Backing Australia & New Zealand’s earliest AI rebels. Funding the people and tech reshaping life itself.
Recognised as a Leading AI Venture Capital Fund
Pioneer in AI Investment with Impact
The Empress Tree is the fastest growing tree in nature
A fitting symbol for the pace we aspire to with the next wave of AI founders.
We partner early with Australia and New Zealand’s most ambitious AI-first startups, giving them the capital, connections and conviction to scale faster than the market thinks possible.
AI is reshaping every industry. Done right, it lifts humanity up. That’s why we bet on teams building technology that expands human potential - plain and simple.
The result? Exceptional growth, real-world impact, and a forest of category-defining companies.
An entrepreneurial team with deep expertise
Yash Varma
Founder & Partner
Dror Ben-Naim
Chief AI Investment Strategist
Darren Heathcote
Venture Partner
Stuart Cook
Venture Partner
Tim Baker
Trustee and Compliance
David Baxby
Advisory Board
Prabhat Sethi
Advisory Board
An entrepreneurial team with deep expertise
We go hard, stay fair, and keep learning, partnering with founders to build transformative companies, delivering lasting value.
Support beyong funding
Business Development
Corporate Introductions - Strategy development - Virtual CFO / CTO - Help with scaling up - International expansion
Investor Network
Leverage our LP network to help portfolio companies with more than money Key introductions for growth
Mentoring, Coaching, & Team Building
Certified High Performance Coaching - Help founders and team to focus and productivity -Key hires - Team structures - Culture development
FAQ
What kind of companies do we invest in?
At Empress Capital we back early stage Australian and New Zealand Artificial Intelligence Companies. Our primary focus is on Pre-Seed and Seed stage investments with the view of supporting those companies to flourish not just at this stage. We will also invest in small number later stage companies where we believe there is opportunity.
What do we look for in our founders?
We look for passionate founders who have a growth mindset and understand why they are building their products. We look for founders and teams to be honest , values driven and understand what they don’t know.
What stage do we invest in?
Our primary focus is on Pre-Seed and Seed stage and we do invest in companies pre revenue with sound business models. We plan to support our superstar companies across multiple rounds. We will also invest in small number later stage companies where we believe there is opportunity.
When should I get in touch
As we invest in early stages of company growth we are always interested in talking to founders early in their journey. We believe in partnering long term so even if now is not the right time we always want to help. Why not get in touch with us.
Who can invest in the Empress Capital Artificial Intelligence Fund?
The Empress Capital Australian and New Zealand Artificial Intelligence Fund is open to suitable sophisticated investors or wholesale investors only.