A group of technology founders, initially brought together by involvement in the creative arts, are seeking additional investors to join an investment syndicate they formed last year.
The Side Stage Ventures team comprises, Jaddan Comerford, founder and chief executive of artists management business UNIFIED Music Group; Matt Allen, co-founder and chief executive of venture debt firm Tractor Ventures; brothers Alex and Anthony Zaccaria, co-founders of creative artists’ social media management platform Linktree (which recently raised a $148 million Series C funding round, see APE&VCJ, Mar 2022); Ben Grabiner, co-founder of emerging talent discovery platform Platoon (acquired by Apple in late 2018); Kieran Rivett, chief operating officer of Nine Buildings, an innovative housing project in inner Melbourne and ex-chief financial officer of beauty products company Aesop (a former investee of Harbert Australia Private Equity); and healthtech blogger Emily Casey of What the Health?
Comerford said: “I’ve spent the last 20 years of my life investing in careers of incredible artists and amazing team members. I’m now stoked to add a third stream of talent, and that is founders. I’ve met so many inspiring founders through my career and I’m grateful to be able to invest in some of the best.”
Side Stage has already invested in tech businesses including QR code-based mobile menu business Mr Yum, events app Delegate Connect, alternative assets management firm Alts, non-alcoholic beer producer Heaps Normal, event ticket sales platform Tixel, and in-store audio customer experience platform Qsic.
Image: The Side Stage Ventures team (from top left) Ben Grabiner, Alex Zaccaria, Jaddan Comerford, Kieran Rivett, Emily Casey, and Anthony Zaccaria.