Airtree

📚 What's Sid reading, watching and listening to right now? In our latest AirMail, Sid reflects from Coober Pedy in the middle of the Aussie outback on our second "AI"rtree Hackathon, and how much more the team could build in a few hours compared to the same event last year. If you want to step back from AI and switch off, he's also sharing what he's currently reading from Kurt Vonnegut, alongside a beautiful short film about a Welsh farmer. 📲 Swipe through to see his picks. 📮 AirMail is Airtree's monthly newsletter covering the top startup news, funding rounds and ecosystem moments across ANZ. Each month, a different Airtree team member steps in as guest editor, sharing what's catching their attention and influencing how they build and invest. 👉 Subscribe today to get the next edition in your inbox, featuring Guest Editor James Cameron.

G'day from the Big Apple 🍎 Sid and Kate are bringing together Aussie and Kiwi founders, operators, and friends in NYC on April 29th. Thorsten Schaeff from Google DeepMind will kick off the evening with a fireside chat on building with AI, followed by drinks and networking. Whether you're deep in build mode, scaling, or just passing through NYC, come say hi 🍺 RSVP here: https://luma.com/vpq9gd4e

Last night, the Airtree office was buzzing as we welcomed the 25 students selected for Cohort 1 of Pathfinders 🧭 To chart the path ahead, Raaj, Kate and Caitlin introduced the cohort to the world of venture capital, the ANZ startup ecosystem, and the opportunities ahead for the next generation of builders, operators and investors. Over the next five weeks, this group will learn what it takes to back ideas, build companies, and find their path in the startup world, all while building a community of ambitious peers along the way. Cohort 1, the ascent begins... Missed out this round? Sign up below to hear when applications for the next cohort open 👇

Airtree Explorers Cohort 10: that's a wrap. Over six weeks, 24 senior tech operators came together to learn all things angel investing — from deal sourcing to legal term sheets to investing in the age of AI, with speakers including James Cameron, 😱 Rayn Ong, Elicia McDonald and Maxine Minter. The program has always been as much about the community as the skills. Closing with a finale dinner was a reminder that the network these cohorts build together is just as valuable as the knowledge they leave with. To Cohort 10: the exploring starts now 👣 Keen to join a future cohort and learn to back the next generation of ANZ startups? Complete the EOI (link in comments)

There's never been a more exciting time to be a tech investor and now, Airtree is hiring an Investment Manager to be right at the heart of it. Some of the best tech investors right now don't just follow the sector, they build in it. We're looking for someone who's a builder at heart - comfortable shipping their own tools, reading the latest research, and going deep with a technical founder. We're less interested in years of experience than in what you've actually built and shipped. The right person could come from VC, from building a company, or from a research lab. 🔗 If this sounds like you, apply here: https://lnkd.in/gKifX4jd

When we backed Haast at seed, customers were already saying they couldn't live without the product. 18 months on, that love materialised in the numbers. As Jackie explains: "With zero churn and strong expansion amongst existing customers, their growth is a testament to the execution of Kunal and the team in a complex, regulated market, allowing Haast to become the infrastructure layer for enterprise compliance" We're excited to continue backing them as part of their $12M Series A. Congratulations to Kunal, Liam, and the entire Haast team 💥

🧭 Airtree Pathfinders Cohort 1: Ready for launch We're excited to introduce the first-ever cohort of Pathfinders - our new program giving university students a front-row seat to Australia's startup ecosystem. From nearly 600 applications, we've selected 25 students from universities across the country. They're studying everything from engineering to law, and exploring ideas from AI to deep tech and beyond. Over the next five weeks, they'll learn from founders, operators, and investors who've built and backed some of Australia's most recognised companies. The path is theirs to find… 👣 A big congratulations to Susanna Pang, whose design won the Pathfinders logo competition! Missed out on this cohort? Complete the EOI to get notified about future cohorts: https://lnkd.in/gpRfXUDg

The chemical industry is one of the last to go digital. Critical knowledge lives in the minds of veteran chemists approaching retirement, buried in PDFs and scattered across millions of academic papers, with no shared language or connected data. It means products take longer to build and cost more to develop than they should. Kimia is changing that by building chemical intelligence - a system that can reason about the entire lifecycle of chemical products, from discovery through to manufacturing, regulation and sustainability. We’re excited to back 🔬 Farid, Sajjad and the whole Kimia team on their mission to create a chemically abundant world 🧪

A well-deserved win for Mark Woodland and the team at Kismet: AFR's Gold winner in technology for Best Places to Work 🥇 When you hear how they got there, it makes sense. Every employee gets the same bonus, from the CEO to the customer experience officer who joined six months ago. The idea is simple: work should be an enabler, not a trade-off. “We need to drive and achieve something as a collective. All goals are tied to each other, so you can’t win by doing it on your own," says Mark. 📰: https://lnkd.in/g9FzTeWy

📚 What’s Caitlin reading, exploring and listening to right now? In our last AirMail, Caitlin shares what's been shaping her thinking: from the business drama behind F1's return to the grid, why intentional connection matters more than ever, and Jony Ive on Desert Island Discs for when you're ready to switch off. She also reflects on new paths as Airtree launched Pathfinders, our new program for university students curious about startups and VC. 📲 Swipe through to see her picks. 📮 AirMail is Airtree's monthly newsletter covering the top startup news, funding rounds and ecosystem moments across ANZ. Each month, a different Airtree team member steps in as guest editor, sharing what's catching their attention and influencing how they build and invest. 👉 Subscribe today to get the next edition in your inbox, featuring Sid as guest editor: https://lnkd.in/eQNEYJUY