Founded in 2020, on a simple premise: back the builders first.
Helu Ventures was started in Perth, Western Australia by operators who wanted a fund that behaved like a founding team member, not a spreadsheet. Today we manage AU$2B on behalf of institutional and family office partners, deployed against two theses we understand deeply: AI/ML and Web3.
What we believe
Conviction over consensus
We form our own view on a market and back it early, rather than waiting for a round to be validated by others.
Operators first
Every partner has built, shipped, or scaled something before writing cheques. We know what the job actually requires.
Long-duration capital
AU$2B in patient, permanent capital means we underwrite for decade-long outcomes, not quarterly marks.
Perth-built, globally deployed
We're proudly headquartered in Western Australia and invest without a postcode bias, from Perth to Singapore to San Francisco.
Our thesis
We back founders building the infrastructure, models, and applications that make machine intelligence useful in the real world, from foundation models to the vertical copilots running on top of them.
We invest in the protocols, rails, and market infrastructure that bring verifiable ownership, settlement, and identity to the internet, built by teams who take security and compliance as seriously as growth.
Stage & cheque size
Every investment starts at a minimum of AU$2M, scaling with conviction and ownership targets as companies mature.
Pre-Seed
AU$2M – AU$4M
Founder-market fit is clear, the product is early or pre-launch. We move fast, often as the first institutional cheque in, and roll up our sleeves on hiring and architecture.
Seed
AU$3M – AU$8M
Early signal is in market: design partners, a working protocol, or initial usage. We help design the go-to-market motion and build out the founding team.
Series A
AU$8M – AU$25M
Repeatable growth is emerging. We lead or co-lead rounds, join the board, and back founders through the scaling decisions that follow: org design, category strategy, and global expansion.
The team
A small team of former operators, engineers, and researchers based in Perth, Western Australia.
Marcus Kwan
Founding & Managing Partner
Co-founded and scaled a mining-tech analytics platform before turning to investing full-time in 2020. Leads firm strategy and Series A investing.
Priya Ramaswami
Partner, AI / ML
Former applied research lead building large-scale ranking systems. Leads sourcing and diligence across the AI/ML thesis.
Jack Sutherland
Partner, Web3
Early protocol engineer and security auditor. Focuses on custody, settlement, and market infrastructure investments.
Amelia Cross
Partner, Growth
Ex-VP Growth at a two-time unicorn. Works with portfolio companies from Seed through Series A on go-to-market and scaling.
Noah Fitzgerald
Head of Platform
Runs talent, design, and network services for the portfolio, from executive search to enterprise introductions.
Chloe Whitfield
Chief Operating Officer
Oversees fund operations, LP relations, and compliance across Helu Ventures' fund vehicles.