Side Stage Ventures

Side Stage Ventures is a Sydney-based, founder-led venture capital firm dedicated to backing exceptional early-stage entrepreneurs across Australia. Established in 2022, the firm evolved from a successful investment syndicate that began in mid-2020, bringing together a community of over 100 founders and operators. Side Stage Ventures distinguishes itself by offering more than just capital, providing deep connections, strategic advice, and consistent, hands-on support to help startups navigate the critical zero-to-one phase of company building.

The firm is spearheaded by Co-Founders and General Partners Ben Grabiner and Markus Kahlbetzer, who bring extensive entrepreneurial and investment backgrounds. Ben Grabiner previously co-founded Platoon, a UK creator platform acquired by Apple in 2018, and was an early-stage investor at LocalGlobe. Markus Kahlbetzer founded BridgeLane, an investment firm, and co-founded Tank Stream Ventures, with a track record of backing Australian success stories like Airtasker and Go1. Their combined experience as founders and operators, including building two Australian unicorns and securing an Apple acquisition, underpins their unique ability to understand and support founders through every stage of growth.

Side Stage Ventures positions itself as a truly founder-centric partner, believing that what is best for the founder is ultimately best for the fund. They are committed to providing active, collaborative support in areas such as hiring, fundraising, and achieving product-market fit, often being the first cheque investor. This approach fosters a unique community where founders back other founders with shared passion and belief, contributing to a high "Helpfulness to Cheque Size ratio" (H:CS).

The fund focuses primarily on pre-seed and seed-stage investments, typically deploying up to $1.5 million per round. While sector-agnostic, Side Stage Ventures prioritises identifying outlier founders with a compelling global vision who are building in large, impactful markets, often at pre-revenue stages. Their initial fund achieved a $15 million first close, with a target of $30 million. Notable portfolio companies include Leonardo.Ai (exited), MagicBrief (exited), More Good Days, Mr Yum, Heaps Normal, Thanks, and Puralink, spanning diverse sectors such as health, generative AI, HR, software, and consumer tech.

Beyond their core team, Side Stage Ventures collaborates with a network of prominent Australian Venture Partners, including Alex and Anthony Zaccaria (Linktree), Matt Allen (Tractor Ventures), and Jaddan Comerford (Unified Music Group). This extensive network and collective experience allow Side Stage Ventures to cultivate a supportive ecosystem, aiming to be the most valued early-stage partner for Australia's top 1% of founders and to significantly contribute to the thriving Australian startup ecosystem.