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Letters · Imported (legacy) · January 2026

Founders Corner: Hard Won Lessons from Building in 2025

Throughout 2025, our now beloved Founders Corner newsletter section featured candid conversations with our founders navigating the evolving landscape of AI, startups, and building meaningful companies. ‍From managing teams through crisis to understanding the hidden costs of founder life, these three

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Founders Corner: Hard Won Lessons from Building in 2025

Throughout 2025, our now beloved Founders Corner newsletter section featured candid conversations with our founders navigating the evolving landscape of AI, startups, and building meaningful companies. ‍From managing teams through crisis to understanding the hidden costs of founder life, these three

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Announcing Our Investment in Bugster

We are excited to announce our $250,000 pre-seed investment in Bugster, who are building AI Powered End-to-End Testing & QA Automation for Enterprise. Bugster saw early on that the QA (Quality Assurance)needs of large scale enterprises and SMB's would be in need of agile and robust solutions to help

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The New Industrial Revolution Emerges: Year in Review and What's Next in 2026

The AI World in 20252025 ushered in the new industrial revolution—VC money everywhere, semiconductors treated like oil, and every government scrambling to regulate (or exploit) the AI build-out boom. The U.S. doubled down on “American Dynamism,” pouring billions into domestic chipmaking while Austra

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Announcing our Investment in Isaacus

We're excited to announce our $250,000 pre-seed investment in Isaacus, co-leading their $700k round alongside Aura Ventures.The Legal Industry is in a phase of growing adoption and transformation due to AI. Isaacus saw the need to go deeper to build a model trained against a true corpus, the BlackSt

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A VC's Guide for Family Offices Investing in Venture Capital

Family offices are the quiet backbone of Australian venture. Here's how to allocate to VC — what to look for, what to avoid, and the honest questions we wish every LP asked before signing.

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James Alexander

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$37m for AI Agents, Google Zero: Search Apocalypse, and Australia’s AI Opportunity

In this episode, we dive into Relevance AI’s record breaking $37M Series B for AI agents, explore “Google Zero” when AI-search replaces traditional SEO, unpack the New York Times vs. OpenAI copyright clash, and discuss Canva’s latest acquisition. 00:00 : Intro & Welcome01:00 : Australia’s largest AI

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AI Dev Tools Will Lead The Way – Our Investment in Gumnut 🦩

We're excited to announce our $240,000 seed investment in Gumnut.Gumnut is co-founded by product owner Owen Brasier and technical lead Sam Thorogood. This B2B DevTools startup is ready to transform how we collaborate on web apps, driven by a profound belief that the web, in its current state, is fun

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Relevance AI Raises A$37m to Build the AI Workforce of The Future

“To apply oneself to great inventions, starting from the smallest beginnings, is no task for ordinary minds” - Galileo GalileiAt Galileo Ventures we understand “different”. We revere intellectual rigour to find answers and we get hustle. The RelevanceAI journey – who recently announced their A$37m S

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The Future of AI Games and Generative RPGs with Jack Wakem of Tempest AI

In this episode 207 we chat with Jack Wakem, founder of Tempest AI.Jack shares his journey from growing up on a cattle farm to creating Tempest AI, a no-code game engine for narrative-based RPGs. We discuss the challenges in game development, insights from the GDC 2025 conference, and the future of

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Australia's AI Moment: Build, Lead, or Fall Behind

We are witnessing the dawn of a new computing revolution 66 years after the invention of the silicon chip. This time it's an intelligence revolution that goes beyond hardware. For the first time, we can talk to computers and get them to complete tasks and adapt to any industry, application, or probl

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James Alexander

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Vibe Coding, AI Voice Agents, and Our SF Expansion (EP206)

Live from San Francisco and Australia, James and Hugh are joined by our new co-host Julia to dive into Galileo Ventures' latest news, including our expansion to San Francisco. They explore the emerging 'vibe coding' trend, discuss the future and challenges of AI-driven coding, and share their though

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Galileo Expands to San Francisco to Better Support Emerging Founders

We're thrilled to announce that Galileo Ventures has opened an office in San Francisco, becoming the first Australian pre-seed investor to expand.‍ “With a more than half of our portfolio already global and with follow-on funding from the likes of A16Z, Peak XV, and Insight Partners, we just felt th

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Introducing our new Head of Platform - Julia French

Meet Julia French: founder whisperer, Silicon Valley and unicorn veteran (WhatsApp, Dropbox, Atlassian), and our new Partner, Head of Platform ready to supercharge our founders journey.Galileo’s portfolio, with over half being international, we knew we needed someone with international experience, s

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James Alexander

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Tempest AI - Create the Impossible, Play the Unimaginable

We're excited to announce our $240,000 seed investment in Tempest AI.The gaming industry is on the brink of transformation, and Tempest AI is a clear market leader. As an AI-driven role-playing game (RPG) engine, Tempest AI empowers players to create, play, and share immersive, dynamic game experien

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State of M&A in Australia Interview (EP205)

Kicking off 2025 of the Galileo Ventures Podcast, we welcome back experts Toby and Claire from Herbert Smith Freehills discuss Australia's latest M&A reforms, their impact on startups, and advice for founders. In our bonus EP205 we delve into competition approvals, market trends and common pitfalls

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Galileo Tech Retro 2024: Glow-ups, Eye rolls and Lols

Join James and Hugh live from Melbourne as they wrap up 2024 in this special Christmas edition of the Galileo podcast. They review the biggest headlines, startups, and memes in tech from 2024, and make bold predictions for 2025. Galileo Ventures Season 2 Podcast is proudly sponsored by Herbert Smith

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Hello SyncTech - Taking Insurance Claims from Months to Minutes

We're excited to announce our $250k seed investment in Sync Technologies, a pioneering Australian startup changing how insurance claims are assessed and processed using digital twin technology.We first met Carolina Dreifuss at an event earlier this year and were instantly struck by her sector knowle

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The Galileo Tech Retro 2024

Welcome to our special Christmas edition of the Galileo Podcast, with hosts myself (James) and Hugh broadcasting live from Melbourne. As we wrap up the year, join us for our final episode of 2024, where we reflect on the highs and lows in the tech sector and look forward to what's in store for the c

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James Alexander

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Building AI Communities: Annie Liao’s Journey From Data Scientist to Founding BuildClub EP203

In this episode, we sit down with Annie Liao, founder of BuildClub. We explore her journey from a data scientist to launching BuildClub, a global community of AI builders, to raising their pre-seed round in 2024. Annie shares insights on raising, the evolution of her community-driven AI platform, he

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US Election Impact on Tech (EP202)

In this special episode EP202 of the Galileo Ventures podcast, James and Hugh welcome Julia French, a tech veteran with experience in both Silicon Valley and Australia, to discuss the implications of another Trump presidency on the tech sectors in the US and Australia. They delve into election resul

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Startup Fundraising Top Tips and Advice in 2024 and Fake AI Friends: The End of the Internet?

In the kickoff of Season 2, James and Hugh discuss the latest in seed funding data and the fundraising climate in Australia compared to the U.S. We examine the controversial decision of a founder spending $1.8 million on a domain name and explore the implications of AI companions on social interacti

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EP11: Tech Bubble or Boom? AI Wearables, Robots and the Gender Funding Gap

Last episode of season 1 😅 The Pod for early-stage founders and investors. Presented two investors and operators, James Alexander & Hugh Stephens, Co-founders and Partners at Galileo Ventures – a leading seed VC in Australia. In this episode we cover: AI Wearables and Robots Special Segment: The la

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EP10: Latest AI announcements, Canva in LA, $1b Quantum investment, Relevance AI office opening

The latest news and views on global tech for early-stage founders and investors. Presented two investors and operators, James Alexander & Hugh Stephens, Co-founders and Partners at Galileo Ventures – a leading seed VC in Australia. In this episode we cover: ‘AI Model Month’ - Special coverage on the

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Hello TrueState - Empowering businesses to deploy AI fast

‍We're excited to back an exceptional emerging founder, Will Ashford and the team at TrueState, who are enabling fast AI adoption for businesses with their new platform.TrueState, a Sydney-based startup, has burst onto the scene with a mission to make high-impact AI applications accessible to busine

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CTO Insights: Highlights from Polaris Leadership Course

In April of 2024, I facilitated the first cohort of Polaris, a short course on engineering leadership for Galileo Ventures.The course is complementary to Galileo's seed VC fund—some of our first cohort are part of Galileo's portfolio, but not all. We believe the upskilling of senior technical leader

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Interview: Creating AI employees and why multi-agent teams are the future with Daniel Vassilev, Co-founder of Relevance AI

In our first interview series we speak with Daniel Vassilev, Co-founder of Relevance AI. Relevance AI is a leading platform to enable businesses to easily deploy and train an AI Workforce utilising a multi-agent architecture. The platform enables businesses to accomplish complex tasks on autopilot a

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EP09: $1B to Train AI, Canva’s $1.6B Secondary, Australia's New Tech Unicorn, X’s Decline

The latest news and views on global tech for early-stage founders and investors. Presented two investors and operators, James Alexander & Hugh Stephens, Co-founders and Partners at Galileo Ventures – a leading seed VC in Australia. In this episode we cover: Australia’s newest tech unicorn Canva’s US

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Tackling Sales Bottlenecks To Close Early First Customers

As part of Galileo support, we give founders access to subject matter experts with experience to support founders get through the roadblocks early-stage companies face.We recently invited leading sales expert and Galileo coach Austin Nichols to discuss tackling sales bottlenecks to close customers.

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A Founder's Guide To Securing Galileo Funding

At Galileo, our mission is to back exceptional emerging founders as they navigate the challenges of early-stage startup life – everything from building a world-class team, and shipping new technology to helping change customer behavior. As an operator-led VC firm, we align our investment approach wi

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EP08: NVIDIA's 256% Growth, Superfunds vs Startups, Roast My Deck!

The latest news and views on global tech for early-stage founders and investors. Presented two investors and operators, James Alexander & Hugh Stephens, Co-founders and Partners at Galileo Ventures – a leading seed VC in Australia. In this episode we cover: Support ChatBots vs AirCanada Customers NV

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EP07: Open Source AI vs ChatGPT, What VCs Like in 2024, What Makes a Great CTO?

The latest news and views on global tech for early-stage founders and investors. Presented two investors and operators, James Alexander & Hugh Stephens, Co-founders and Partners at Galileo Ventures – a leading seed VC in Australia. In this episode we cover: HuggingChat vs ChatGPT and Open Source AI

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Introducing Polaris: Engineering Leadership Short Course

We’re excited to announce our first 4-week course for talented software engineers that want to level up their leadership skills and career.Polaris bridges the gap from code to C-Suite, equipping small groups of engineers with essential skills for hiring, managing, and leading teams in the fast-paced

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EP06 Xmas Special: $15M for AI Agents, ChatGPT Cocktails, Roast My Deck!, Predictions in 2024

The Christmas Special episode 🎄 for the round up on 2023 and predictions for 2024 in tech for early-stage founders and investors. Presented by pre-seed VC Galileo Ventures co-founders and Partners, James & Hugh. In this episode we cover: AI Agents and Relevance AI’s $15m Series A Taste test ChatGPT

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Backing Relevance AI in their $15M Series A round

We are proud to announce Galileo’s continued support backing Relevance AI in their US$10M (AUD $15M) Series A round led by King River Capital alongside Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia India & SEA), and Insight Partners. Read the announcement in The Sydney Morning Herald or visit their website to

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Galileo 2023 Roundup and Advice

In 2023, the tech world experienced a dynamic mix of groundbreaking AI advancements and formidable fundraising challenges, marking a year of significant innovation and venture capital recalibration.It was another wild and exciting ride in tech. At Galileo, we have continued investing in exceptional

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Hello Andromeda - Companion robots for future friendships

We are thrilled to back Grace Brown from Andromeda, the brainchild behind Abi - Humanoid robotAndromeda Robotics is a robotics startup on a mission to tackle loneliness and forge new friendships with AI human-robot Abi. In a groundbreaking move towards redefining the future of social robotics, Andro

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The Future of Software with AI Agents

Introduction Facing a cancelled Sydney to Melbourne flight—one of the world's busiest routes—I was saved by my assistant. Awoken at 5 am, my assistant swiftly rebooked me, rescheduled my meetings, informed all parties, and even prepared a summary with key readings for my journey, all before I got ou

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James Alexander

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EP05: GPTs, Startup valuations, AI pitch decks

The latest news and views on global tech for (very) early-stage founders and investors. Presented by pre-seed VC Galileo Ventures co-founders and Partners, James & Hugh. In this episode we cover: What can founders learn from SBF and FTX? What does Open AI GPTs announcement mean for startups? How to

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EP04: Global VC market, Jupiter program & Seed pitch deck review

The latest news and unfiltered views on global tech for early-stage founders and investors – from the perspective of 2 seed VCs. Presented by Galileo Ventures co-founders and Partners, James & Hugh. In this episode we cover: Taking the pulse on UK and USA tech sectors Merger Town: Me&U and Mr Yum Ga

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Introducing: The Jupiter Program 💫

‍Announcing Galileo’s Jupiter Program: a program for all women from Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) backgrounds who aspire to lead early-stage tech startups as founders, builders or operators.STEM women have a legacy of pioneering discoveries, from 🧐 Marie Curie, Ada Lovelace, and

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EP03: Sam Altman, Vision Pro, VC Funding & Roast my Deck

Welcome to the 3rd episode of the Galileo VC Podcast! Galileo co-founders and Partners, Hugh Stephens and James Alexander, chat about the latest news and trends in global and local tech that matters for early-stage founders: In this episode we cover Sam Altman world tour (Melbourne) Apple's latest h

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Revolutionising the way we fly

It’s hard to believe that there was once a time when in-flight entertainment, free wifi, and free booze were just a figment of someone’s imagination. Shocking. Today, in some parts of the world, we can spend $20 (strategically) and arrive in another country, with another language, legal system, and

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Galileo Annual Founder Conference 2023 - Gold Coast

The Galileo Ventures Founder Conference is not your average conference. It’s an annual gathering that brings together the Galileo portfolio for vibrant collaboration, learning, and, of course, having a blast. This year, for our third Founder Conference, we landed at Broadbeach on the Gold CoastAs Ri

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'Roast My Deck!', GPT4, AGI, Lab Grown Meat and Startup Funding News

GPT4, AGI, Roast My Deck, Mammoth Meatballs and Startup Funding News Welcome to the 2nd episode of the Galileo VC Podcast! This is a video enabled podcast. You can also watch on Spotify or check it out on YouTube here. Galileo Ventures co-founders and Partners, Hugh Stephens and James Alexander, cha

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Seed Investing in AI, GPT3, Top VCs in Australia and Pitch Deck Tips

Welcome to the first ever Galileo VC Podcast! Galileo Ventures co-founders and Partners, Hugh Stephens and James Alexander, chat about the latest market trends covering our views on: AI/Large Language Models, BingGPT, Online fast fashion and $30B in GMV, Top VCs in Australia (as voted by founders) a

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We're hiring: Galileo Technology Writer (Freelance)

Calling all freelance writer(s) who have a passion for technology, startups, and exceptional writing skills!So far at Galileo, we’ve been heads down, focused on generating outcomes worth writing about. We’re finally ready to start telling some of the stories and as such, we’re on the lookout for fre

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Hello Kite Magnetics- The next-gen electric motor

We’re excited to announce our investment in Kite Magnetics - Enabling electric aircraft to fly further, carry more and emit less.Founded by first-time founder Dr. Richard Parson Kite Magnetics is developing a new generation of smaller, lighter, and more efficient electric motors specifically for ele

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Hello Steppen – The #1 Gen Z Fitness App

We’re excited to announce our investment in Steppen - The #1 fitness app for Gen ZsFounded by first-time founders Cara Davies, Jake Carp, and seasoned CTO Dave Slutzkin, Steppen is a GenZ fitness app enabling healthy exercising habits for the next generation. Since launching in June 2021, the Steppe

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Year in Review 2022

2022 has been yet another wild ride for Galileo Ventures and the tech industry.Globally, just as the pandemic mostly ‘ended’ and borders reopened (thankfully), public markets nose dived and the frothy tech valuations of 2021 hit reality. VC’s pulled back and growth funding dried up, marking the begi

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James Alexander

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What Does an Exceptional Early-Stage Company Look Like to us?

After sitting in back-to-back pitch calls and countless deck reviews, we’ve refined what excites us as a firm and what a business might look like in the first investment round – we want to back and invest in only ‘exceptional emerging founders’ building ‘exceptional businesses’.Caveat: This is throu

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