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Frequently Asked
Questions
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Does Airtree invest in companies located outside of Australia or New Zealand?
Our investment process

Partnering with Aussie and Kiwi founders is where we can add the most value, whether that’s helping you hire your team, connecting you with other founders or giving you access to experts for advice.

But perhaps you're an Aussie living abroad? Or your co-founder is Kiwi. If you have an antipodean connection, it’s worth us having a chat.

From time to time, we come across companies that are global market leaders looking for our help to expand into the Australian market; then, let's see how we can get involved.

How early does Airtree invest?
What stage we invest

We love to meet founders as early as possible. Our cheque is often the first one a founder takes for their startup. 

If you’re confident about the problem you want to tackle, how you want to solve it and you have an early MVP that a few people are using and love, that’s the perfect time to get in touch. 

As early-stage investors, we look at qualitative factors in the absence of a significant number of customers, data points or a product ready to go. Here's what we look for in our early-stage investments.

If you don’t think you’re ready, or scared you’ll only have “one shot”, that’s not the case at all. We love to build relationships early, collaborate and share feedback so we can work together when the timing is right for everyone.

Is Airtree hiring for any internal roles?
Other points

Check out our jobs board or keep an eye on our LinkedIn page to see roles in our team as they go live.

How do I get in touch when I'm fundraising?
What stage we invest

That’s easy! Share your details with us here.

You can also connect with our investors on their socials linked on their team page.

Do you target a certain ownership stake in the business?
What to expect from us

For the right business we can be as flexible as you need us to be. But we need to have enough of an ownership stake to dedicate meaningful time to your business when you need us to the most. All of our investments are minority stakes. We want you to be in control.

What sectors does Airtree invest in?
What we look for

We invest across sectors–check out our portfolio page to see all the different kinds of problems our founders are solving.

What qualities do you look for in a founding team?
What we look for

First and foremost, we focus on backing exceptional people going after world-changing market opportunities. 

We invest in strengths, not the absence of weaknesses. We love meeting founders with:

  • Deep domain expertise
  • A visceral connection to the problem they’re solving
  • The ability to evangelise their vision to attract future capital and exceptional hires
  • Commercial hustle and resilience to pivot if necessary
  • Self-awareness to constantly adapt if needed 

Then, we look at the problem you're solving:

  • Is it a big problem for a large customer market?
  • Are your execution processes (growth, distribution) scalable?
  • Can you build a category-defining business?
  • Does your market have exponential potential?

Lastly, have you thought about what your unfair advantage is? This is what separates a good business from a great business.

Do you always need to be the lead on a new investment?
What to expect from us

We’re happy to co-invest with other great funds who can bring value to the table and have a strong track record of doing so.

In keeping with our Diversity Pledge, we commit to bringing at least one investor from an underrepresented group onto the cap table for every investment we lead, provided the founder is on board with this.

Are there any sectors you won't invest in?
What we look for

Tobacco, drugs, alcohol, porn, gambling or weapons aren’t for us.

Is it ever too late for Airtree to invest?
What stage we invest

Not at all. We love to back founders right from the start, but we partner with startups across their funding journey.

Do Airtree partners take board seats?
What to expect from us

If we’re writing a large cheque and/or leading your round during the early stages, we'll ask to be involved at the board level. Founders typically want to utilise our experience and track record to help them see around corners and shortcut company-building firsts using our resources, network and expertise.

Our impact is never limited to board meetings–we’re always available to work through challenges when you need us, whether that’s over WhatsApp, a call or coffee.

Where is your office?
Other points

We’re based in Surry Hills, Sydney. Our team is always travelling, so reach out to see when we may be wherever you are. And we’re always happy to jump on Zoom.

Do you have any resources for founders?
Other points

We sure do! We’re incredibly passionate about opening up the black box that is venture capital. And for good reason: building a startup is hard, and we want to make it as easy as possible for founders and teams to build and scale. 

That’s why we have Open Source VC. It’s our hub of resources to help you shortcut company-building firsts. In it you’ll find documents and templates, lists and databases, guide’s and how-to’s, plus insights from world-class founders and operators.