Outset Ventures
Outset Ventures is a New Zealand deep tech venture fund and incubator combining a 6,000 sqm purpose-built R&D campus with multi-stage capital, serving science and engineering founders from pre-seed through Series B alongside institutional and family office LPs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersParnell, New Zealand
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Outset Ventures does
Outset Ventures is a New Zealand-based deep tech venture fund and incubator headquartered at 40 Kenwyn Street, Parnell, Auckland. Operating as Outset Ventures Limited (formerly LevelTwo), the firm combines a purpose-built 6,000+ sqm R&D and incubator campus (Future House), a multi-fund venture capital operation, and a curated community of founders, scientists, and engineers to support science- and engineering-based companies from pre-seed through Series B. Investment focus spans energy, advanced materials, aerospace, future food, industrial chemistry, med-tech, and biotech, with a 25-year track record that includes the foundational incubation of Rocket Lab and LanzaTech and Fund I performance in the 90%+ centile globally on TVPI and IRR.
The business model rests on two primary revenue streams: management fees on committed capital under management (1% blended over 10 years on the Momentum Fund) and performance-based carried interest on portfolio company exits. Fund I and Fund II have deployed $53M NZD into 40 early-stage deep tech companies, with portfolio companies subsequently raising over $200M NZD; the Momentum Fund (target US$30-50M) represents a step-up to Series A/B, structured to meet New Zealand's Active Investor Plus visa requirements. Go-to-market is direct and relationship-driven: institutional investors, family offices, and HNW visa applicants are sourced through private placement, while founders enter through the incubator community and curated deal flow (60+ unique deals generated in-house).
The platform's differentiation rests on the integration of physical lab infrastructure, capital across stages, and a deep technical bench (30% PhDs, investment committee including Sir Peter Beck and Dr Sean Simpson), underwritten by strategic partnerships with NS BlueScope, Icehouse Ventures, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, and K1W1. Core team size is approximately 9, supplemented by named advisors and an extensive resident-company base of 20+ science and engineering firms on campus.
Outset Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Outset Ventures
- Legal name
- Outset Ventures Limited
- Website
- https://outset.ventures
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Outset Ventures is a New Zealand deep tech venture fund and incubator combining a 6,000 sqm purpose-built R&D campus with multi-stage capital, serving science and engineering founders from pre-seed through Series B alongside institutional and family office LPs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Outset Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital and Startup Incubation
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB), Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
Keywords
Where Outset Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Parnell
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Outset Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Fund Management Fees: Management fees charged on committed capital under management, with a 1% blended fee over 10 years for the Momentum Fund
- Carried Interest: Performance-based carried interest on investment returns from successful portfolio company exits
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Momentum Fund - High-conviction opportunity fund targeting top-quartile venture returns |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Outset Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Outset Ventures operates a deep technology venture fund and incubator combining specialized R&D laboratory space, venture capital deployment through the Momentum Fund (and prior funds), and a curated community of founders, scientists, and engineers. The firm invests across pre-seed, seed, Series A, and Series B stages in science and engineering-based technology companies operating in energy, advanced materials, aerospace, future food, industrial chemistry, med-tech, and biotech.
Product overview
Outset Ventures is a deep technology venture fund and incubator offering a unified platform combining specialized laboratory facilities, investment capital through its Momentum Fund, and a curated founder community. The organization provides incubation services including R&D labs, fabrication tools, and testing facilities, while deploying capital via its investment funds to support early-stage deep tech companies from pre-seed through Series B stages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Momentum Fund: Outset's high-conviction opportunity fund backing New Zealand's breakout deep tech winners as they scale globally, focused on Series A/B stage investments.
Products and services
- Momentum Fund A high-conviction opportunity fund backing New Zealand's breakout deep tech winners at Series A/B stage, structured to meet Active Investor Plus visa requirements. Targets 6-10 high conviction positions with a 20%+ net IRR target, 10-year fund life, 3-5 year investment period, and 1% blended management fee.
- Deep Tech Incubation Services Specialized laboratory and engineering R&D space, fabrication tools, and testing facilities delivered through a purpose-built campus (Future House) at 40 Kenwyn Street, Parnell, Auckland. Includes private laboratories, workshops, meeting rooms, and communal areas serving deep tech companies at various stages. Over 20 science and engineering-based companies are currently housed at the campus.
- Early-Stage Deep Tech Investment (Fund I & Fund II)
- Founder Community & Ecosystem Support Curated community of founders, scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs providing board-level governance support, operational input, introductions to customers, talent, and global investors, as well as networking events such as the NZ Aerospace Summit, Showcase events, and Deep Tech Amplifier gatherings.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90%+ centile on TVPI and IRR by global standards (Fund I)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Outset Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Outset Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Outset Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Icehouse VenturescoreLong-standing ecosystem partnership with Icehouse Ventures, also located in Parnell, Auckland. Both organizations share entrepreneurial spirit and campus environment, collaborating on events like Showcase and supporting the broader NZ startup ecosystem.
- Tātaki Auckland UnlimitedcoreStrategic partner supporting Outset ecosystem and events. Mentioned as supporter of TechWeek events and space seminars.
- Phillimore PropertiescoreBuilding owners Terry Gould, Ross Healy and Ken Healy at Phillimore Property provided the Future House facility, enabling Outset's expansion and world-class campus development.
- NS BlueScopeflagshipCollaboration announced at Future House Grand Opening in November 2024. BlueScope is a major steel manufacturing company; the partnership supports Outset's deep tech ecosystem development.
- New Zealand SteelcoreListed as a partner in the Outset community ecosystem, supporting the broader deep tech innovation environment.
- Advanced Manufacturing AotearoaminorResident company partner at Outset campus, representing the advanced manufacturing sector within the deep tech ecosystem.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Outset Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DCVC: US deep tech VC investing in computational, materials, and life sciences at Series A/B; comparable as a sector-focused deep tech fund with technical due diligence capabilities and similar check sizes.
- Lux Capital: US deep tech VC backing frontier science companies across energy, aerospace, biotech, and advanced materials; comparable portfolio construction and stage focus.
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures: Bill Gates-backed deep tech fund investing in climate and energy technologies; comparable as a high-conviction deep tech investor with similar profile companies (fusion, energy storage, biotech).
- Pacific Channel: NZ deep tech investor focused on science and engineering-based startups; comparable as a direct competitor within New Zealand targeting similar stages and sectors.
Regional players
- Icehouse Ventures: New Zealand-based early-stage VC and accelerator with Parnell, Auckland presence; comparable as a NZ venture investor and ecosystem partner with overlapping founder communities.
- Main Sequence Ventures: Australia-based deep tech investor and CSIRO-backed fund manager; comparable as a regional deep tech VC with similar focus on science and engineering commercialization.
Broad incumbents
- Toyota Ventures: Corporate venture arm of Toyota investing in mobility, energy, and frontier technology; comparable as a corporate-backed deep tech investor with overlapping portfolio themes (notable Outset Principal previously worked there).
- SOSV: Global accelerator and venture fund operating HAX, IndieBio, and other programs; comparable as a deep tech-focused investor combining accelerator infrastructure with venture capital.
Emerging players
- Entrepreneur First: Global talent investor and venture builder forming deep tech companies from ideation; comparable as a venture studio model supporting technical founders through infrastructure and community.
- At One Ventures: US-based deep tech fund backing technologies that improve planetary health; comparable as a sector-focused deep tech VC with overlapping portfolio themes in climate and biotech.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Outset Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceOutset Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Outset Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Outset Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Outset Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments34 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Outset Ventures
What does Outset Ventures do?
Outset Ventures operates a deep technology venture fund and incubator combining specialized R&D laboratory space, venture capital deployment through the Momentum Fund (and prior funds), and a curated community of founders, scientists, and engineers. The firm invests across pre-seed, seed, Series A, and Series B stages in science and engineering-based technology companies operating in energy, advanced materials, aerospace, future food, industrial chemistry, med-tech, and biotech.
Is Outset Ventures a public or private company?
Outset Ventures is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Outset Ventures founded?
Outset Ventures was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Outset Ventures based?
Outset Ventures is headquartered in Parnell, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Outset Ventures make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Fund Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest.
Who are Outset Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DCVC, Lux Capital, Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Pacific Channel. Regional players are Icehouse Ventures and Main Sequence Ventures. Broad incumbents are Toyota Ventures and SOSV. Emerging players are Entrepreneur First and At One Ventures.
Does Outset Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Outset Ventures.
What industry is Outset Ventures in?
Outset Ventures's product category is Venture Capital and Startup Incubation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAH, Venture Studios / Company Builders, with a secondary code of FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.