AfterWork Ventures

🎯 What They Do

AfterWork Ventures is a community-powered venture capital fund based in Sydney, Australia, with a focus on investing in early-stage, next-generation technology companies across Australia and New Zealand. Established in 2018, the firm emerged from what began as a 'side hustle' of weekly Zoom calls among its co-founders, Adrian Petersen, Alex Khor, David Insull, and Adam Smith, evolving into a professional venture capital entity. AfterWork Ventures is distinguished by its unique 'community-powered' model, leveraging a network of over 100 experienced tech operators, founders, and startup professionals.

📖 Their Story

This extensive community actively contributes to deal sourcing, enhances due diligence processes through diverse perspectives, and provides hands-on support to portfolio companies, giving the firm a competitive advantage. They foster a transparent investment process, characterised by a deep respect for founders' time and courage, aiming to add value at every step. The firm primarily targets pre-seed and seed stage startups, seeking ambitious founders who are developing solutions for large addressable markets and have a clear vision for achieving over $100 million in annual revenue.

⚡ What Sets Them Apart

AfterWork Ventures is sector-agnostic, enabling it to explore a wide array of innovative opportunities rather than specialising in a single vertical. [cite: 5 (previous search), 7 (previous search), 12, 19] Its investment principles prioritise identifying companies with venture-scale potential, strong founding teams, and demonstrable early momentum. [cite: 18 (previous search), 20 (previous search)]

AfterWork Ventures has achieved significant milestones since its inception, with $20 million in funds under management for its current fund. [cite: 3 (previous search), 22 (previous search)] It has made over 50 investments, and some of its portfolio companies have experienced notable growth, including acquisitions and substantial year-on-year revenue increases. [cite: 5 (previous search), 8] Key figures include partners Adrian Petersen and Alex Khor, who contribute significantly to the firm's strategic direction and investment decisions. Former Partner Jessy Wu, known for her background in English literature and linguistics, also played a crucial role, particularly in building brand and community, before departing in August 2024 to found her own company. [cite: 5 (previous search), 8 (previous search), 12 (previous search), 19 (previous search)] This leadership and community-driven approach underlines AfterWork Ventures' commitment to identifying and nurturing the next generation of iconic Australian and New Zealand tech companies.