September 2020 marked 20 years since the formation of multi-university venture fund Uniseed. To still be operating after 20 years is quite an achievement, given the difficulty of commercialising early-stage research.
Over that time, we have experienced first-hand the ebbs and flows of Australian innovation, including the dot.com crash, the global financial crisis, the covid crisis, the changes in governments and associated innovation policy changes, the reinvention of technology transfer office business models and the rise and decline of a numerous venture funds, with most venture fund managers in operation at the time Uniseed was formed no longer active.
The 20th anniversary is a good opportunity to reflect on Uniseed’s journey, not only considering how long the fund has been operating, but also factoring in the significant success Uniseed has had, and the ultimate impact of the fund on the Australian research and innovation ecosystem.
57 startups 630+ people employed A$760m raised 12 exits
Part 1 – Forming (2000-2005)
The environment leading up to the formation of Uniseed in late 2000
At the time the concept of a Uniseed fund…
