EVP
EVP (Equity Venture Partners) is a Sydney-based early-stage venture capital firm that leads Series A rounds in AI-first software companies, manages five closed-end funds plus an open-ended Opportunities Fund, and provides active board support, follow-on capital, and a Talent_OS recruitment platform to a concentrated portfolio of 54 companies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSydney, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What EVP does
EVP (Equity Venture Partners) is an Australian early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Bondi Junction, Sydney, that backs AI-first software companies at the Series A inflection point. Founded around 2015 by Les Szekely, Howard Leibman, Daniel Szekely, and Justin Lipman, the firm operates a concentrated-lead-investor model: it takes board seats in every portfolio company, commits follow-on capital, supports executive hiring, and concentrates deployment rather than spraying capital across many passive checks. Its offerings span five closed-end funds (Funds I–V, with Fund V closing at A$120m in March 2026) and an open-ended evergreen Opportunities Fund that accepts quarterly subscriptions from institutional investors, family offices, and qualifying high-net-worth individuals. The firm also operates Talent_OS, an in-house recruitment platform that surfaces advertised and unadvertised roles across the portfolio and serves as a talent-sourcing channel for founders.
EVP's core "product" is therefore capital plus hands-on portfolio services rather than software. Its underlying operating technology is light: an investor portal (hosted at Automic), a Typeform pitch intake, a portfolio jobs board at jobs.evp.com.au, and the Talent_OS platform. The firm monetizes through the standard VC two-stream model — annual management fees on committed capital (industry-norm ~2%) and carried interest (industry-norm ~20%) on fund returns above the hurdle — with the Opportunities Fund adding a continuously open evergreen subscription layer on top of closed-end vehicles. EVP serves two customer sets: capital providers (LPs in the funds) and AI-first software founders at Series A, with a stated portfolio of 54 companies across restaurant tech, automotive data, mining tech, allied health, legal tech, adtech, fintech, and other B2B SaaS verticals.
The portfolio includes multiple material outcomes — SiteMinder (publicly listed unicorn and first full-year profit in August 2025), EatClub (~A$200m valuation after a A$27m Series B in February 2026), AutoGrab (A$230m valuation after an A$80m Series B in January 2026), CorePlan (9,000 users across 600+ mining customers), Splose (US$46m Series A in February 2026), UpGuard (US$105m Series C in February 2026), and Mad Paws (A$62m takeover by Rover in July 2025). EVP operates across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the US, and Europe, and claims no portfolio business lost since 1996 (a figure that predates the firm's current incarnation and reflects the founders' angel-investing track record).
EVP firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- EVP
- Legal name
- Equity Venture Partners
- Website
- https://evp.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- EVP (Equity Venture Partners) is a Sydney-based early-stage venture capital firm that leads Series A rounds in AI-first software companies, manages five closed-end funds plus an open-ended Opportunities Fund, and provides active board support, follow-on capital, and a Talent_OS recruitment platform to a concentrated portfolio of 54 companies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
EVP industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Open-End Investment Funds (52591)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venture Debt Providers (FSANAAAL)
Keywords
Where EVP is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sydney
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
EVP business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Management Fees: VC firms typically charge management fees on committed capital under management, typically 2% of AUM annually.
- Carried Interest / Performance Fees: VC firms earn carried interest (typically 20%) on investment returns above the hurdle rate, paid after returning capital to limited partners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | EVP Opportunities Fund - open-ended evergreen vehicle |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
EVP product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EVP (Equity Venture Partners) is an early-stage venture capital firm that leads Series A rounds into AI-first software companies, deploying capital through closed-end funds (Funds I-V) and an open-ended Opportunities Fund. The firm takes board seats, provides follow-on capital, portfolio network access, and executive hiring support to founders of category-defining software businesses. EVP also operates Talent_OS, a recruitment platform connecting talent with unadvertised roles across its 54-company portfolio.
Product overview
EVP is an early-stage venture capital firm that builds concentrated portfolios of AI-first software companies. The firm operates multiple closed-end funds (Funds I through V) and an open-ended Opportunities Fund, collectively managing investments in 54 portfolio companies. The primary offerings include venture capital investment at the Series A inflection point and Talent_OS, a recruitment platform connecting talent with opportunities across the portfolio. EVP provides hands-on support to founders including high conviction lead investment, portfolio network access, follow-on capital, strategic thinking, and executive hiring assistance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- EVP Fund V
- EVP Opportunities Fund
- Talent_OS
Companies that use EVP
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
EVP technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
EVP partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
EVP competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Blackbird Ventures: Largest Australian early-stage VC with a strong software and B2B SaaS focus. Directly comparable to EVP as a Series A-focused investor in Australian software founders, though materially larger in AUM.
- AirTree Ventures: Sydney-based early-stage VC backing Australian software and technology companies. Closely comparable to EVP in stage focus (Series A), sector (software/SaaS), and geography (Australia-first).
- Square Peg Capital: Australia and Israel-focused VC investing in software, fintech, and consumer tech from Series A onwards. Comparable in software-led Series A thesis and Asia-Pacific footprint, though typically writes larger initial cheques.
- Five V Capital: Australian growth-stage investor that has moved into software-led rounds (e.g., the A$55M Ordermentum investment). Comparable as an Australian software-focused investor, though typically later-stage than EVP's Series A focus.
- Tidal Ventures: Sydney-based early-stage VC focused on B2B SaaS and software. Comparable in stage, sector, and geography to EVP, with a similar fund size band and lead-investor posture.
- Folklore Ventures: Australia and New Zealand early-stage VC backing early software companies. Comparable to EVP in stage and regional focus, with a co-lead investment style and concentrated portfolio.
- Carthona Capital: Sydney-based early-stage VC with a software and technology focus. Comparable in stage (pre-seed to Series A), sector tilt, and Australian-anchored thesis, with overlapping portfolio companies.
- Rampersand: Melbourne-based early-stage VC investing in Australian and New Zealand software founders. Comparable in stage focus (pre-seed/seed) and software-only thesis, with a smaller fund size than EVP.
Regional players
- Movac: New Zealand-based deep-tech and software investor that has co-led rounds with EVP (e.g., AutoGrab Series B). Comparable as a regional software investor in the Australasian ecosystem, with NZ as the primary geography.
Emerging players
- Black Sheep Ventures: Smaller Australian early-stage software VC with a similar lead-investor model. Comparable to EVP in stage and sector, but with a smaller fund and emerging brand.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
EVP social profiles
Digital presenceEVP financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
EVP leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
EVP funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
EVP M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments89 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about EVP
What does EVP do?
EVP (Equity Venture Partners) is an early-stage venture capital firm that leads Series A rounds into AI-first software companies, deploying capital through closed-end funds (Funds I-V) and an open-ended Opportunities Fund. The firm takes board seats, provides follow-on capital, portfolio network access, and executive hiring support to founders of category-defining software businesses. EVP also operates Talent_OS, a recruitment platform connecting talent with unadvertised roles across its 54-company portfolio.
Is EVP a public or private company?
EVP is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was EVP founded?
EVP was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is EVP based?
EVP is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does EVP make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest / Performance Fees.
Who are EVP's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Blackbird Ventures, AirTree Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Five V Capital, Tidal Ventures, Folklore Ventures, Carthona Capital and Rampersand. Movac is listed as a regional player. Black Sheep Ventures is listed as an emerging player.
Does EVP have an API?
No public API is recorded for EVP.
What industry is EVP in?
EVP's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAL, Venture Debt Providers. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.