CSIRO spin-off deep tech fund manager Main Sequence Ventures has appointed Cochlear (ASX: CLR) chair Alison Deans as a venture partner.
Deans was part of the management team of two earlier technology investment firms, ASX-listed Ecorp and then Netus which was founded by Daniel Petre who went on to found AirTree Ventures with Netus colleague Craig Blair after Netus was acquired by Fairfax Media in 2013.
Since leaving Netus, Deans has served in numerous non-executive director roles with private and listed companies, focusing on technology enabled businesses. In addition to chairing Cochlear, Deans is currently a director of CO2 capture technology company Calix (ASX: CXL), Ramsay Health Care (ASX: RHC) and rostering software company Deputy.
Dean has been a member of the investment committee at Main Sequence since the firm was formed in 2017 and will continue in that role.
Partner Mike Zimmerman said members of the firm’s management team were pleased that Deans was deepening her involvement with Main Sequence.
He said many of companies that Main Sequence invested in from its 2018 vintage first fund were now at a stage at which exit possibilities were being explored.
“Alison’s experience in building game-changing companies positions her to help take these businesses to the next level,” he said.
“As someone who uniquely understands the Australian business and start-up ecosystem, Alison will play a critical role in building deep tech founders of tomorrow, and helping Main Sequence as it continues its mission of solving the world’s biggest challenges by bridging the gap between research and commercialisation.”
Main Sequence announced a first close for its fourth fund in July at $450 million.
Recent investments by the firm have been in non-dairy ‘milk’ company Eden Brew, satellite air traffic control communications company Skycraft and Quantum technology company Q-CTRL.
Image:Alison Deans, now a venture partner with Main Sequence Ventures.