
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
Other Ventures
Michelle’s previous board appointments include NICTA (now CSIRO’s Data61) and Seven West Media (ASX: SWM) along with OneVentures portfolio companies Smart Sparrow (Chair, acquired by Pearson), Hatchtech (Alt, Asset sale Dr Reddys (Nasdaq: DRL)), Vaxxas (Obs) and My Mobile Data / Sourse.AI.
Notable portfolio exits include part-sale of Employment Hero at 10x money. She has also served in advisory board roles with NSW Government’s Taskforce for the Digital Economy, Heads over Heels (supporting women entrepreneurs) and Australian Investment Council Venture Capital Working Group. She regularly provides lectures and working groups to finance and MBA students on venture capital including for the AIC, mentors new VC fund managers with a focus on female-led organisations and is a founding member of WinVC (Women-in-VC).