Deep Tech Adventures #4
Main Sequence
Australia’s deep tech investment fund tackling the world’s biggest challenges
Welcome to the 4th edition of Main Sequences 'Deep Tech Adventures' LinkedIn Newsletter, an update for?#founders,?#researchers?and?#investors?in the world of deep tech venturing. Take a read below for events on our radar, our most up-to-date ecosystem news and job opportunities calling your name.?
Happy New Year to all our subscribers! #4 is our first edition for 2023, and we’re thrilled to bring you more exciting updates and news from our team and portfolio. Stay tuned for a big year ahead. ??
Did you know we have a new jobs and opportunities newsletter??Sign up here?to stay up to date.?
Have questions or feedback? We want to hear from you!?Get in touch.?
Researcher Office Hours
If you are a?#scientist,?#engineer?or researcher trying to commercialise your work, we’d love to invite you to join us for a virtual coffee and chat. Our team are running weekly Researcher Office Hours, book a time?here.?
In The Lab
For our first ‘In The Lab’ for the year, we’re pleased to share a couple of behind-the-scenes shoots with you.???
Millibeam’s first 5g mmWave test chip!?
MILLIBEAM testing their first 5g mmWave test chip at UTS Tech Labs with very promising results ?? More about Millibeam?here.
Behind the world of Synthetic Biology
Earlier this month, 9News Sydney got a sneak peek into the incredible world of Synthetic Biology. ??
On a visit to UNSW Sydney, some of our incredible portfolio companies, including Xylo Bio , shared a closer look into the exciting SynBio 10x accelerator program, supported by Main Sequence and UNSW Founders .
Portfolio spotlight?
It’s been a big month for Main Sequence portfolio companies. Celebrating milestones, welcoming new team members and sharing exciting news with the world.?
?? Q-CTRL
The promise of #quantumcomputing is immense and #quantum research has already started solving enormous societal challenges. As the world continues to adopt and invest in quantum technology, it’s clear that this is just the beginning of big things to come.?
Congratulations to Prof. Michael Biercuk and the Q-CTRL team for receiving a cash injection of $39 million to round out your #SeriesB raise. To read the full story, see?here.
Michael also recently revealed his vision for the Quantum industry, outlining why the word “quantum” should conjure the same broad image as “electricity” – it can completely reshape the world and every Australian’s life for the better.?
Read the quantum vision from Michael?here?and investment thesis from Main Sequence Partner, Bill Bartee ,?here.?
If we needed more proof of the incredible quantum talent on the ground in Australia, Quantum Brilliance has raised AUD $26 Million in?funding?to develop miniaturised quantum machines that run using synthetic diamonds. This breakthrough technology operates at room temperature in any environment, meaning they can be installed in places including data centres, autonomous vehicles or satellites.
Speaking to the The Australian Financial Review , Co-Founder and chief scientist?Dr Marcus Doherty ,?spoke about what the?coming years will bring for quantum.?
“I would say that 2023 and 2024 are the years in which quantum computing has to prove its value, where we can actually put our hand on our heart and say, ‘We know exactly what hardware is required to deliver a benefit over classical computers’.”
Congratulations to founders?Dr Marcus Doherty, Dr Andrew Horsley , &? Mark Luo .
Find out more?here.?
? Morse Micro ?
#WiFi HaLow is set to transform connectivity in the coming years, reaching further and with less power than ever before.?
The Morse Micro team kicked off 2023 with a revolutionary first in IoT Security, teaming up with Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd. to deliver the world's first long-range, low-power wireless #security cameras to the market.
The WiFi HaLow IoT #SecurityCameras signal a major breakthrough in #IoT security, and will significantly improve the range and reliability while delivering greater peace of mind.
Find out more?here.
The Big????
Why the next #deeptech unicorn could be from the bush
Australia is home to many incredible #startups and businesses, but while our cities have typically been seen as #unicorn territory, our regional cities and towns are beginning to make a splash.?
From #renewableenergy storage start-up MGA Thermal to?lab-made milk from Eden Brew , regional Australia is primed to become a hotbed of #deeptech #innovation.?
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald , Partner Phil Morle spoke about the opportunities available in regional locations to bring about change and innovation, helping to build a more #sustainable and possible future.
“The production facilities, for the talent, for the land, and for the feedstock, are going to rise in regional Australia. These will be very, very big companies,”
“Orange is the new Palo Alto.”
?To find out more about the opportunities that are coming to the bush, take a look?here.?
Portfolio News?
??? Castlepoint Systems : Received the?ISACA Innovative Solutions Award?for 2023, great work to the team!?
CEO Rachael Greaves also?spoke to Dynamic Business ?about how they support their staff to create a positive work environment.??
??? Regrow Ag :?CEO Anastasia Volkova, PhD authored an?article for Forbes Technology Council ?about the role of #digitalinfrastructure in helping businesses reduce scope 1, 2 and 3 #emissions.?
领英推荐
?? Samsara Eco :?Was awarded as a recipient of a?CRC-P grant?from Minister Ed Husic, receiving AU$2.65 million to equip their Commercial Innovation Hub with partners Woolworths Group Limited and 澳大利亚国立大学 . Here’s to winning the war on plastic!?
The team once again?worked with the?Australian Open?to help reduce the amount of #plastic used at the event, collecting all #single use plastics to be recycled into new products.?
??? Avarni : Spoke all things #carbonmanagement with?Forbes Australia, explaining how the three founders came together to create the startup to help other businesses, including KPMG, manage their carbon.
??? MGA Thermal : Spoke to?Cosmos?about their unique #thermalenergy storage #innovation, from concept to commercialisation.?
?? Loam Bio : Started their own podcast,?The Dirt by Loam, investigating how new technologies, #science, and #landmanagement strategies can increase soil organic carbon.?
?? Gilmour Space Technologies :?Co-founder and CEO Adam Gilmour was featured in The?Australian Financial Review’s photos of the week in early January, speaking about the need for Australia to increase spending on R&D or risk falling behind.
??? Advanced Navigation : Celebrated the news that their Hydrus underwater sea drone was recognised as a?top innovator in the UpLink — World Economic Forum Ocean Data Challenge.?
With climate change wreaking havoc on our seas, the Hydrus helps to collect data to deepen our knowledge of and understanding.?
Take a look at the video below to learn more.?
Advanced Navigation's Hydrus alongside?fellow Top Innovators in the UpLink - World Economic Forum Ocean Data Challenge.
Want to keep up with the exciting developments across our portfolio? Follow them on Twitter?here.
News From The Home Base???
How VCs are readying themselves for a world of #GenerativeAI?
With ChatGPT taking off and making waves across the world in the past couple of months, many are asking what exactly this means for our jobs, lives and more.?
Speaking to The Australian Financial Review , Partner Mike Nicholls shared his insights into what he thinks about the future of generative AI.?
“You have to look at who owns the intellectual property ... everybody else is just putting up very targeted, general, user interfaces on the front [end] and you can cut one of those up yourself,” he said.
“If you’re working off these models, you’re going to have to develop very specialised IP ... that allows customers to get a very specific outcome.
“There are still opportunities, and people will build quite big businesses out of particular niche verticals, but they’ll twist it and use it in their own way. But if you’re just slapping a UI on OpenAI, anyone can do it.”
Curious? More?here.?
Six actions for startup founders in 2023
For startup founders, 2023 will likely bring new challenges when it comes to accessing funding and establishing a foothold in the market.?
But despite new challenges, leaders can still find a new way to create outcomes for their business, they might just need to take a different tact.
In an article for Forbes Australia , Partner Phil Morle shared what actions founders can take to attack the market head-on in the new year.?
1???Reframe time, not the mission
2???Become impossible to break
3???Delay raising money
4???Synchronise deliverables with runway
5???Work with your existing investors
6???Share the urgency with your team
Read more?here.
Keen to hear more from our team? We’re pretty active on Medium — take a look at some of our recent articles and follow for more.
Jun Qu , Senior Associate —?Can engineers make good investors?
Alezeia Brown , Senior Associate —?5 reasons ESG should matter to every founder
Deep Tech Jobs?
Do you want to work in Deep Tech #VentureCapital?
Main Sequence is on the lookout for some new and curious minds as we hire for a number of roles!????If you’re interested in what we do and think Deep Tech is your next move we’d love to hear from you.?
Check out the available roles below and apply within to join us in solving some of the planet’s greatest challenges.??
There are?hundreds?of exciting #job opportunities available within our portfolio.
Find your next career adventure on our?jobs board?or?sign up for our weekly jobs and opportunities newsletter.
Highlights include: