About Black Nova Group
Black Nova Group, an accelerator and incubator program founded in 2012, is based in Pennant Hills, Australia. With a presence in 3 countries, it has supported around 14 startups in sectors like Enterprise Applications, High Tech. As of Jul 2026, Black Nova Group has witnessed 1 portfolio exit. Most notable companies in
its portfolio include Xailient, Donesafe and Whispli. The program is backed by a team of 7 people who primarily support Seed startups based in Australia. Its latest investment was a $1M Seed round in Elenta on Nov 30, 2020.
Key Metrics
Founded Year
2012
Location
Pennant Hills, Australia
Sectors of Investment
Stages of Investment
Seed
Locations of Investment
Black Nova Group's List of Top Investments
Black Nova Group has a portfolio of 14 companies. Their most notable investments are in yboo and Elenta.Their portfolio spans across Australia, United Kingdom and United States. They have invested in Enterprise Applications, High Tech, FinTech and 8 other sectors, across stages such as Seed stage. Here is the list of top investments by Black Nova Group:
1. Xailient
Provider of computer vision-powered facial recognition solutions for edge devices. It provides users with a computer vision platform that can be used in multiple applications, like retail analytics, inventory management, and theft prevention. Its features include real-time object detection, low power consumption, selective attention, and plug and play operation.
Key facts about Xailient
- Founded Year: 2016
- Location: Sydney (Australia)
- Stage: Seed
- Total Funding till date: $1.2M
- Employee Count: 28 as on May 31, 2026
- Investors: Flying Fox Ventures, LVT Capital and 2 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Aug 12, 2019, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
2. Donesafe
Donesafe provides cloud based software solution to manage enterprise environment, health and safety. It has 4 modules: Observe (H&S inspection, audits, ergonomic assessments, pre-start checks), Manage (report hazards & incidents), Monitor(compliance report) and Learn (learning management & knowledge base). The pricing options for 20 worker business:Compliance management: $100/ month, Health management: $60/month, Both:$160/month. Annual subscriptions are discounted by 20%
Key facts about Donesafe
- Founded Year: 2013
- Location: Pyrmont (Australia)
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $920K
- Employee Count: 115 as on May 31, 2026
- Investors: Adventure Capital and Black Nova Group
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Nov 01, 2017, $*****
- Highlight: Acquired
3. Whispli
Whistle-blower platform for organizations. Allows employees to speak up anonymously in-order to help identify risk and find blind spots. It supports different channels such as web forms, live chat, SMS, email, etc. Enables employers to manage all conversations, gain insights from conversations, and act automatically. Offered as both cloud and on-premise.
Key facts about Whispli
- Founded Year: 2015
- Location: Sydney (Australia)
- Stage: Seed
- Total Funding till date: $2.8M
- Employee Count: 30 as on May 31, 2026
- Investors: Pioneer Fund, AirTree and 3 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Dec 10, 2018, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
4. yboo
yboo is an app-based platform for rewards and cashback. It allows customers to check and compare the mobile networks and deals using its mobile app. The app caters to sectors such as food & beverages, travels, and others. Some of the retailers available on the website are Domino's, Pizza Hut, Uber and others. Its mobile app is available for Android and iOS.
Key facts about yboo
- Founded Year: 2015
- Location: Holmfirth (United Kingdom)
- Stage: Seed
- Total Funding till date: $1.94M
- Employee Count: 2 as on Aug 31, 2018
- Investors: Angelfish Investments and Black Nova Group
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Jul 30, 2019, $*****
5. Elenta
Key facts about Elenta
- Founded Year: 2020
- Location: Sydney (Australia)
- Stage: Seed
- Total Funding till date: $1M
- Employee Count: 6 as on May 31, 2026
- Investors: LVT Capital and Black Nova Group
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Nov 30, 2020, $*****
Black Nova Group's Year-on-Year Investment Trends
Its most recent first time investment was in Elenta.Black Nova Group's Investments by Stage
Black Nova Group has made 2 investments in Seed stage with an average round size of $1M.Black Nova Group's Investments by Sector
Black Nova Group has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the Business Services and Retail. Notably, it has invested in 12 Tech companies, 9 Enterprise (B2B) companies, 8 Software companies and at least 5 companies focusing on Consumer (B2C).Black Nova Group's Investments by Geography
Black Nova Group has made most investments in Australia (1), followed by United Kingdom where it has made 1 investment.Black Nova Group's recent investments
Black Nova Group has not made any investment in 2026 so far.Here are the most recent investments by Black Nova Group:
Filter this listDate | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nov 30, 2020 | Australia | Seed | 6926 | - | |
Jul 30, 2019 | United Kingdom | Seed | 4406 | - |
Acquired companies in Black Nova Group's Portfolio
1 company from Black Nova Group's portfolio has been acquired. The most recent acquisition was Donesafe in Feb 2020 by Health & Safety Institute for $*****.Here are Black Nova Group's portfolio companies that got acquired most recently:
Company | Acquisition Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Feb 06, 2020 | - | - | 6212 |
Team profile of Black Nova Group
Black Nova Group has a team of 7 members including 1 Partner and 6 Venture Partners located in Australia and United States. Black Nova Group's team does not sit on the board of any company as of now.Here is a list of all team members in Black Nova Group:
Name | Designation | Location | Board Memberships | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Partner | Tampa | - | ||
Venture Partner | Melbourne | - | ||
Venture Partner | Newcastle | - | - | |
Venture Partner | Sydney | - | ||
Venture Partner | Sydney | - | ||
Venture Partner | Sydney | - | - | |
Venture Partner | Sydney | - | - |
Co-investors of Black Nova Group
Over the past 7 years, one investor has co-invested in Black Nova Group's portfolio companies. This includes funds and angels.
- Invested before Black Nova Group: Angelfish Investments has invested before Black Nova Group.
Recent News related to Black Nova Group
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Corporate learning startup Elenta raises $1m seed round to lift the ROI on workplace educationStartup Daily•Nov 30, 2020•Elenta, Antler, Black Nova Group
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Pathzero’s $1 Million Seed InvestmentGlobal Legal Chronicle•Nov 21, 2020•Pathzero, Gilbert + Tobin, Antler, Black Nova Group
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Kiwi startup Portainer.io closes US$1.2M seed roundReseller•Aug 18, 2020•Portainer, Bessemer Venture Partners, Black Nova Group, K1W1 Investments and 1 other
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