and capital markets, and sits on several ASX-listed and private company boards.

Rebecca Clarke· Office Manager· Richmond, Victoria, Australiain

Sally (Qian) Wang· Financial Accountant

Sally Hayward· Executive Assistant to Mr Waislitz

Sash Krstevski· Group Finance Manager· Greater Melbourne Areain

Mohamed Eltabakh· Chief Operating Officer· Cairo, Egyptin

What they invest in

from 1 of 1 portfolio companies

AI & Machine Learning ×1Deep Tech ×1Defense Tech ×1Robotics ×1

HQs:Australia×1

Investments · 1 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

Visionary Machinesvisionarymachines.com in

Visionary Machines develops passive optical sensing systems that produce real-time, georeferenced 3D representations of the environment across multiple spectral bands, including in GPS-denied conditions.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDefense TechRoboticsSydney, AU

Samson Lee(Founder & Chief Technology Officer)inSonny Foster(Chief Executive Officer)inNick Gibbs(Chief Operating Officer)in

Co-investorsFolklore Ventures In-Q-Tel OIF Ventures Our Innovation Fund Salus Ventures Significant Ventures

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Drone technology start-up Visionary Machines seeks ASX landing

Visionary Machines · afr.com · Jun 21, 2026

Frequently asked questions

What stage does Thorney Investment Group invest at?: Thorney Investment Group invests at the Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth, Late Stage stages.
What sectors does Thorney Investment Group focus on?: Thorney Investment Group focuses on AgTech, AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, E-commerce, EdTech, Energy, Fintech, Media & Entertainment, Medical Devices, Mobility & Transportation, Robotics.
Where is Thorney Investment Group located?: Thorney Investment Group is headquartered in Melbourne, AU.

Media · Podcasts & interviews

featuring the team

Morgans Conversations – Alex Waislitz, Chairman, Thorney Investment Group

Morgans Financial Limited · Alex Waislitz

Thorney Investment Group:Alex Waislitz, Executive Chairman

Morgans Financial Limited · Alex Waislitz

Similar investors

SBI Investment Korea Co. Ltd.

SBI Investment Korea is a Korean asset management firm within the SBI Group that operates venture capital and private equity funds, positioning itself as a 'New Industry Creator'.

$2.5M – $33M

Khosla Ventures

Khosla Ventures is a venture capital firm founded by Vinod Khosla.

$5K – $50M

Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund

The Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund is a not-for-profit initiative of Alibaba Group that provides investment capital and strategic guidance to entrepreneurs and young people, focusing on Hong Kong and Taiwan-nexus startups.

$1.2M – $150M

Advent International

Advent International is a global private equity firm that partners with management teams to build market leaders through buyouts, corporate carve-outs, and value creation across selected sectors.

$1.1B

2080 Ventures

2080 Ventures is a global venture ecosystem partner that connects founders, investors, corporates, and governments to accelerate innovation locally and globally, running accelerator programs and offering tools for founders, M&A, and secondaries.

$100K – $500K