Team
Partners
Dr Michelle Deaker
Founding & Managing Partner
| Location: Sydney, AU
Michelle is a Founding Partner and the Managing Partner at OneVentures. She serves on the investment committees of OneVentures funds and has led the capital raising activities for the firm. Her focus today is in the technology growth practice, though she has also worked extensively across both healthcare and technology investments.
With over 25 years of experience building and investing in high-growth technology companies in Australia and the US, she has a proven track record in global business expansion and Australian R&D. Michelle has led or co-led and been a Director of key investments in companies such as Employment Hero ($2B valuation, 13x ROI, Returned 1.5x Fund II), Phocas (10x EV growth), Smart Sparrow (acq. Pearson Learning), My Mobile Data (acq. ASX: AYS); Hatchtech (Lic. to NYSE: RDY) and unicorn Vaxxas. She chaired the board of Employment Hero until December 2023 and continues to serve on its board, as well as the boards of Phocas and Buildkite.
A current member of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s Payment Systems Board, Michelle is also a former board member of Australia’s National ICT Centre of Excellence (NICTA, now Data61), Seven West Media (ASX: SWM) and served on the NSW Government’s Digital Economy Taskforce.
In the lead up to founding OneVentures, Michelle worked for a leading family office on their alternative investments, served as an entrepreneur in residence at Southern Cross Venture Partners and was an angel investor. Prior to her investment career, Michelle was a business entrepreneur and founder, including one of Australia’s first fintech companies, E Com Industries (www.giftvouchers.com) (acq. LSE: ReD, 4.6x, 70% IRR), IT services business, Networks Beyond 2000 and a tertiary tutoring business.
Michelle is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Chief Executive Women (CEW). She was a founding advisory board member of Head Over Heels (now Apropela), supporting women entrepreneurs, and served on the advisory board of the Indigenous fund Ochre Ventures.
In addition to these roles, she lectures in the Australian Investment Council’s Foundations of Private Capital Venture Capital Course and is a Co-Founder of WinVC, a non-profit women-led initiative supporting the career trajectory of women investors in venture capital.
Michelle holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours), a Master of Science and a PhD in Applied Science.
| BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD
Portfolio Board Roles
In the news
13 February 2024
This VC firm has hit a landmark – and it’s payout time
News, The Australian Financial Review
12 December 2023
How a Sydney VC made 13 times its money on one start-up investment
News, The Australian Financial Review
31 August 2021
OneVentures takes VC industry lead on ESG investment and oversight
Announcement, Media Release
25 July 2021
Tech sector demands a plan to escape lockdown crisis
News, The Australian Financial Review
25 July 2021
Forget unicorns, OneVentures has a start-up dragon
News, The Australian Financial Review
04 July 2021
Hivery scores debt from OneVentures in 10th credit deal
News, The Australian Financial Review
02 March 2021
HR tech firm raises $45m amid remote working boom
News, The Australian Financial Review
22 February 2021
Cash Seek-er: Employment Hero seals funding round
News, The Australian Financial Review
16 February 2021
Newcastle-based software start-up Coassemble raises $1.5m
News, The Australian Financial Review
Dr Paul Kelly
Founding Partner & Director
| Healthcare
| Location: Sydney, AU
Paul is a Founding Partner of OneVentures, leading the Healthcare and Biotechnology practice. He serves as Fund Lead and Chair of the Investment Committee for Healthcare Fund III and is a voting member of the Investment Committees for Funds I, II, III and V.
With over 30 years of experience in biomedical innovation, Paul provides strategic guidance to portfolio companies. He is Chair of Vaxxas and a Non-Executive Director for BiVACOR and Prota Therapeutics. Previously, he served on the boards of Hatchtech (Chair, licensed to NYSE: DRL), CharmHealth (acquired by ASX: CGL), Clinical Genomics (Enterix acquired by 3TM), Blade and Find Me.
As co-founder of Gemini Genomics (Nasdaq: GMNI), he led one of the UK’s largest biotech IPOs (US$250M valuation) before its merger with Sequenom (Nasdaq: SQNM). Earlier in his career, he co-founded Agamatrix, a bio-sensing medical device company operating in the US and Southeast Asia as well as Atomera (Nasdaq: ATMR). As CEO of Orchid Cellmark (Nasdaq: ORCH), he drove a tenfold valuation increase and significant revenue growth.
Paul began his career as a researcher and endocrinologist at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney before transitioning into biotechnology. In the US, he held executive roles in leading biotech and medical companies driving the growth of several industry leaders.
He has authored over 100 publications in leading journals and is a Non-Executive Director at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, a member of the UNSW Medicine Dean’s Advisory Group and serves on the Advisory Board of the Australian Government’s Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) program.
Paul holds medical degrees from UNSW and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
| MBBS(Hons), MD, FRACP
Portfolio Board Roles
In the news
29 November 2023
US FDA Grants the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart IDE Approval for First-in-Human Early Feasibility Study
Media Release
18 June 2023
Vaxxas opens world-class manufacturing facility to produce needle-free vaccine patch
News, Announcement
07 October 2021
Blade Therapeutics Announces Publication of Preclinical Evidence Supporting Neuroprotective Effects of Proprietary Calpain Inhibitor
Media Release
02 June 2021
Vaxxas Preclinical Studies Reveal Potential of Vaxxas’ HD-MAP to Effectively Deliver SARS-CoV-2 Spike Vaccine
News, Media Release
Nick Gainsley
Partner & Director
| Growth Credit
| Location: Sydney, AU
| BSc(Hons), AMCT
Portfolio Board Roles
In the news
19 September 2022
Venture Credit in Australia — Our first report alongside the Tech Council of Australia
Blog Post
18 November 2021
E-bike subscription service Zoomo raises $60M Series B to disrupt last-mile delivery
News
20 September 2021
Selling a company as easy as posting an eBay listing
News, The Australian Financial Review
Sarah Meibusch
Partner
| Healthcare
| Location: Brisbane, AU
Sarah is a Partner at OneVentures, focused on sourcing and supporting life sciences companies developing transformative technologies with global potential.
She currently serves as Chair of Axial Therapeutics, a Board Member for Kira Biotech and an Alternate Board Member and Observer for Vaxxas, Clinical Genomics and Prota Therapeutics.
Sarah brings over 20 years of enterprise-level leadership experience across the life sciences ecosystem, from agriculture to healthcare. Her career spans start-ups, private and public companies (ASX- and NASDAQ-listed), multinational pharma, and university research organisations. She has a strong track record in deal-making, from early-stage investments and university collaborations to major pharma transactions worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Prior to joining OneVentures, Sarah held roles in business development and commercial strategy in Australia and the United States, combining deep scientific expertise with commercial acumen to drive innovation to market.
Sarah holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Science with First Class Honours from the University of Queensland and a Master’s in Genomics from Cornell University. She has post-graduate training in negotiation from Harvard and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). She is also a member of the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute Commercial Advisory Board and the AusBiotech Investment Advisory Group.
| BAgrSc(Hons), M.P.S, GAICD
Portfolio Board Roles
Bevin Shields
Partner
| Growth Equity
| Location: Sydney, AU
Bevin leads OneVentures’ growth technology investment strategy for Fund V and Fund VII and serves on their Investment Committees.
With over 20 years of experience in technology investing, M&A and capital markets, Bevin provides strategic guidance to portfolio companies and sits on the boards of Lumary and MyPass. He specialises in driving growth through acquisitions, organic expansion and operational excellence.
Before joining OneVentures, Bevin was a Partner at Bailador Technology Investments, where he led growth-stage technology investments across Australia and New Zealand. During his tenure, Bailador achieved nine successful exits, delivering over $250 million in returns at an average 3.1x CoC and 25% IRR. Key investments included Rezdy, RC TopCo, Standard Media Index and Updoc.
Prior to that, Bevin was Head of M&A at Catapult Group, where he led acquisitions that expanded the company’s scale and market presence globally and secured over $150 million in financing. Earlier in his career, he was a graduate analyst in corporate finance at Deloitte and a vice-president in investment banking at the Royal Bank of Scotland, advising emerging companies across capital markets and M&A.
Bevin graduated with a Master of Commerce from the University of Sydney and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
| MCom, USYD BCom, USYD
Nigel Dews
Operating Partner
| Growth Equity
| Location: Sydney, AU
Nigel is an Operating Partner in the Technology team at OneVentures, supporting portfolio companies in the Growth Equity Funds with over 25 years of international experience in management consulting, startup leadership and scale-up execution.
He serves on the Investment Committees for Growth Fund V and VII, is Chair of Kepler Analytics, sits on the board of Flippa, and was previously on the board of Lumary and MyMobileData.
Nigel is a Founding Partner and Chair of GNG Partners, a boutique growth strategy consulting firm that combines operating leadership and top-tier consulting experience to collaborate with OneVentures’ portfolio companies to develop Growth Acceleration Plans.
Before joining OneVentures, Nigel held significant executive roles, including CEO of Vodafone Hutchison Australia, 3 Mobile and Fairfax Digital. As CEO of Message Media, he led its rapid growth through acquisitions, product innovation and geographic expansion, resulting in a $1.8B exit in 2021.
He began his career at the Reserve Bank of Australia and spent five years at McKinsey & Company, consulting across the USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand and later as a Partner at Port Jackosn Partners. Nigel played a pivotal role in launching Fairfax Digital, led the Hutchison-Vodafone Australia merger and led a tech infrastructure start up in the UK.
Nigel holds an Honours degree in economics and an MBA from London Business School.
| BEc (Hons), MBA
Portfolio Board Roles
Matt Sinnamon
Partner & General Counsel
| Location: Sydney, AU
Matt is a Partner and COO at OneVentures, where he leads legal, compliance, corporate finance, investor relations and marketing functions.
As General Counsel, Company Secretary and a Responsible Manager, Matt ensures regulatory excellence and robust governance. Matt also drives ESG practices across the portfolio, supporting founders and investors by implementing effective structures, aligning with industry standards and advancing sustainability goals.
With over 20 years of legal experience in financial services, he has held senior leadership roles both locally and internationally, including General Counsel & Company Secretary at Eclipx Group and Head of Legal, Compliance and Company Secretary at ING Bank Australia. His early career includes positions at Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Perpetual and Pitcher Partners.
Matt holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and a Bachelor of Business (BBus) in Banking and Finance from QUT. Admitted to the Supreme Court of NSW and the High Court of Australia, he is also a Chartered Secretary and Public Notary.
| LLB BBus Banking & Finance
Venture Partners
Anne-Marie Birkill
Co-Founder, Venture Partner & Director
| Location: Brisbane, AU
Anne-Marie is a Co-Founder of OneVentures and serves as a Director on the OneVentures Board, Responsible Manager and member of the Risk Committee. She is a voting member of the Investment Committees for Funds I, II and III.
She is a Director for OneVentures portfolio company Madorra and previously chaired the CharmHealth board, leading its acquisition by the Citadel Group in 2017 (ASX: CGL).
With 25 years in product development and commercialisation and 15 years in funds management, Anne-Marie has held significant leadership roles, including CEO of i.lab Incubator and General Manager Operations at UniQuest. She is deeply engaged with industry, universities and government, fostering scientific innovation and commercial success.
A champion for diversity, she co-founded Women in Biotechnology (which later merged into Women in Technology), served on the board of Springboard Enterprises and mentors entrepreneurs, scientists and emerging leaders in venture capital.
Anne-Marie is a Director for InterFinancial, ASX-listed PPK Group (ASX: PPK) and UniQuest. She chairs the Project Investment Committee and is a member of the Industry Steering Committee for the University of Queensland-led Trailblazer Food and Beverage Accelerator.
Holding a Bachelor of Science (Hons), an MBA and PS146 accreditation, she is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD), a Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP) and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE).
| BSc(Hons), MBA, GAICD
Portfolio Board Roles
In the news
06 November 2019
iStaySafe Acquires Find-Me Technologies, Strengthens position in the IoT Industry
Media Release
16 September 2018
VC-backed women’s health company Madorra to begin clinical trials in Australia
Media Release
13 August 2018
OneVentures invests in regional Queensland company developing treatments for autoimmune diseases
Media Release
Dr Jeannie Joughin
Venture Partner
| Healthcare
| Location: Melbourne, AU
Jeannie is a Venture Partner at OneVentures, supporting healthcare portfolio company operations and strategic initiatives.
She serves on the board of ImmVirX (deal lead), BiVACOR Pty Ltd, BiVACOR Australia and Hatchtech, and has previously held board roles with BiVACOR Inc (as Chair and Director).
A biopharmaceutical and medical device leader with 20+ years of global experience, Jeannie has held senior executive and advisory roles in Australia and the US. Her expertise includes business development, strategic partnerships, and operational leadership across research, clinical trials, and commercial management.
In the US, she led global business development, licensing medical device technologies to major pharmaceutical companies and securing milestone and royalty payments. Her career includes roles with organisations such as Bristol-Myers Squibb, Mayne Pharma, CSL, and Enable Injections.
Jeannie holds a PhD and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Immunology from Monash University and a Diploma of Marketing from the Melbourne Business School. She currently serves as a Non-Executive Director for ASX-NASDAQ listed Immuron and ASX-listed Argenica.
| BSc(Hons), PhD
John Westwater
Venture Partner
| Healthcare
| Location: Sydney, AU
John is a Venture Partner at OneVentures supporting the Healthcare team and portfolio companies with strategic guidance and operational expertise.
He has over 20 years of global experience in life sciences spanning operational leadership, venture capital and investment banking.
Previously, John was CFO of Elastagen, an Australian medical device company, where he led fundraising. He also played a key role in the international expansion of the company’s clinical studies in the UK and in the company’s acquisition by Allergan. Elastagen was recognised as the Australian Investment Council’s Best Venture Capital Investment of 2018. Post-acquisition he oversaw the integration of Elastagen’s clinical programs as Director of R&D and later as a consultant.
Prior to his tenure at Elastagen, John spent eight years at Nomura Phase4 Ventures in London investing in early to mid-stage life science companies across the US and Europe. He began his career at Morgan Stanley advising healthcare multinationals on capital raising, divestitures and acquisitions.
John holds a PhD and a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry from Heriot-Watt University, completing the first year of his PhD at Dundee University. He is a recipient of the Watt Club Medal.
| BSc(Hons), PhD
Dr Dan Baker
Venture Partner
| Healthcare
| Location: United States
Dan Baker received his B.A. in Biology from Gettysburg College and his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his medical residency at Hershey Medical Center and fellowship in Rheumatology at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a research fellowship in Rheumatology at Mass General Hospital. He continued on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania for 18 years before joining Janssen/Centocor in 2000.
As Vice President Immunology R&D at Janssen, his responsibilities included the clinical development of Remicade, SIMPONI and STELARA as well as other programs in rheumatology, and dermatology. As Disease Area Stronghold Leader he was responsible for Phase II & III clinical development plans for rheumatology products was responsible for the overall strategy on portfolio in rheumatology/immunology.
He has authored multiple publications in the field of immunology and has served a co-Lead of RTCure which is an academic/industry collaboration that is sponsored by IMI2 and is searching for tolerogenic therapies for rheumatoid arthritis.
After his retirement from Janssen in 2019 he has been active in continuing to be involved in bringing therapies to patients by providing scientific advice to drug development organisations. He has taken on the role of CEO of Kira Biotech which is an emerging Australian biotech company targeting treatment of immune system disorders with novel immunomodulatory drugs.
| BSc (Biology), MD (Rheumatology)
Portfolio Board Roles
Jim Scopa
Venture Partner
| Healthcare
| Location: United States
Jim is a Venture Partner at OneVentures, serving on the investment committee of Healthcare Fund III, a board member of BiVACOR, and an advisor to the healthcare team.
An experienced venture capitalist and former healthcare investment banker, Jim brings expertise in the biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, and diagnostics sectors of life sciences.
He previously served as a Managing Director and member of the Investment Committee at MPM Capital, a US$2.6 billion global venture fund focused on early-stage life sciences. He has 18 years of experience in healthcare investment banking, advising emerging growth companies on financings and strategic transactions as a Managing Director at Deutsche Bank and Thomas Weisel Partners.
Jim has served on the boards of DICE Pharmaceuticals (sold to Eli Lilly for $2.4 billion in 2023), Semma Pharmaceuticals (sold to Vertex for $950 million in 2019), and True North Therapeutics (sold to Bioverativ for $825 million in 2017).
He was appointed a Fellow at the Distinguished Career Institute at Stanford for 2017–2018. He holds an MBA, JD (Harvard).
| MBA, JD (Harvard)
Portfolio Board Roles
Amrita Blickstead
Venture Partner
| Growth Equity
| Location: Sydney, AU
Amrita is a Growth Equity Venture Partner at OneVentures, supporting our technology portfolio companies with her operations and strategy expertise.
An experienced C-suite executive and Non-Executive Director, Amrita brings extensive expertise in strategy, operations, manufacturing, pricing, sales, and marketing across technology and healthtech companies.
Her leadership roles include serving as Co-CEO of SomnoMed (ASX: SOM) and as Chief Operating and Marketing Officer at eBay Australia.
Amrita is a Non-Executive Director at Audinate (ASX: AD8) and Genea, and has worked as a management consultant.
She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical).
| BE(Hons), MBA
Mark Rothert
Venture Partner
| Growth Equity
| Location: United States
Mark is a Growth Equity Venture Partner at OneVentures, where he supports portfolio companies with operational improvements and US market entry strategies.
In addition, he advises our Fund VII Investment Committee, bringing extensive expertise in scaling technology companies and driving cross-border growth.
Mark is a seasoned C-suite executive with key leadership experience, including his current role as CEO of LCvista (PE-backed), and prior roles as COO of Cordance (PE-backed), and US Country Manager for Message Media, where he played a pivotal role in the company’s $1.8B exit.
Previously, he was a Principal in Portfolio Operations at Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV), providing strategic guidance to high-growth technology companies.
| MBA
Jim Yares
Venture Partner
| Growth Equity
| Location: United States
Jim is a Growth Equity Venture Partner at OneVentures, where he helps technology portfolio companies develop and implement their go-to-market strategies and growth initiatives.
He is a consulting advisor to portfolio companies Phocas, Shippit, and Buildkite, working closely with their CEOs and executive teams to scale operations and achieve strategic goals.
A seasoned C-suite executive, Jim has held leadership roles including GM at Fortify (acquired by HP), VP of Global Field Operations at AlienVault (acquired by AT&T), COO and CEO at CrownPeak (acquired by K1), Executive VP of Global Field Operations at Illumio, and CRO at Banyan Security (acquired by SonicWall).
Earlier in his career, he served as a Managing Director at KPMG and later Bearing Point’s High Tech Practice.
Investment Team
Justine Carzino
Investment Director
| Location: Melbourne, AU
| Growth Equity & Growth Credit
Justine is responsible for identifying investment opportunities in Victoria and supporting portfolio deals based in the region across both Growth Equity and Credit. She leads the OneVentures Victorian Growth Fund (VGF), which invests in the state’s most promising scale-up companies.
As a Board Observer and investor, Justine works closely with portfolio companies such as XYSense, Drawboard, AmazingCo and 6clicks.
Justine has over 15 years experience working with growth stage companies across capital raising, M&A and capital management. Previously, Justine was a Senior Vice-President at Deloitte Corporate Finance in Tokyo, leading domestic and cross border transactions. Originally from Melbourne, she returned to Australia in 2021, bringing extensive M&A experience and strong local networks.
Justine holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, majoring in Accounting and Finance. She is both a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst.
| BComm, CFA, CA
Jay Chiu
Investment Director
| Growth Equity
| Location: Sydney, AU
Jay identifies and analyses growth equity investment opportunities while supporting portfolio companies with research, strategic planning and problem-solving to help them scale into new markets.
He collaborates with CFOs and leadership teams to simplify financial complexities and drive growth and serves as a Board Observer for Lumary, Kepler Analytics and Flippa.
With over 15 years of global equities experience specialising in high-conviction, long-term growth strategies, Jay began his career as a software engineer, and has held roles in risk modelling, portfolio management and public equities focused on technology at CITIC Securities (HK), HSBC (UK, HK), and Goldman Sachs (UK). He was also a buy-side investment analyst for a boutique global equities fund manager.
Jay holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Software and a Master of Commerce in Finance from the University of New South Wales
| B. Eng (Hons), M. Com (Finance)
Kate Madden
Investment Director
| Growth Credit
| Location: Sydney, AU
Kate joined OneVentures in 2019 with the launch of the firm’s first credit fund. She focuses on Growth Credit investments – sourcing investments, conducting due diligence and supporting portfolio companies.
She is a Board Observer for InDebted and Dataweavers and previously for Coassemble and EatClub.
Before moving to Australia, Kate spent 3.5 years at PwC in Dublin, gaining experience in the Business Restructuring (Deals) and Management Consulting departments. In Business Restructuring, she worked on turnarounds, administrations and liquidations. In Management Consulting, she worked with PE-sponsored businesses to drive operational improvements through digitisation. Kate gained lending and portfolio management experience at KKR within their private credit arm.
Kate holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance from the University of Limerick and is a Chartered Accountant. She serves on the Australian Investment Council’s DE&I committee and actively mentors early-stage founders through accelerators and support platforms.
| CA, BBA (Hons)
Portfolio Board Roles
Kip Dudegon
Investment Director
| Healthcare
| Location: Sydney, AU
Kip is an Investment Director within our healthcare team, bringing over 20 years of global experience at the intersection of biotech, pharmaceuticals and healthcare innovation.
He supports portfolio companies with commercial strategy, product development and investment planning, drawing on leadership roles across Australia, Germany and Switzerland in both operational and investment settings.
Before joining OneVentures, Kip was based in Switzerland as Senior Director of Global Commercial Brand Strategy and Marketing at Sandoz (a division of Novartis), where he led global biosimilar strategy across the US, EU and international markets. He previously held the role of Director of Global New Products in Germany, where he developed launch strategies for early stage biosimilars, including the world’s first for multiple sclerosis (natalizumab).
Earlier in his career, Kip was Head of Healthcare and Senior Investment Analyst at Magellan Financial Group in Australia, leading the firm’s healthcare sector coverage across global pharmaceutical and biotech companies. He also held commercial operations and corporate development roles at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and worked in therapeutic antibody development at early-stage biotech companies.
Kip holds a PhD from UNSW Australia, focused on therapeutic antibody technologies, and his work has been recognised through numerous publications and patents.
| BSc(Hons), PhD (Biotech/Med)
Ryan O’Dea
Investment Manager
| Growth Credit
| Location: Sydney, AU
Ryan is an Investment Manager on our Growth Credit team and is responsible for deal sourcing, evaluating opportunities, executing transactions and assisting portfolio companies in scaling and securing follow-on funding where appropriate.
He has worked on deals with companies such as Cascade and Biza.
Previously, Ryan worked at Wayflyer, a venture-backed fintech scale-up providing revenue-based financing to eCommerce brands. He led business operations and new product development, helping scale the company from 30 to 300 employees. Before that, he advised consumer goods and financial services clients as a consultant with McKinsey & Company.
Ryan holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from University College Dublin.
| B.Sc. Economics & Finance
Matthew Lewin
Investment Associate
| Growth Equity
| Location: Sydney, AU
Matt focuses on growth equity investments in technology businesses for Fund V and Fund VII.
He supports deal sourcing, analysis and due diligence and works with portfolio companies like Lumary, Flippa and Buildkite.
Since joining OneVentures in 2021, Matt has contributed to both the venture credit and equity teams. Now an Investment Associate, he has played a key role in sourcing and executing growth equity investments.
Before OneVentures, Matt gained experience at MA Financial Group, Perpetual and VGI Partners, focusing on technology investing, ESG and company analysis.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Advanced Studies from the University of Sydney, where he received the University Academic Merit Prize. He earned a Master’s in Neuroscience from the University of Sydney, completing a thesis on using “digital twins” to augment operational decision-making in complex systems such as mental health clinics.
| BCom/BAdvStudies/MSci
Joanna Yue
Investment Associate
| Growth Equity
| Location: Sydney, AU
Joanna focuses on Growth Equity investments, supporting deal sourcing, analysis, due diligence and monitoring portfolio investments
She works closely with portfolio companies, including Employment Hero, Lumary and Flippa.
Before joining OneVentures, Joanna was a consultant at McKinsey & Company’s Melbourne office, where she worked on strategic and operational projects in the banking, consumer goods, and automotive sectors for public and private clients. She gained international experience in Singapore with Wavemaker Impact, a leading Asian ClimaTech VC venture builder, where she helped develop an AgriTech startup aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of Southeast Asian rice cultivation by assessing opportunities and designing viable business models.
Joanna holds a Bachelor of Laws and Commerce (Finance) from Monash University and a Master’s in Management from INSEAD. She is admitted to the Supreme Court of Victoria and previously practiced law in the private health insurance sector at the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority.
| LL.B., BComm (Finance), MIM
Dr Lu Li
Investment Analyst
| Healthcare
| Location: Sydney, AU
Lu focuses on healthcare investments, supporting the team with deal sourcing and screening, due diligence and investment monitoring.
She draws on her expertise in equity research and biomedical sciences to inform investment decisions and drive deal-term negotiations.
Before joining OneVentures, Lu interned as Biotech Equity Research analyst at CITIC Securities and worked as a scientific writer and technical consultant at DeepTech, covering biotech startups and advancements in biomedical research. She brings over seven years of academic research experience in biomedical sciences with a strong technical background in R&D.
Lu holds a Ph.D. in Pathobiology from the University of Connecticut where her research focused on infectious disease pathogenesis. She has completed Level 2 of the CFA program.
| PhD, Pathobiology
Shawn Li
Investment Analyst
| Growth Credit
| Location: Melbourne, AU
Shawn plays a key role in the Growth Credit team, contributing across the entire deal cycle through portfolio analysis, due diligence and guiding transactions at every stage.
Before joining OneVentures, Shawn worked in the strategy team at Accenture, focusing on growth, decarbonisation, M&A and technology. Prior to that, he worked at Uber as an Operations Associate, managing consumer behaviour and lifecycle across the Rides, Eats and CommOps teams.
Shawn holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, majoring in Economics and Finance. He represented his university in international case competitions in Norway and Thailand, providing strategic advice to multinational companies.
| BCom (Economics & Finance)
Finance & Operations Team
Bernard Chin
Head of Fund Finance
| Location: Sydney, AU
| CA, BaCom (Accounting and Finance)
Lenny Zeng
Senior Accountant
| Location: Sydney, AU
Lenny supports the finance, reporting, accounting and operations functions across OneVentures’ investment entities.
With over 10 years of experience in financial reporting, management reporting, statutory reporting and fund administration, Lenny has held finance roles in both listed and unlisted fund managers, as well as in fund administration and financial services companies
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance from the University of New South Wales and a Master of Economics from Macquarie University. Lenny is a member of CPA Australia
| BCom / Master of Economics .
Justin Lai
Senior Accountant
| Location: Sydney, AU
Justin supports client and investor reporting, regulatory reporting, NAV calculations, unit pricing, fund accounting and trust distribution.
His career began in Singapore before moving to Australia in 2009, where he transitioned into finance and accounting. Justin has held positions at IOOF, Link Group, MLC, and, most recently, Unity Fund Services. His extensive experience spans various facets of financial operations, including client reporting, investor reporting, regulatory compliance and fund administration.
Justin holds a Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University and a Bachelor of Arts from the National University of Singapore. He is a CPA (Certified Practising Accountant) and a recipient of the Certificate of Excellence.
| CPA, Master of Applied Finance, Bachelor of Arts
Sean Bagnall
Fund Accountant
| Location: Sydney, AU
Sean is a financial accountant in the fund finance department, supporting client and investor reporting, regulatory reporting, NAV calculations, unit pricing, fund accounting and trust distribution.
He has over four years of experience in PwC Dublin’s Asset and Wealth department, leading audits on large funds with a strong focus on alternative assets and European-dominated ETFs. Before joining OneVentures, he worked on superannuation trusts at BNP Paribas in Sydney.
Sean is a qualified Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Dublin Institute of Technology.
| ACA, BSc (Accounting and Finance)
Jill Allen
Corporate Controller
| Location: Sydney, AU
Jill manages OneVentures corporate finance function, covering accounting, taxation, corporate secretarial duties, internal controls and business insurances. She supports the Risk Management Committee and oversees outsourced IT support and HR administration, including onboarding, offboarding and employment contracts.
With a career spanning corporate tax, commercial accounting and corporate finance, Jill successfully managed a merger of her own accounting business. She previously worked in corporate tax at KPMG for six years and in corporate finance with Moody’s Investors Service for three years.
Jill holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of New South Wales and is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.
| BEc, CA
Chris Briggs
Head of Distribution
| Location: Melbourne, AU
Chris is Head of Distribution at OneVentures, overseeing the firm’s fundraising and investor relations activities.
Chris brings over 25 years of sales experience in financial services across Australia and Europe. He has worked closely with institutional and wealth clients across a diverse range of asset classes spanning both private and public markets. This has given him valuable insight into clients’ portfolio construction needs, and he is passionate about delivering solutions that address them.
Before joining OneVentures, Chris was Managing Director, Business Development at Pacific Current Group, where he worked with several of the company’s globally based affiliated fund managers on distribution in the APAC region. Prior to that, he led Nikko AM’s Institutional Business in Australia.
Chris spent 10 years at Goldman Sachs, starting in fixed income credit sales in the UK, later moving to Australia and focusing on funds management distribution.
Chris holds a Meng degree in Engineering from Cambridge University and serves on the Cambridge Australia Scholarships Investment Committee.
| MEng (Engineering)
Maria Baas
Investor Relations Director
| Location: Sydney, AU
Maria Baas is the Investor Relations Director at OneVentures. She is responsible for developing, managing investor relationships and implementing Investor Relations strategy and helping to build out the firm’s Investor Relations capability in the Australian market.
Maria joined the team from Macquarie Group where she was developing strategic relationships with external stakeholders in the Corporate and Asset Finance division. Prior to that Maria worked at UBS Asset Management where she was responsible for key client relationship management and institutional business development across industry super funds, insurance firms, large corporates and consultants. Maria also held various roles in financial planning and funds management with AMP Capital and AMP Limited more broadly. She started her career in HNW boutique wealth management firm as the Client Relationship Manager.
Maria holds a Bachelors Degree in HR and Industrial Relations from the University of Sydney. Additionally, she has completed a Graduate Certificate of Finance at Macquarie University and a Diploma of Financial Planning.
| BA HR & Industrial Relations, Grad. Cert. Finance, Dip. Financial Planning
Sophia Hudson
Investor Relations Associate
| Location: Sydney, AU
Sophia is an Investor Relations Associate, responsible for servicing investor relationships and supporting fundraising activities.
She has three years experience in Investor Relations having worked at Golub Capital and Capital Group in the UK where she helped develop and manage investor relationships across the retail and institutional markets. Prior to this, Sophia started her career on the Berenberg Investment Banking Graduate Program.
Sophia holds a Bachelors Degree in Economics from the University of Edinburgh.
| BA Economics
Rhianna Miller
Marketing & Community Manager
| Location: Sydney, AU
Rhianna leads marketing, PR, community and branding initiatives at OneVentures, developing strategies to enhance the firm’s visibility and reputation within the venture capital ecosystem. She manages initiatives to foster connections among founders, entrepreneurs and industry stakeholders.
Before moving to Australia in 2022, Rhianna worked in the European tech ecosystem in London. She managed a community of women in tech, led a global women in STEM awards program and contributed to London Tech Week alongside supporting climate, health and early-stage founder communities.
Passionate about creating meaningful connections and opportunities for engagement, Rhianna leverages her global experience to strengthen the Australian VC landscape. She is dedicated to growing the OneVentures community with a focus on technology and venture credit, supporting founders and funders in driving innovation and growth.
In addition to her role at OneVentures, Rhianna is the CEO of WinVC, a non-profit women-led initiative co-founded by Dr Michelle Deaker. WinVC is a learning and knowledge sharing program that focuses on supporting the career trajectory of women investors in venture capital.
Rhianna holds a Bachelor of Science from Royal Holloway, University of London.
| Royal Holloway, University of London
Abbie Lewis
Marketing & Community Coordinator
| Location: Sydney, AU
Abbie coordinates OneVentures’ marketing, PR, community and branding initiatives, strengthening the firm’s identity and amplifying the visibility of our portfolio companies.
Before joining OneVentures, Abbie worked at 89up in London, Europe’s first impact PR agency, where she contributed to global campaigns for NGOs.
| BA(Hons)
Heather Maini
Team Coordinator
| Location: Sydney, AU
Heather Maini is the team coordinator for OneVentures, having built a long and successful career in office administration.
She brings nearly 20 years’ of experience in client service and office management to the OneVentures team, and provides essential support for both the investment and operations teams.
| SC 2001, Business Administration Certificate V 2002
Board of Directors
Walter Lewin
Chairman, Board of Directors
Mr Lewin is Chair of the Board and Investment Committee for OneVentures Pty Ltd. He is a member of the Advisory Board of VGI Partners, a leading global investment firm based in Sydney and New York. Mr Lewin was a founding shareholding and Chair of the Advisory Board of OneVue (ASX: OVH) and was a founding shareholder and Executive Director of Reverse Corp (ASX: REF). Previously, he was a Managing Director of Ord Minnett and member of its Group Management Committee, a Principal of Elysium Capital Partners in London, a Managing Director (Equities) for Merrill Lynch in London after holding several positions in the Equities and Investment Banking divisions of SBC (now UBS) in London and SBC Dominguez Barry (now UBS) in Sydney.
Mr Lewin received a Bachelor of Commerce (First Class Honours) and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from University of Queensland. He was a visiting lecturer in business finance at the Queensland Institute of Technology. He received the Baillieu Research award in 1989.
Peter Gammell
Director
Peter Gammell is currently the Executive Chairman of Invictus Advisory Pty Ltd and Non-Executive Chairman of Octet Finance Pty Ltd. Prior to this role he was Chief Executive Officer of Seven Group Holdings and Deputy Chairman of Australian Capital Equity Pty Ltd (ACE), the Western Australian based holding company associated with Mr. Kerry Stokes. He was the Managing Director of ACE for 21 years which is now one of Australia’s largest private companies.
He has served as a Director of Seven Network Ltd, RM Williams Ltd, National Hire Ltd, Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd and was the Chairman of Coates Hire. He led the creation of the Seven Media Group, a joint venture between Seven Network Limited and the private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. in 2006. In June 2010 Mr Gammell was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Seven Group Holdings Limited, a public company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange which was formed as a result of the merger of Seven Network Limited and WesTrac Holdings Pty Ltd.
He currently serves as a Director of Seven West Media Limited (formed in 2011 by the merger of West Australian Newspapers Holdings with Seven Media Group), is a Director of Thinksmart Ltd, a UK based consumer finance company which is listed on AIM in London, and in January 2018, joined the Board of Directors of OneVentures Pty Ltd.
During Peter’s career he has been instrumental in acquiring and building multi-billion dollar enterprises with in excess of $10 billion of mergers and acquisitions.
Mr Gammell is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Edinburgh.
Roger Massy-Greene
Director
Roger is a director of OneVentures Pty Ltd, a technology venture capital firm, and is the principal shareholder and director of Eureka Capital Partners, a private investment concern. He is also a director of Illawarra Coke Company, an industrial land development concern.
Mr Massy-Greene previously served as the Chair of Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy, having been appointed by the NSW government in 2012 to oversee reform of the NSW electricity distribution sector.
He previously co-founded the ASX 200 company Excel Coal Limited and its predecessor Resource Finance Corporation Ltd, and served as Chair of Excel Coal until its acquisition by Peabody Energy in 2006.
Mr Massy-Greene serves as Chair of Eureka Benevolent Foundation, a family foundation focused on overcoming socio-economic disadvantage. He is the President of Cranbrook School and a director of The Hunger Project in the USA and Australia.
Dr Michelle Deaker
Founding & Managing Partner
| Location: Sydney, AU
Michelle is a Founding Partner and the Managing Partner at OneVentures. She serves on the investment committees of OneVentures funds and has led the capital raising activities for the firm. Her focus today is in the technology growth practice, though she has also worked extensively across both healthcare and technology investments.
With over 25 years of experience building and investing in high-growth technology companies in Australia and the US, she has a proven track record in global business expansion and Australian R&D. Michelle has led or co-led and been a Director of key investments in companies such as Employment Hero ($2B valuation, 13x ROI, Returned 1.5x Fund II), Phocas (10x EV growth), Smart Sparrow (acq. Pearson Learning), My Mobile Data (acq. ASX: AYS); Hatchtech (Lic. to NYSE: RDY) and unicorn Vaxxas. She chaired the board of Employment Hero until December 2023 and continues to serve on its board, as well as the boards of Phocas and Buildkite.
A current member of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s Payment Systems Board, Michelle is also a former board member of Australia’s National ICT Centre of Excellence (NICTA, now Data61), Seven West Media (ASX: SWM) and served on the NSW Government’s Digital Economy Taskforce.
In the lead up to founding OneVentures, Michelle worked for a leading family office on their alternative investments, served as an entrepreneur in residence at Southern Cross Venture Partners and was an angel investor. Prior to her investment career, Michelle was a business entrepreneur and founder, including one of Australia’s first fintech companies, E Com Industries (www.giftvouchers.com) (acq. LSE: ReD, 4.6x, 70% IRR), IT services business, Networks Beyond 2000 and a tertiary tutoring business.
Michelle is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Chief Executive Women (CEW). She was a founding advisory board member of Head Over Heels (now Apropela), supporting women entrepreneurs, and served on the advisory board of the Indigenous fund Ochre Ventures.
In addition to these roles, she lectures in the Australian Investment Council’s Foundations of Private Capital Venture Capital Course and is a Co-Founder of WinVC, a non-profit women-led initiative supporting the career trajectory of women investors in venture capital.
Michelle holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours), a Master of Science and a PhD in Applied Science.
| BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD
Portfolio Board Roles
In the news
13 February 2024
This VC firm has hit a landmark – and it’s payout time
News, The Australian Financial Review
12 December 2023
How a Sydney VC made 13 times its money on one start-up investment
News, The Australian Financial Review
31 August 2021
OneVentures takes VC industry lead on ESG investment and oversight
Announcement, Media Release
25 July 2021
Tech sector demands a plan to escape lockdown crisis
News, The Australian Financial Review
25 July 2021
Forget unicorns, OneVentures has a start-up dragon
News, The Australian Financial Review
04 July 2021
Hivery scores debt from OneVentures in 10th credit deal
News, The Australian Financial Review
02 March 2021
HR tech firm raises $45m amid remote working boom
News, The Australian Financial Review
22 February 2021
Cash Seek-er: Employment Hero seals funding round
News, The Australian Financial Review
16 February 2021
Newcastle-based software start-up Coassemble raises $1.5m
News, The Australian Financial Review
Dr Paul Kelly
Founding Partner & Director
| Healthcare
| Location: Sydney, AU
Paul is a Founding Partner of OneVentures, leading the Healthcare and Biotechnology practice. He serves as Fund Lead and Chair of the Investment Committee for Healthcare Fund III and is a voting member of the Investment Committees for Funds I, II, III and V.
With over 30 years of experience in biomedical innovation, Paul provides strategic guidance to portfolio companies. He is Chair of Vaxxas and a Non-Executive Director for BiVACOR and Prota Therapeutics. Previously, he served on the boards of Hatchtech (Chair, licensed to NYSE: DRL), CharmHealth (acquired by ASX: CGL), Clinical Genomics (Enterix acquired by 3TM), Blade and Find Me.
As co-founder of Gemini Genomics (Nasdaq: GMNI), he led one of the UK’s largest biotech IPOs (US$250M valuation) before its merger with Sequenom (Nasdaq: SQNM). Earlier in his career, he co-founded Agamatrix, a bio-sensing medical device company operating in the US and Southeast Asia as well as Atomera (Nasdaq: ATMR). As CEO of Orchid Cellmark (Nasdaq: ORCH), he drove a tenfold valuation increase and significant revenue growth.
Paul began his career as a researcher and endocrinologist at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney before transitioning into biotechnology. In the US, he held executive roles in leading biotech and medical companies driving the growth of several industry leaders.
He has authored over 100 publications in leading journals and is a Non-Executive Director at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, a member of the UNSW Medicine Dean’s Advisory Group and serves on the Advisory Board of the Australian Government’s Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) program.
Paul holds medical degrees from UNSW and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
| MBBS(Hons), MD, FRACP
Portfolio Board Roles
In the news
29 November 2023
US FDA Grants the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart IDE Approval for First-in-Human Early Feasibility Study
Media Release
18 June 2023
Vaxxas opens world-class manufacturing facility to produce needle-free vaccine patch
News, Announcement
07 October 2021
Blade Therapeutics Announces Publication of Preclinical Evidence Supporting Neuroprotective Effects of Proprietary Calpain Inhibitor
Media Release
02 June 2021
Vaxxas Preclinical Studies Reveal Potential of Vaxxas’ HD-MAP to Effectively Deliver SARS-CoV-2 Spike Vaccine
News, Media Release
Anne-Marie Birkill
Co-Founder, Venture Partner & Director
| Location: Brisbane, AU
Anne-Marie is a Co-Founder of OneVentures and serves as a Director on the OneVentures Board, Responsible Manager and member of the Risk Committee. She is a voting member of the Investment Committees for Funds I, II and III.
She is a Director for OneVentures portfolio company Madorra and previously chaired the CharmHealth board, leading its acquisition by the Citadel Group in 2017 (ASX: CGL).
With 25 years in product development and commercialisation and 15 years in funds management, Anne-Marie has held significant leadership roles, including CEO of i.lab Incubator and General Manager Operations at UniQuest. She is deeply engaged with industry, universities and government, fostering scientific innovation and commercial success.
A champion for diversity, she co-founded Women in Biotechnology (which later merged into Women in Technology), served on the board of Springboard Enterprises and mentors entrepreneurs, scientists and emerging leaders in venture capital.
Anne-Marie is a Director for InterFinancial, ASX-listed PPK Group (ASX: PPK) and UniQuest. She chairs the Project Investment Committee and is a member of the Industry Steering Committee for the University of Queensland-led Trailblazer Food and Beverage Accelerator.
Holding a Bachelor of Science (Hons), an MBA and PS146 accreditation, she is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD), a Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP) and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE).
| BSc(Hons), MBA, GAICD
Portfolio Board Roles
In the news
06 November 2019
iStaySafe Acquires Find-Me Technologies, Strengthens position in the IoT Industry
Media Release
16 September 2018
VC-backed women’s health company Madorra to begin clinical trials in Australia
Media Release
13 August 2018
OneVentures invests in regional Queensland company developing treatments for autoimmune diseases
Media Release
Nick Gainsley
Partner & Director
| Growth Credit
| Location: Sydney, AU
| BSc(Hons), AMCT
Portfolio Board Roles
In the news
19 September 2022
Venture Credit in Australia — Our first report alongside the Tech Council of Australia
Blog Post
18 November 2021
E-bike subscription service Zoomo raises $60M Series B to disrupt last-mile delivery
News
20 September 2021
Selling a company as easy as posting an eBay listing
News, The Australian Financial Review