Business strategists
Go to marketers
Seasoned investors
Tech founders
Product gurus
All-weather specialists
A huge part of our business is creating trusting relationships with our founders, and matching our resources and services to the needs of each company.
Consider us your very own brains trust, ready to help with the ebbs and flows of being a seed-stage company and empowering founders to solve problems in their own way.
Grant McCarthy
Managing Partner
Co-founder, sounding board, visionary. Grant leverages a background in digital media and 20+ years of experience investing in seed companies in Asia & Australia and advising early-stage founders on their most critical challenges. He encourages big picture thinking, and guides companies to see strategic opportunities, build product-market fit, and prepare for institutional capital raising. Formerly Yahoo.
Wendell Keuneman
General Partner
Product gun, founders' go-to-guy. Wendell is a product-led-growth expert and multi-time start-up founder, armed with 20+ years of software engineering and product management experience. Whether you need to go deep in code, sound out an idea, get a reality check, or just talk through frustrations, Wendell's unique thinking helps others to see the path forward. Formerly Atlassian, Broadsoft & Inference.
Georgie Turner
Partner
Go-to-market guru, fundraising gun. Georgie has extensive experience in investment banking as well as enterprise sales, working closely alongside founders to develop successful go-to-market strategies. She brings wisdom and dedication to help founders optimise their business and prepare for the next round of fundraising. Formerly Bailador, Rackspace, Lazard.
Andrea Kowalski
Venture Partner
Growth specialist, global outlook. Andrea has successfully launched two funds in overseas markets all while building trusting personal relationships with founders as an adviser and confidant. With 15+ years of VC and tech investment experience, Andrea is our growth investment lead and US presence, preparing companies for global expansion and ongoing fundraising. Formerly Bailador, Boost & Co, UBS.
Murray Bleach
Chair (Seed)
Co-founder, wise counsel, leader of leaders. Murray is a financial leader with over 30 years of investment, banking, and fund management experience, and a passionate, insightful backer of the newest ideas. Having served on high-profile boards, Murray's sound, practical experience supports every investment and underpins every Tidal value. Formerly IFM, Macquarie.
Tony Faure
Chair (Follow-On)
Clarity and conviction. Tony brings over 25 years of experience in the technology, data, and media industries, and has an extensive background of investing in early-stage companies and helping them scale. Tony brings vision and insight to Tidal's investment processes and governance. Chair of oOh!media and ReadyTech. Formerly Yahoo.
Chris Brookman
Head of Distribution
Fundraiser, relationship-builder, and problem solver. Chris is a distribution leader with over 20 years of experience working with boutique and institutional investment managers across the globe. He brings tenacity, empathy, and energy to deliver a best-in-class approach to investor relations and distribution. Formerly ING, Macquarie, Pinnacle Investment Management.
Kieran O'Neill
Senior Associate
Former founder, solution-oriented. With a broad range of experience in finance and sales, Kieran loves to work with founders to tackle unique problems. By leveraging his incisive mind and unyielding commitment, he helps entrepreneurs sharpen their operations and ready themselves for growth. Formerly Hometime, Macquarie, Goldman Sachs.
Samadhi Pelenda
Associate
Ideas, insights, independent vision. Samadhi’s special gift is helping founders clarify their vision, quantify their capabilities, and turn ideas into reality. She brings considerable experience working with startup size enterprises as well as big public sector companies, harnessing data to promote growth. Formerly Macquarie, PwC.
Vicky Clare
Portfolio Success
Community, customers, talent. Vicky is a startup storyteller, able to highlight the metrics that matter and spot gaps in new markets. Her work with the US startup ecosystem has given her special insights into what it takes to go global. She’s here to help our founders connect to commercial opportunities, source talent, and succeed in the global market. Formerly Aussie Founders Network (USA), Investment NSW.
Liz Ross
Marketing Lead
Brand strategist, expert storyteller. Liz has specialised in end-to-end, audience-first brand marketing strategy for over 13 years. She harnesses her expertise to develop engaging integrated marketing programs that build brand preference and drive customer action. She’s the driving force behind how we position ourselves and connect with aligned founders and investors. Formerly Microsoft, Dovetail.
Craig Holden
Chief Financial Officer
Sage of finance. The buck stops with Craig and his 25 plus years in senior finance roles. His rigour and flair is the foundation of our operations and the bedrock of our best decisions. Continuously improving how we manage and govern the fund, he drives us to achieve business growth through best-in-class financial systems, processes, and thinking. Formerly Allen & Buckeridge.
We are on a mission to be the premier seed fund in Australia & New Zealand by empowering and investing in outstanding founders who shape the future of industries.
A clear view of a market and its dynamics can truly create the future. We cultivate themes to match market, team, model, and opportunity.
We lead by example to help learn and grow as a team. Effective communication requires authentic ways to cut-through.
Autonomy requires accountability and adapting quickly. We support conviction over consensus and guide each other's actions.
Founders balance customer focus with strong execution. We are bold, scrappy, yet measured in how we build and refine.
We start with first principles and end with our unique skills and experience. Together they create optimal outcomes.