About Pacific Channel
Pacific Channel is a venture capital firm founded in 2006. It is primarily based out of Auckland, New Zealand. As of Jul 2026, Pacific Channel is an active investor, having invested in 47 companies, with 3 new investments in the last 12 months. It primarily invests in Seed round in New Zealand based startups. Its investments are spread across a wide range of sectors from Life Sciences to Food and Agriculture Tech and High Tech. Most recently it participated in the $***** Series A round of Navi Medical Technologies Overall, Pacific Channel portfolio has seen 3 acquisitions, namely Quantifi Photonics and Engender Technologies. A lot of funds co-invest with Pacific Channel, with names like New Zealand Growth Capital Partners sharing a substantial percentage of its portfolio. Pacific Channel has team of 20 people including 5 partners.Key Metrics
Team Members
Portfolio Count
Portfolio Sectors
Portfolio Locations
Rounds of Entry
Seed, Series A & 1 more
Portfolio Acquisitions
Deals in last 12 months
Pacific Channel's List of Top Investments
Pacific Channel has a portfolio of 47 companies. Their most notable investments are in MARS Bioimaging and Kitea Health.Their portfolio spans across New Zealand, Australia, Japan and 2 more locations. They have invested in Life Sciences, Food and Agriculture Tech, High Tech and 16 other sectors, across stages such as Seed, Series A and 1 more. Here is the list of top investments by Pacific Channel:
1. Wellumio
Provider of MRI-based device for the diagnosis of stroke. They claim that with their solution people suspected of stroke can be diagnosed in the ambulance in real-time.
Key facts about Wellumio
- Founded Year: 2019
- Location: Wellington (New Zealand)
- Stage: Seed
- Total Funding till date: $14.9M
- Employee Count: 19 as on Jul 31, 2026
- Investors: Flying Kiwi Angels, Nuance and 9 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Jul 23, 2026, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
Mars Bioimaging develops spectral molecular imaging technology. Based on the new generation Medipix chip licensed out of CERN, Switzerland and technology developed by the University of Canterbury (UC) and partners. Products include a CT scanner, detector and visualization system.
Key facts about MARS Bioimaging
- Founded Year: 2007
- Location: Christchurch (New Zealand)
- Stage: Series A
- Total Funding till date: $15.4M
- Employee Count: 24 as on Jul 31, 2026
- Investors: Pacific Channel, Lane Neave and 40 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series A, Jan 14, 2026, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
Developer of gravitational energy storage systems using disused mine shafts. The technology raises and lowers heavy weights in mine shafts. This process captures and releases the gravitational energy of the weights. The systems provide short or mid duration storage and grid ancillary services.
Key facts about Green Gravity
- Founded Year: 2021
- Location: Wollongong (Australia)
- Stage: Series A
- Total Funding till date: $7.42M
- Employee Count: 25 as on Jul 31, 2026
- Investors: Prospect Innovation, HMC Capital and 2 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series A, Oct 16, 2024, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
Manufacturer of medical devices for monitoring central vascular access catheters. This technology utilizes electrocardiogram surveillance to provide real-time information regarding the position of catheter tips within the body. The system interprets cardiac electrical activity to assist clinicians in verifying the placement and ongoing status of vascular access devices. It is designed for use in clinical environments to support the management of infusion therapy.
Key facts about Navi Medical Technologies
- Founded Year: 2017
- Location: Carlton (Australia)
- Stage: Series A
- Total Funding till date: $5.91M
- Employee Count: 16 as on Jul 31, 2026
- Investors: Springboard Enterprises, MTPConnect and 6 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series A, Jul 28, 2026, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
Provider of photonics test and measurement equipment and integrated solutions. The company offers instruments supporting development, validation, characterization, and manufacturing. Product platforms include PXI, MATRIQ, and EPIQ. These platforms serve applications such as coherent communications, optical transceivers, and photonic Doppler velocimetry. The company also provides resources like application notes, software, and calibration services.
Key facts about Quantifi Photonics
- Founded Year: 2012
- Location: Auckland (New Zealand)
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $43M
- Employee Count: 65 as on Jul 31, 2026
- Investors: Punakaiki Fund, Nuance and 11 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series C, Jul 21, 2022, $*****
- Highlight: Acquired
Pacific Channel's Year-on-Year Investment Trends
Pacific Channel has invested in 47 companies over the last 16 years, with an average of 2 new investments annually in the last 10 years. In 2025, it made 1 investment, while as of Jul 2026, it has made 4 investments in this year. Its most recent first time investment was in Navi Medical Technologies and most recent follow-on round was in Wellumio.Year | No. of Investments | ||
|---|---|---|---|
1st Round | Follow-on | Total | |
2026 (YTD) | 3 | 1 | 4 |
2025 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
2024 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
2023 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
2022 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
2021 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2017 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Pacific Channel's Investments by Stage
Pacific Channel has made 11 investments in Seed stage with an average round size of $2M, 7 investments in Series A stage with an average round size of $6.77M and 1 investment in Series B stage with an average round size of $15M.Stage of entry | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Seed | 11 |
Series A | 7 |
Series B | 1 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Pacific Channel's Investments by Sector
Pacific Channel has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the Life Sciences, Environment Tech, Sustainability Tech, Enterprise Applications and Food and Agriculture Tech. Notably, it has invested in 28 Enterprise (B2B) companies, 28 Tech companies, 12 Software companies and at least 12 companies focusing on Tech hardware.Sector | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Life Sciences | 7 |
Environment Tech | 4 |
Sustainability Tech | 4 |
Enterprise Applications | 3 |
Food and Agriculture Tech | 3 |
Others | 12 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Pacific Channel's Investments by Geography
Pacific Channel has made most investments in New Zealand (14), followed by Australia where it has made 3 investments.Country | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
New Zealand | 14 |
Australia | 3 |
Japan | 1 |
United States | 1 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Pacific Channel's recent investments
Pacific Channel has made 4 investments in 2026 so far. Navi Medical Technologies and Wellumio are the latest among them.Here are the most recent investments by Pacific Channel:
Date | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jul 28, 2026 | Australia | Series A | 4467 | [+1] | |
Jul 23, 2026 | New Zealand | Seed | 2563 | [+8] | |
Feb 11, 2026 | New Zealand | Seed | 5303 | [+4] | |
Jan 14, 2026 | New Zealand | Series A | 3591 | - | |
Feb 2025 | Australia | Seed | 9300 | [+2] |
Acquired companies in Pacific Channel's Portfolio
3 companies from Pacific Channel's portfolio have been acquired. The most recent acquisition was Quantifi Photonics in Mar 2025 by Teradyne for $*****.Here are Pacific Channel's portfolio companies that got acquired most recently:
Company | Acquisition Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mar 10, 2025 | Jul 09, 2021 | Series B | 2241 | |
Sep 10, 2020 | - | - | 8801 | |
Dec 05, 2018 | Jun 03, 2016 | Series A | 8565 |
Team profile of Pacific Channel
Pacific Channel has a team of 20 members including 5 Partners, 3 Venture Partners and 1 Principal located in New Zealand, Australia and 1 more location. Pacific Channel's team sits on the board of 1 company.Here is a list of top team members in Pacific Channel:
Name | Designation | Location | Board Memberships | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Partner | Auckland | |||
Partner | San Diego | - | - | |
Partner | Takaka | |||
Partner | Auckland | - | ||
Partner | Auckland | - | ||
Venture Partner | - | - | - | |
Venture Partner | Melbourne | - | - | |
Venture Partner | Auckland | - | ||
Principal | Auckland | - |
Co-investors of Pacific Channel
Over the past 16 years, 52 investors have co-invested in Pacific Channel's portfolio companies. This includes funds and angels.
- Invested before Pacific Channel: Powerhouse Ventures, New Zealand Growth Capital Partners and 16 others have invested in rounds before Pacific Channel. There are 2 companies where Powerhouse Ventures has invested before Pacific Channel and 2 companies where New Zealand Growth Capital Partners has invested before Pacific Channel.
- Top Co-investors of Pacific Channel: 25 investors entered a company along with Pacific Channel. These include investors like New Zealand Growth Capital Partners (6 companies).
- Invested after Pacific Channel: A total of 9 investors have invested in Pacific Channel's portfolio after their investments. Top Investors include Jumpspace Ventures (1 company), Flying Kiwi Angels (1 company) and Snowball Effect (1 company).
Recent News related to Pacific Channel
•
MARS Bioimaging Secures $15 Million to Expand Spectral Photon-Counting CT Imaging GloballyAPPLIED RADIOLOGY•Jan 15, 2026•MARS Bioimaging, Pacific Channel
•
PHNXX lands US$1.13M to power remote industries with ‘grid-in-a-box’ solutione27•Mar 10, 2025•PHNXX, Synertec, ENGIE Factory, LaunchVic and 1 other
•
Green Gravity Raises $6 Million in Series A FundingMercom Capital•Oct 18, 2024•Green Gravity, HMC Capital, BlueScopeX, Pacific Channel
•
Australian gravity energy storage startup secures AU$9 million in Series A fundingEnergy-Storage•Oct 16, 2024•Green Gravity, HMC Capital, BlueScopeX, Pacific Channel and 1 other
•
Investors weigh in behind Green Gravity energy storageAustralian Manufacturing Forum•Oct 15, 2024•Green Gravity, HMC Capital, BlueScopeX, Pacific Channel
•
Avasa raises $1.55M in oversubscribed funding round with innovative implantable devicesPR Newswire•Sep 14, 2023•Avasa, New Zealand Growth Capital Partners, Pacific Channel, Booster and 6 others
•
Pacific Channel and TRIREC Announce Strategic Partnership with Signing of Memorandum of UnderstandingBusinessnewsthisweek•May 18, 2023•Pacific Channel, Trirec
•
Kiwi remote care medtech Kitea Health raises NZ$6 million for brain implant monitorStartup Daily•Mar 09, 2023•Kitea Health, Pacific Channel, UniServices, Icehouse Ventures and 2 others
•
Cetogenix Raises $4.5M in Seed FundingFinSMEs•Jul 07, 2022•Cetogenix, Pacific Channel, Angel HQ, Enterprise Angels
•
Formus Labs Raises $5M in FundingFinSMEs•Feb 03, 2022•Formus Labs, Pacific Channel, Icehouse Ventures, Punakaiki Fund and 4 others
