TORUS

TORUS is an Australian-based entity operating out of the Gold Coast, established as a prominent early-stage investor and comprehensive ecosystem designed to amplify the potential of founders. Originating from 'Palm Beach Ventures' (later dubbed Fund Zero) in 2020, Torus has evolved beyond traditional angel investing to offer a multi-faceted platform. This encompasses venture capital funding through Torus Fund 1, a vibrant founder and investor community known as Currents, specialised capital raising programs like Torus Club, and co-investment opportunities via its Syndicate. Led by co-founders Jason Atkins and Kane Templeton, Torus leverages their deep entrepreneurial experience, including their roles in scaling Cake Equity, to provide empathetic and practical support to burgeoning startups.

The organisation's mission is centred on building the world's best early-stage community focused on capital raising excellence. They serve a diverse group of stakeholders, including founders, angel investors, and seasoned operators, connecting them through a robust network of over 300 accelerators, incubators, venture capital firms, legal, and accounting partners globally. This extensive network, coupled with proprietary toolkits and structured programs, aims to de-risk the fundraising journey and accelerate growth for portfolio companies. Torus has successfully cultivated a vibrant founder community, actively engaging over 1,000 startup contacts annually through events, content, and mentorship initiatives.

What sets Torus apart is its founder-operator led approach to investment and support, ensuring a deep understanding of the challenges faced by early-stage companies. Their investment thesis primarily targets intelligent systems (AI), health tech, and frontier technology startups in Australia, with a view to fostering innovation and achieving significant societal impact alongside financial returns. A testament to their model's effectiveness, Fund Zero, a pilot fund deployed between 2020 and 2023, invested in 18 startups and achieved a 1.32x Total Value to Paid-In (TVPI) on invested capital by June 2024, aligning with top-tier seed fund benchmarks. This track record underpins the $10 million target for their current Torus Fund 1.

Beyond direct investment, Torus provides invaluable programs and support, with over 50 startups accepted into Torus Club annually, where they execute a proprietary capital-raising roadmap. They also offer a Torus Investor-Readiness Assessment, a certification tool for pre-seed and seed-stage startups, priced at a beta offer of $500, which can guarantee pitch access to partner investors for top-scoring companies. Key leadership includes Jason Atkins, co-founder of Cake Equity and Investment Committee member for Torus Fund 1, known for mentoring thousands of founders, and Kane Templeton, who excels in go-to-market strategies and community building, having led Fund Zero. Strategic advisors, such as David Kenny, further bolster their expertise in scaling companies and provide investor perspectives.