Cardinia Ventures Pty Ltd ABN 18 613 515 290 ACN 613 515 290 registered in Victoria 3000. AU MV to follow MV invests on behalf of Palm Ditton Superannuation – The Trustee for Frances Richard Investments Superannuation Fund – ABN 86 452 913 434 PO Box 1152 NORTH SYDNEY NSW 2059 AUSTRALIA
Backing the start-ups of tomorrow.
We invest in early-stage tech founders – bringing capital, CTO-level insight and support to help them scale.
How we work.
It's more than just capital.
We invest and support early-stage tech-led founders with strategy, investment and the right introductions. Our team brings experience, connections and honest partnership to every venture commitment. We invest in early-stage tech-led founders
We look for founders who know how to harness technology.
We approach our investments with a deep curiosity, a focus on the tech and the people who build it.
Trusted advice from people who’ve done it.
We’re invested in your success and we bring decades of experience and a proven track record.
Our focus is early-stage, tech-led ventures.
We focus on pre-seed and seed, with the potential to support future growth and follow ons.
Invested by us or our Managing Partners
We back ambitious start-ups building world leading products.
Backing product-minded, CTO led founders with capital, strategy, commercial guidance and hands-on support to grow.
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Offers no-code vector-based workflows, empowering non-technical teams to deploy advanced AI productivity tools, such as customer feedback analysis, automated tagging, and intelligent search.
Visit relevanceai.com
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Source is building the agentic ordering system for retailers to buy from 1000s of suppliers in a few clicks.
Visit Source.
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Builds enterprise-grade infrastructure for LLM-based agents that help businesses to automate workflows, enhance decision-making, and improve operational efficiency.
Visit alludium.ai
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Creates and converts fragmented SOPs into generative workflows, helping enterprise teams reduce compliance risk and scale operational efficiency.
Visit usefluency.com
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Enables brand-safe, AI-generated visual content for creative teams, media companies and marketers.
Visit blunge.ai
GXE is a licensed Australian fintech platform streamlining private asset management for investors, fund managers, and family offices. Their end-to-end solution simplifies fund setup, investor onboarding, compliance, and reporting, enabling clients to focus on growth
Visit GXE.com
TRIBE is an influencer marketing platform that connects brands with a global community of over 70,000 opt-in creators to produce high-quality, on-brand content across platforms. TRIBE empowers marketers to build, manage, and measure impactful creator campaigns efficiently
Visit tribegroup.co
IV.AI is a human-centered AI platform helping global brands turn complex data into clear, actionable insights. Its tools streamline decision-making across customer experience, product, and strategy teams.
Visit iv.ai
Edrolo is an Australian curriculum-aligned teaching and learning platform that combines expert-led video lessons, interactive assessments, and real-time analytics to enhance student outcomes. Trusted by over 1,100 schools nationwide, Edrolo empowers teachers and students with comprehensive resources that make learning stick.
Visit edrolo.com.au
Spice AI empowers developers to build intelligent applications by providing composable data and AI infrastructure. Their platform offers tools like SQL query acceleration, vector search, and model serving, simplifying the creation of data-driven software
Visit spice.ai
Select Star is an automated data discovery platform that simplifies data exploration and documentation. It provides a centralized view of your data assets, including lineage, usage, and governance, enabling teams to make informed decisions confidently.
Visit selectstar.com
Chronosphere is a cloud-native observability platform that empowers engineering teams to control costs and complexity while accelerating incident resolution. Its scalable SaaS solution ingests and transforms telemetry data—metrics, traces, and logs—enabling faster insights and improved reliability across modern infrastructure.
Visit chronosphere.io
Sonder is a holistic employee care platform offering 24/7 access to medical, mental health, and personal safety support through a single app. Trusted by over 1 million members, Sonder empowers organizations to proactively safeguard their workforce’s wellbeing and productivity.
Visit sonder.io
Cognian is an Australian smart building technology company that developed Syncromesh, a wireless IoT platform enabling scalable, secure, and cost-effective retrofitting of buildings into intelligent infrastructures. Syncromesh facilitates seamless integration of various building systems—such as lighting, HVAC, and security—enhancing occupant experience and operational efficiency.
Visit cognian.com
AptoNow is a cloud-native platform that empowers higher education institutions with AI-driven tools for academic scheduling and operational optimization. Their solutions enhance student experiences, improve resource utilization, and streamline administrative processes through advanced data analytics and automation.
Visit aptonow.com
Cadmus is an online assessment platform that enhances student learning and academic integrity through scaffolded, authentic assessments. Its integrated environment supports educators in delivering engaging tasks and provides real-time analytics to ensure assessment quality and transparency.
Visit cadmus.io
You can join some pretty great company...
Some of our investments.
We have a series of successful exits, IPOs and trade sales.
Shazam is a music recognition app that identifies songs playing around you within seconds. With over 2 billion installs and 300 million users worldwide, it offers features like time-synced lyrics, music video playback, and concert discovery, integrating seamlessly with Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music.
Acquired by Apple in 2018.
via Meliora Ventures
Omny Studio is an enterprise-grade podcasting platform offering end-to-end tools for audio hosting, editing, and monetization. Trusted by global broadcasters, it streamlines content creation with features like automated radio capture, dynamic ad insertion, and advanced analytics
Acquired by Triton Digital 2019
via Meliora Ventures
Audioboom is a global podcasting platform that enables creators to host, distribute, and monetize their content with ease. Offering advanced analytics, dynamic ad insertion, and broad distribution across major listening platforms, Audioboom supports podcasters in reaching and growing their audiences effectively
IPO-ed in 2018
via Meliora Ventures
In June 2012, Thomson Reuters acquired Apsmart, a London-based mobile development firm founded by Rahul Powar, known for creating the first Shazam iPhone app. This acquisition aimed to enhance Thomson Reuters’ mobile offerings by integrating Apsmart’s expertise in data-driven iOS and Android applications.
Acquired 2012 by Thomson Reuters
via Meliora Ventures
Airtasker is a leading community marketplace that redefines local services by enabling people to outsource everyday tasks and skilled projects to a flexible network of trusted, independent earners. With a strong presence in Australia and growing international reach, Airtasker empowers micro-entrepreneurs, drives economic participation, and reimagines the future of work
IPO-ed in 2021
via Seven West Media
In April 2023, Australian headphone startup Nura was acquired by Masimo Corporation, a U.S.-based medical technology firm and parent company of audio brands like Denon, Bowers & Wilkins, and Polk Audio. This strategic move aimed to integrate Nura’s personalized audio technology into Masimo’s Adaptive Acoustic Technology (AAT) platform, enhancing Denon’s product offerings
Acquired in 2023 by Denon
via Cardinia Ventures
In November 2018, AdRoll Group, now known as NextRoll, acquired Growlabs, a San Francisco-based startup specializing in B2B lead generation and sales automation. This strategic acquisition aimed to enhance AdRoll’s RollWorks division, an account-based marketing (ABM) platform, by integrating Growlabs’ extensive B2B database and automation technologies
Acquired in 2018 by Adroll
via Cardinia Ventures
How we Invest.
Our investments are managed directly via Meliora Ventures or with our Managing Partners via Cardinia Ventures.
Cardinia Ventures supports ambitious technology founders across Australia, the US, and beyond.
Meliora Ventures supports founders by bringing capital, deep CTO-level insight, operational guidance, and scale.
Empowering the next generation of young Australian founders by providing the capital and support they truly need.
Frequently asked questions
Who do you invest in?
We back early stage tech founders, typically CTO-led, with bold ideas and deep product ambition. We look for founders solving real problems with scalable technology and a clear product roadmap.
What kind of startups do you support?
Our focus is on product-led tech companies at the intersection of creativity, engineering, and commercial viability. This includes AI platforms, media-tech, enterprise tools, and digital experiences.
How early do you invest?
We invest from the first check through product-market fit. We’re comfortable working with pre-seed teams if the idea and leadership are right.
What support do you provide beyond capital?
In addition to funding, we offer early stage tech founders strategy advisory, storytelling and content support, investor readiness, and operational insight, all from within the broader Meliora ecosystem.
How hands-on are you?
We embed with founders. That means more than advice. We help shape product strategy, iterate faster, and build with intention. If needed, we help with hiring, roadmap planning, or board preparation.
What makes Meliora Ventures different?
We combine the lens of an advisor, the backing of a creative team, and the mindset of a founder. Our investment is paired with strategic and cultural firepower that founders actually use.
