Main Sequence Ventures
Main Sequence Ventures is an Australian deep tech venture capital firm, founded by CSIRO in 2017, that invests from pre-seed through Series B in startups connected to Australian publicly funded research across six challenge areas, managing over $1B across three funds.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSydney, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Main Sequence Ventures does
Main Sequence Ventures is an Australian deep tech venture capital firm co-founded by CSIRO in 2017 and headquartered in Sydney. The firm invests venture capital from pre-seed through Series B in spinouts, startups, and SMEs connected to Australian publicly funded research, organised around six challenge areas: Bridge the Gap to Space, Decarbonise the Planet, Enable the Next Intelligence Leap, Feed 10 Billion People, Reach Humanity Scale Healthcare, and Supercharge Industrial Productivity. Main Sequence's core differentiator is its exclusive structural relationship with CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, which provides portfolio companies with access to 3,500 scientists, prototyping and testing infrastructure, Australia's largest patent portfolio, and relationships with all 43 Australian universities.
The firm operates a multi-stage platform that includes the Atmosphere pre-seed programme, the core seed-to-Series B investment vehicle, and the Spin-out Series research commercialisation programme, all underpinned by the proprietary "Venture Science" methodology and downloadable Toolkit. Main Sequence has raised three funds — Fund 1 ($240M, 2017), Fund 2 ($310M, private capital), and Fund 3 ($450M, 2023) — bringing total funds under management above $1B, with Fund 4 expected to launch late 2026 / early 2027. Across Funds 1 and 2 the firm has invested in 51 portfolio companies; Fund 3 has made 16 investments to date.
Main Sequence generates returns for LPs (institutional investors, superannuation funds, family offices, and the Australian government as cornerstone investor) through portfolio company exits and secondary transactions, earning management fees and carried interest on returns above the preferred return threshold. The firm does not sell products or services to end customers and does not publicly disclose fee rates. Distribution to founders occurs through direct outreach, researcher office hours, the Atmosphere pre-seed programme, and CSIRO ecosystem relationships; LPs are engaged through direct wholesale fundraising, with a global co-investor network supporting portfolio company international scaling.
Main Sequence Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Main Sequence Ventures
- Legal name
- Main Sequence Ventures
- Website
- https://mseq.vc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Main Sequence Ventures is an Australian deep tech venture capital firm, founded by CSIRO in 2017, that invests from pre-seed through Series B in startups connected to Australian publicly funded research across six challenge areas, managing over $1B across three funds.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Main Sequence Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
Keywords
Where Main Sequence Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sydney
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Main Sequence Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- VC Fund Management & Carried Interest: Main Sequence generates returns for Limited Partners (institutional investors, superannuation funds, family offices) by investing in deep tech startups and realizing returns through portfolio company exits (IPOs, acquisitions) and secondary transactions. The firm earns management fees and carried interest on returns above the preferred return threshold.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Main Sequence Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Main Sequence Ventures is an Australian deep tech venture capital firm that invests equity capital from pre-seed through Series B into startups connected to Australian publicly funded research. The firm manages over $1 billion across multiple funds and provides portfolio companies with hands-on company-building support, including access to CSIRO scientists, prototyping infrastructure, and proprietary Venture Science methodology tools.
Product overview
Main Sequence Ventures is a deep tech venture capital firm designed to support founders building difficult-to-build companies. The firm offers a unified investment platform with multiple funding stages: the Atmosphere pre-seed program for earliest-stage founders, core venture investment from seed through Series B, and research commercialisation support through Spin-out Series resources. The Venture Science Toolkit provides methodological framework for company building. The firm's investment thesis is organized around six global challenges: Bridge the Gap to Space, Decarbonise the Planet, Enable the Next Intelligence Leap, Feed 10 Billion People, Reach Humanity Scale Healthcare, and Supercharge Industrial Productivity. Main Sequence leverages its unique partnership with CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, to provide portfolio companies with access to infrastructure, scientists, and testing facilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Deep Tech Venture Capital Investment
- Atmosphere Pre-seed Fund
- Spin-out Series
- Researcher Office Hours
Quantifiable outcome
- Main Sequence surpassed $1 billion in funds under management, making it one of Australia's largest deep tech VC firms
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Main Sequence Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Main Sequence Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Main Sequence Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation)coreCSIRO, Australia's national science agency with a $1.3 billion annual budget, co-founded Main Sequence in 2017 to bridge the valley of death for research commercialisation. CSIRO is Main Sequence's anchor limited partner and provides portfolio companies with access to 3,500 scientists, infrastructure, Australia's largest patent portfolio, prototyping facilities, and testing & certification capabilities. Economic returns from commercialisation are reinvested back into science.
- Lockheed Martin AustraliasupportingAerospace and defence company partnered with Cortisonic through the Australian Department of Defence's Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator programme to demonstrate Cortisonic's phononic computing technology within 24 months.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Main Sequence Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IP Group Australia: Listed technology and life sciences commercialization company that invests in university and research institute spinouts. Highly comparable to Main Sequence's deep tech commercialization model, with explicit focus on Australian publicly funded research and a co-investor in Main Sequence's portfolio companies.
- Uniseed: Australian university commercialization fund that invests in early-stage spinouts from partner research institutions. Directly comparable to Main Sequence's pre-seed and seed activity through Atmosphere, focusing on commercializing Australian academic research.
- Brandon Capital: Australian life sciences venture capital firm managing the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF) and Biomedical Translation Fund (BTF). Highly comparable deep tech commercialization model anchored to Australian publicly funded research and medical research institutes.
Broad incumbents
- Blackbird Ventures: One of Australia's largest and most established venture capital firms, leading investments across technology stages. Overlaps with Main Sequence as a co-investor (notably Gilmour Space's Series E) but operates broadly rather than specializing in deep tech spinouts from publicly funded research.
- AirTree Ventures: Major Australian venture capital firm with a diversified portfolio spanning consumer, enterprise, and deep tech. Comparable as a co-investor in Main Sequence portfolio companies (Advanced Navigation Series C), but with a broader investment remit beyond research commercialization.
- Square Peg Capital: Australia and Israel-focused venture capital firm investing across technology stages. Comparable as a fellow Australian deep tech investor, though with broader geographic and sector scope than Main Sequence's publicly-funded-research mandate.
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures: Bill Gates-backed global venture fund investing in climate and deep tech companies across energy, agriculture, and industrial sectors. Comparable as a deep tech and decarbonization investor aligned with Main Sequence's 'Decarbonise the Planet' challenge area, though with global mandate rather than Australian focus.
Regional players
- Folklore Ventures: Australian and New Zealand venture capital firm investing across early-stage technology companies. Comparable as an Australia-focused early-stage VC and co-investor in Main Sequence portfolio companies (Arkeus Series A), though not deep tech or research-spinout specialized.
Emerging players
- Lux Capital: US-based venture capital firm specializing in deep tech investments across AI, space, healthcare, and advanced materials. Comparable as a deep tech specialist, though US-headquartered with access to American research institutions rather than Australian publicly funded research.
- DCVC (Data Collective): US-based venture capital firm investing in deep tech companies using computational, engineering, and materials science breakthroughs. Comparable as a deep tech specialist with science-driven thesis, though serving American rather than Australian research commercialization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Main Sequence Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceMain Sequence Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Main Sequence Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles24 records
Main Sequence Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Main Sequence Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments126 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Main Sequence Ventures
What does Main Sequence Ventures do?
Main Sequence Ventures is an Australian deep tech venture capital firm that invests equity capital from pre-seed through Series B into startups connected to Australian publicly funded research. The firm manages over $1 billion across multiple funds and provides portfolio companies with hands-on company-building support, including access to CSIRO scientists, prototyping infrastructure, and proprietary Venture Science methodology tools.
Is Main Sequence Ventures a public or private company?
Main Sequence Ventures is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Main Sequence Ventures founded?
Main Sequence Ventures was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Main Sequence Ventures based?
Main Sequence Ventures is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Main Sequence Ventures make money?
One revenue line is on record: VC Fund Management & Carried Interest.
Who are Main Sequence Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IP Group Australia, Uniseed and Brandon Capital. Broad incumbents are Blackbird Ventures, AirTree Ventures, Square Peg Capital and Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Folklore Ventures is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Lux Capital and DCVC (Data Collective).
Does Main Sequence Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Main Sequence Ventures.
What industry is Main Sequence Ventures in?
Main Sequence Ventures's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B), with a secondary code of FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.