Universities-backed seed-fund manager Uniseed has gained a further $25 million commitment from UniSuper taking the superannuation fund’s total commitment to $100 million.
Uniseed specialises in making very early-stage investments in technology start-ups which are seeking to solve real world problems, primarily those emerging from its backers, a group of leading universities and the CSIRO. Uniseed supports selected start-ups as they develop technologies and business models to the stage at which they can seek venture capital investment.
Uniseed has invested in start-ups based on technologies across a wide range including areas such as energy storage and production, agricultural processes, quantum computing, health care and medical treatments.
UniSuper chief investment officer John Pearce said: “Uniseed is a natural fit for UniSuper given our heritage, and an excellent opportunity for our members to participate in the commercialisation of world-leading research and technology coming out of Australian universities and research institutions.”
UniSuper, which has $149 billion in funds under management, has been Uniseed’s exclusive institutional investment partner since March 2022.
Uniseed chief executive Dr Peter Devine said the fund manager was proud to have UniSuper’s continued support as it worked to turn world-leading Australian research into real-word impact.
“This additional funding strengthens our ability to back visionary inventors at the earliest stages, supporting promising companies through the seed stages of their development. Together with our research partners, we’re committed to delivering long-term value for the research innovation ecosystem and our investors.”
Uniseed is focusing on investing in industries of the future such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, quantum computing and green energy.
The fund manager has a contractual first-look right to invest in early-stage opportunities emerging from its partner universities and the CSIRO. Since its foundation in 2000, Uniseed has helped fund 70 start-ups all based on Australian research. Of these, 16 have gone on to sign commercial deals with international companies.
Uniseed-backed start-ups have created employment for more than 1,000 people, either directly or through contract research agreements.
In addition to the CSIRO, Uniseed’s research partners are the Universities of Melbourne, Queensland, Sydney, and NSW, Monash University, University of Newcastle, University of Technology, Sydney, Western Sydney University, and Macquarie University.
Collectively, the ten research partners spend around $7 billion on research annually making up around 60% of the total research spend by all Australian research organisations.
Examples of Uniseed investments include:
- Forcite Helmet Systems (University of New South Wales), a developer of smart motorcycle helmets that was sold in 2024 to Nasdaq-listed GoPro;
Kinoxis Therapeutics (University of Sydney) which is currently running a multi-centre, first-in-Australia, Phase 2 clinical trial examining its novel small molecule drug candidate targeting agitation and aggression in dementia patients – a significant unmet need that is not adequately served by existing treatments;
- Analog Quantum Circuits (University of Queensland), a developer of superconducting quantum technology that has received strong government grant support;
- Aravax (Monash University), a medical treatment development company that is completing a Phase-2 clinical trial of a novel peptide immunotherapy for peanut allergy in children and adolescents.
Image: UniSuper chief investment officer John Pearce.