We are thrilled to announce the launch of Quidnet Ventures Fund II – The Discovery Fund – aimed at discovering and fuelling the next generation of groundbreaking Kiwi deeptech founders.

Since launching our inaugural fund in 2021, Quidnet Ventures has established itself as a premier early-stage venture capital firm focused exclusively on New Zealand’s most promising deeptech startups. With Fund I tracking for top-quartile performance, we’ve demonstrated our ability to identify, support, and scale New Zealand’s most innovative companies.

Drawing on his science education, tech career, an extensive US network, and long-time connection with New Zealand, Dr Mark Bregman of Quidnet Ventures champions science-based Kiwi startups demonstrating a “terroir” of innovation.

For Bregman, one of the key attractions of Kiwi innovation has been that famous No. 8 wire thinking. He uses the viticulture term “terroir”, defined as the blend of factors – the soil, climate, terrain and human input – that shape the unique qualities of a wine. 

Congrats! You’ve started a business. Now, you’d like to keep the doors open, and grow. In order to do this, you may need outside funding (not your own). How do you fund your new business? There is more than one way to do this. We’re going to focus on two options: venture equity, and venture debt.

We think differently than some of our counterparts in the U.S., and we’re in good company in N.Z. New Zealand is exploding with new start-ups and funds that are thinking about a secure future. We’re building something new, and special. And in light of that, we’re going to myth-bust a few “old-school” assumptions about venture capital while we’re at it. Hopefully, this will be helpful for emerging funds and businesses.

Quidnet Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund. We look at Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A companies; meaning that we look at a range of companies—from companies that are pre-revenue and raising a few hundred thousand dollars,  to companies that have proven traction and are raising a few million dollars.

What are we looking for in general, and what are we looking for at each stage? We’ll tell you.