About Powerhouse Ventures
Powerhouse Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2006. It is primarily based out of Brisbane, Australia. As of Jun 2024, Powerhouse Ventures has invested in 13 companies. It primarily invests in Grant (prize money) round in New Zealand based startups. Its investments are spread across a wide range of sectors from High Tech to Enterprise Applications and HealthTech. Most recently it participated in the $***** Series B round of Liquid Instruments Overall, Powerhouse Ventures portfolio has seen 1 unicorn, namely Firmus. A lot of funds co-invest with Powerhouse Ventures, with names like Acorn Capital sharing a substantial percentage of its portfolio. Powerhouse Ventures has team of 10 people including 3 partners.Key Metrics
Team Members
Portfolio Count
Portfolio Sectors
Portfolio Locations
Rounds of Entry
Grant (prize money), Seed & 2 more
Portfolio Unicorns
Portfolio Soonicorns
Powerhouse Ventures' List of Top Investments
Powerhouse Ventures has a portfolio of 13 companies, one of which is a Unicorn. Their most notable investments are in Urbix Resources and Photonic Innovations.Their portfolio spans across Australia, New Zealand and United States. They have invested in High Tech, Enterprise Applications, HealthTech and 7 other sectors, across stages such as Grant (prize money), Seed and 2 more. Here is the list of top investments by Powerhouse Ventures:
1. Firmus
Provider of AI cloud infrastructure with scalable performance and efficient design. It offers GPU-powered cloud compute, bare metal options, and AI storage solutions. The infrastructure is designed for running experiments, training models, and launching agents. The company focuses on modular, verticalized systems to optimize cost and power consumption. It engineers infrastructure from the silicon level up, co-designing compute, network, power, and cooling for system-wide efficiency. The company also provides resources for AI factories and research.
Key facts about Firmus
Reconfigurable test and measurement instruments for advanced research and development. They provide integrated test solutions engineered for seamless customization. Their reconfigurable Moku platform accelerates research and development, cutting time and cost. Designed for researchers, it delivers efficiency in complex test scenarios. They offer software-defined instruments, FPGA-powered hardware, and cloud-based tools. Their technology includes neural networks, multi-instrument mode, and custom compilation. They serve industries like optics, aerospace, semiconductor, and AI. Their mission is to create transformational tools that improve user capabilities. Their vision is to help engineers and scientists solve global challenges. They value customer value, product quality, innovation, and diversity. They offer test platforms, software, instruments, cloud compile, and multi-instrument modes.
Key facts about Liquid Instruments
- Founded Year: 2014
- Location: San Diego (United States)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $65.4M
- Employee Count: 63 as on Jul 01, 2024
- Investors: Acorn Capital, Decacorn Capital and 13 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Jun 19, 2024, $*****
Developer of quantum computers using superconducting qubit technology. It provides users with a platform that developed a quantum architecture quantum computer to operate in ambient conditions that eliminate the process of cryogenics. It can be used in data centres, hospitals, autonomous vehicles, and remote facilities.
Key facts about Quantum Brilliance
- Founded Year: 2019
- Location: Canberra (Australia)
- Stage: Series A
- Total Funding till date: $77.7M
- Employee Count: 71 as on Jul 01, 2024
- Investors: In-Q-Tel, Investible and 14 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series A, Jan 15, 2025, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
4. Ferronova
Ferronova provides a magnetic probe-based device of treatment of multiple cancer. The device is patented and composed of iron and iron oxide nanoparticles for treating head, neck, breast cancer, and melanoma. It is a tracer system and ultra-sensitive magnetometer which helps in lymph node identification, which helps in cancer treatment and identification of nodes injection site.
Key facts about Ferronova
5. Skykraft
Developer of space-based air traffic management and safety enhancement systems. The company focuses on continuous communications and surveillance to improve global air traffic safety. It aims to provide resilience through multiple levels of redundancy and cyber protection. The company's work supports optimized airspace use in congested areas.
Key facts about Skykraft
- Founded Year: 2017
- Location: Canberra (Australia)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $79.4M
- Employee Count: 21 as on Jul 01, 2024
- Investors: Lennoxgrove Capital, Main Sequence and 5 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Oct 17, 2023, $*****
Powerhouse Ventures' Year-on-Year Investment Trends
Powerhouse Ventures has invested in 13 companies over the last 12 years, with an average of 0 new investment annually in the last 10 years. Its most recent first time investment was in Liquid Instruments and most recent follow-on round was in Liquid Instruments.Powerhouse Ventures' Investments by Stage
Powerhouse Ventures has made 1 investment in Grant (prize money) stage with an average round size of $450K, 1 investment in Seed stage, 1 investment in Series A stage with an average round size of $500K and 1 investment in Series B stage with an average round size of $28.5M.Stage of entry | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Grant (prize money) | 1 |
Seed | 1 |
Series A | 1 |
Series B | 1 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Powerhouse Ventures' Investments by Sector
Powerhouse Ventures has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the Business Services, Chemicals and Materials Tech, High Tech and Life Sciences. Notably, it has invested in 13 Enterprise (B2B) companies, 11 Tech companies, 8 Tech hardware companies and at least 4 companies focusing on Software.Sector | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Business Services | 1 |
Chemicals and Materials Tech | 1 |
High Tech | 1 |
Life Sciences | 1 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Powerhouse Ventures' Investments by Geography
Powerhouse Ventures has made most investments in New Zealand (2), followed by United States where it has made 2 investments.Country | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
New Zealand | 2 |
United States | 2 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Powerhouse Ventures' recent investments
Powerhouse Ventures has not made any investment in 2026 so far.Here are the most recent investments by Powerhouse Ventures:
Filter this listDate | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jun 19, 2024 | United States | Series B | 8764 | ||
Sep 13, 2022 | United States | Series B | 2333 | [+6] | |
May 03, 2022 | United States | Series A | 5569 | - | |
Jun 30, 2017 | New Zealand | Seed | 7567 | - | |
Nov 11, 2014 | New Zealand | Grant (prize money) | 2732 | [+1] |
Unicorns in Powerhouse Ventures' Portfolio
Powerhouse Ventures has 1 unicorn in its portfolio - Firmus. The most recent unicorn in their portfolio is Firmus which became a unicorn in 2025.Here is a list of unicorns in Powerhouse Ventures' portfolio:
Tracxn Score | Company | Short Description | Founded year | Sector | Location | Company Stage | First Investment/ Acquisition Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
59 | Provider of AI cloud infrastructure with scalable performance and efficient design | 2019 | Saint Leonards | Series F | cqqfvdh |
Team profile of Powerhouse Ventures
Powerhouse Ventures has a team of 10 members including 3 Partners and 1 Principal located in Australia and China. Powerhouse Ventures' team does not sit on the board of any company as of now.Here is a list of all team members in Powerhouse Ventures:
Name | Designation | Location | Board Memberships | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Partner | Melbourne | - | ||
Partner | Richmond | - | - | |
Partner | Brisbane | - | ||
Principal | China | - | - |
Co-investors of Powerhouse Ventures
Over the past 12 years, 18 investors have co-invested in Powerhouse Ventures's portfolio companies. This includes funds and angels.
- Invested before Powerhouse Ventures: Anzu Partners, ANU Connect Ventures and 3 others have invested in rounds before Powerhouse Ventures. There is 1 company where Anzu Partners has invested before Powerhouse Ventures and 1 company where ANU Connect Ventures has invested before Powerhouse Ventures.
- Top Co-investors of Powerhouse Ventures: 9 investors entered a company along with Powerhouse Ventures. These include investors like Acorn Capital (1 company).
- Invested after Powerhouse Ventures: A total of 4 investors have invested in Powerhouse Ventures's portfolio after their investments. Top Investors include Breakthrough Victoria (1 company), Appian Capital Advisory (1 company) and EIC Fund (1 company).
Recent News related to Powerhouse Ventures
•
EV Charging Platform AmpUp Closes $15M Series A FundingTMC•Sep 26, 2024•AmpUp, Connecticut Innovations, Powerhouse, TechNexus and 9 others
•
hectar global funding: Hectar Global raises $2.1 million in seed funding led by Powerhouse VenturesIndiatimes•Jul 12, 2023•Hectar, Powerhouse Ventures, Hectar, Powerhouse Ventures and 2 others
•
Powerhouse Ventures leads $2.1 Mn round in Hectar GlobalEntrackr•Jul 12, 2023•Powerhouse Ventures, Hectar, WEH Ventures, All In Capital
•
Edtech startup Oneistox raises $1.2 Mn seed moneyEntrackr•Apr 12, 2023•Oneistox, Y Combinator, Powerhouse Ventures, Soma Capital and 1 other
•
Start-up Granular raises £1.7m as it looks to rollout hourly energy certificatesCurrent News•Jun 14, 2022•Granular, Seedcamp, Revent International, Powerhouse Ventures and 1 other
•
•
•
DailyRounds is a social network/medical journal for doctorsTechCrunch+•Sep 21, 2016•DailyRounds, Accel, Powerhouse Ventures, Beenos and 7 others
•
First seven Hi-tech start-ups from new tech incubators | Callaghan InnovationCallaghan Innovation•Jun 05, 2015•Tiro Medical, Powerhouse Ventures, WNT Ventures, Astrolab
•
