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Dave Parfett

As an Operating Principal I work with founders, CEOs and management teams to help them grow, scale, secure investment and exit. My role is one part growth investor, two parts strategic and operational advisor and three parts NED.

It's a rollercoaster but incredibly rewarding. As a board member and the lead investor on more than 10 companies, including Employment Hero, DesignCrowd, and HotDoc, I’m privileged to partner with exceptional founders across a diverse range of industries, business models and growth stages. Many of my strongest bonds have been formed in the toughest of times.

Beyond the pitch deck

The startup journey rarely follows the hockey stick growth in pitch decks. I’m drawn to resilient, people-first founders who know their business and market inside out, and inspire calm confidence in those around them.

Behind the scenes of my role

A big part of my role is connecting dots as well as people. We see thousands of companies each year and are privileged to have a seat at the table for a diverse and growing set of 100+ portfolio companies. This unique vantage point helps us see opportunities and draw on our deep networks (e.g. experts, advisors, investors) to help our portfolio companies reach their goals sooner.

Here’s where you’ll find me on the weekend

To unplug and get an endorphin hit, I love to explore the different running trails around Sydney’s Northern Beaches. This also doubles as an opportunity to listen to podcasts. I typically mix it up across business and tech (Acquired), sport (The Howie Games) or science and history combos (13 Minutes to Moon).

Position
Operating Principal
Joined
2021
Companies I work for
Edtech
Edtech
Enterprise
Enterprise
Edrolo
Series A
Seed, 2015
Fintech
Fintech
Consumer
Consumer
Spaceship
Series A
Series A, 2017
SaaS
SaaS
DesignCrowd
Series B
Seed, 2015
SaaS
SaaS
90 Seconds
Series B
Series A, 2016
Consumer
Consumer
Pawshake
Seed
Seed, 2016
Enterprise
Enterprise
SaaS
SaaS
Employment Hero
Growth
Seed, 2016
Enterprise
Enterprise
SaaS
SaaS
Expert360
Growth
Series B, 2017
Enterprise
Enterprise
Thematic
Seed
Seed, 2017