What Black Nova Venture Capital does

Black Nova Venture Capital is a thematic, early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2020 and headquartered in Surry Hills, Sydney. The firm invests in B2B technology companies from pre-Seed through Series A, with a minimum cheque size of $100K, a 2% annual management fee, 20% carried interest, and a 30% IRR fund objective. It operates as a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR 1281854) of Boutique Capital Pty Ltd (AFSL 508011), which provides the underlying AFSL framework, and deploys capital predominantly into Australian B2B technology companies while maintaining selective exposure to New Zealand, the UK, the US, and Asia-Pacific.

The firm manages a portfolio of 40+ companies spanning cybersecurity (CipherStash, Nullify, Avertro), MarTech (OfferFit, Psyke), HR Tech (Mintable, Outhire, Marlee), health tech (Evidentli, Kismet), construction tech (SPEC Toolbox), and enterprise SaaS. Its core "product" is the venture partner network — a bench of more than 20 operators drawn from scaled exits and senior operating roles at Salesforce, Uber, Google, ServiceNow, Cyara, Chronosphere, RecordPoint, and others — which provides portfolio companies with go-to-market, product, talent, AI, and cybersecurity support. Black Nova targets a 6–8 week decision window from first meeting to funded cheque and accepts hot, warm, or cold intros, positioning speed and founder empathy as differentiators versus larger institutional funds.

Black Nova generates revenue through standard VC fund economics — 2% annual management fees on committed capital plus 20% carried interest on realized exits. Its revenue is therefore episodic and exit-dependent; disclosed exits to date include Notiv (acquired by Dubber, 2021), OfferFit (acquired by Braze, June 2025), and Factor (acquired by Gentrack, May 2026). Limited partners are restricted to wholesale or institutional investors under Sections 761G/761GA of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). The firm's go-to-market is referral-driven, combining content marketing via blacknova.vc, LinkedIn/X presence, and ecosystem participation through Startmate, Build Club, and similar Australian startup communities.

Name

Black Nova Venture Capital

Legal name

Black Nova Venture Capital Pty Ltd

Website

https://blacknova.vc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Black Nova Venture Capital is a Sydney-based, early-stage B2B technology venture capital firm founded in 2020, investing pre-Seed to Series A with a $100K minimum cheque, 20% carry, and a portfolio of 40+ Australian-led companies supported by a deep operator venture partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early-Stage Venture Capital

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

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

• Venture capital funding
• Early-stage investments
• B2B technology investing
• Pre-seed funding
• Startup equity investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Surry Hills

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fund Management Returns (Carried Interest): Black Nova generates returns through carried interest (20% of fund profits) and management fees (2% per annum) on committed capital. Minimum investment is $100K. The fund targets a 30% IRR. Revenue is derived from portfolio company exits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Black Nova Venture Capital deploys equity capital into early-stage B2B technology startups from pre-Seed through Series A, with a $100K minimum cheque, 20% carried interest, 2% annual management fee, and a 30% IRR fund objective. Beyond capital, the firm provides portfolio companies with strategic guidance, mentorship, network access, and operational support via a curated venture partner network spanning cybersecurity, sales, product, and AI domains.

Product overview

Black Nova Venture Capital is a thematic venture capital firm focused exclusively on B2B technology startups in Australia and globally. The firm operates as a single investment vehicle offering Pre-Seed to Series A funding with a minimum check size of $100K. Rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, Black Nova's offering centers on its investment thesis, portfolio ecosystem, and venture partner network. The Portfolio Companies constitute the core investment portfolio spanning 40+ companies across cybersecurity (CipherStash, Nullify, Avertro), MarTech (OfferFit, Psyke), HR Tech (Mintable, Outhire, Marlee), health tech (Evidentli, Kismet, Bella Sláinte), and other B2B SaaS sectors. The Venture Partner Network and Founder Support Program provide non-dilutive value-add services to portfolio companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-Seed to Series A Investment Services Equity venture capital funding offered to B2B technology startups from pre-seed through Series A stages. Targets ambitious founders building B2B SaaS and technology companies, with a 6–8 week target process from first meeting to funding. Investment criteria weight market size, founders, product, and business model equally.
• Portfolio Companies Black Nova's investment portfolio of 40+ B2B technology companies across cybersecurity (CipherStash, Nullify, Avertro), MarTech (OfferFit, Psyke), HR Tech (Mintable, Outhire, Marlee), health tech (Evidentli, Kismet, Bella Sláinte), construction tech (SPEC Toolbox), and enterprise SaaS sectors.
• Venture Partner Network Provides portfolio companies with access to a network of venture partners offering domain expertise in cybersecurity, go-to-market strategy, product management, AI, sales, and startup growth. Members include operators from Google, Microsoft, Canva, Salesforce, ServiceNow, IBM, Uber, Palo Alto Networks, Cyara, Chronosphere, Simon-Kucher, and other leading firms.
• Founder Support Program Hands-on founder support covering strategic guidance, network access, operational assistance, board-level engagement, and introductions to follow-on investors. The firm positions itself as an extension of the founding team rather than just a financial investor.

Quantifiable outcome

• Decision from first meeting to funding in 6–8 weeks (target)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• StartmatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartmate is a key partner in the Australian startup ecosystem. Black Nova team member Tom McLeod is a partner at Startmate, which has launched accelerator streams (AI, hardware, B2B, consumer) under Founder Streams. Multiple Black Nova venture partners are connected to the Startmate ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blackbird Ventures: One of Australia's largest early-stage VCs with a deep B2B/tech focus, investing from pre-seed through Series A across ANZ. Closest direct peer to Black Nova given overlapping stage, sector thesis, and Australian geographic focus.
• AirTree Ventures: Prominent Australian early- and growth-stage VC with a B2B technology thesis across SaaS, fintech, and infra. Direct competitor for B2B founders at pre-seed through Series A in Australia.
• Square Peg Capital: Australia- and Israel-focused VC investing across seed to Series B in B2B SaaS, fintech, and consumer tech. Overlapping thesis on B2B software founders at early stages.
• Folklore Ventures: Australian early-stage VC investing pre-seed through Series A in B2B and horizontal software companies. Closely matched stage and B2B thematic focus to Black Nova.
• Tidal Ventures: Australian B2B SaaS-focused early-stage VC that led the Operata Series A in which Black Nova participated. Direct competitor for the same founder profile and stage.
• Flying Fox Ventures: Australian pre-seed and seed VC focused on ambitious tech founders; co-invested with Black Nova in Operata. Comparable stage focus and founder-first positioning.
• Antler: Global early-stage VC and founder generator with active ANZ operations. Comparable focus on day-zero/pre-seed B2B founders; multiple Black Nova venture partners (e.g., Marcelo Alé) also advise Antler.
• Soul Ventures: Australian/NZ pre-seed and seed VC focused on B2B SaaS and deep tech. Comparable geographic focus and pre-seed/seed entry point to Black Nova's investment strategy.

Others

• Investible:

Broad incumbents

• Startmate: Australia's leading startup accelerator and fund-of-funds, running AI, hardware, B2B, and consumer streams. Black Nova team overlap with Startmate (Tom McLeod is a partner there), creating both partnership and competitive sourcing dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BlackNovaVC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-nova-venture-capital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments49 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Nova Venture Capital