This analysis is aimed at giving Australian startup founders the information they need to strategically assess investor's suitability for their business when raising capital.
This analysis complements Startup-Funding.com.au, which is a free community resource that focuses solely on assisting startup founders to strategically search and screen suitable Australian investors and lenders.
Folklore Ventures (Tempus Partners) is an Australian VC that has a diverse and experienced team investing primarily in B2B software but with their third fund currently being raised, they are expanding into deep tech.
As of April 4, 2021, Tempus Partners renamed itself to Folklore Ventures
Folklore Ventures (Tempus Partners) Background
Founding Date: 2013
Offices: Sydney
Cheque Sizes: $500k — $3m
Fund 1: launched in 2015 Fund 2: $35m launched in 2017 Fund 3: currently raising their third fund
Website: folklore.vc/
Management Team Cred: Made up of an experienced team of contemporary founders, operators and investors, including an impressive founder exit and a former employee of 3 US and Australian unicorns. | folklore.vc/team
Stated Tech Focus: Software, Hardware, Deep Tech (AI, Advanced Materials, Drones & Robotics, Quantum Computing, IoT, Photonics & Electronics, Bio)
Stated Sector Focus: Sector agnostic but heavy focus on Health & Medical, Transport & Logistics, Software and other business-related sectors
Stated Business Model Focus: B2B (SME & Enterprise)
Other Thematics: Future of Work, Automation, SaaS, Human Interface Technology, Advanced Research
Stated Stage Focus: Seed (some Series A)
Other Useful Links: Fund Story | Investment Notes | Newsletter
Like this report? Then click ‘follow’ to get future reports
Founding Team Stats
Total Portfolio Founders: 28 across 14 teams
Gender: 29% of founding teams have at least 1 female founder (approx. 22% of founders in Australia are female — article)
Founding Team’s Median Age: ~34 years old (20 youngest/46 oldest)
Founding Team’s Median Domain Experience: ~8 years (3 years lowest/19 years highest)
Previously Founded at Least 1 Businesses by Founding Team: 71% Yes | 29% No
Startup Stats
Total Portfolio Startups: 14
Founders Per Startup: 1 Founder 14% | 2+ Founders 86%
Customer Focus: B2B 93% | B2C 7%
Tech Focus: 93% Software/Internet | 7% Hardware
Years in Operation at First Investment:
Sector Focus: Property & Real-Estate 21% | Health Care 21% | Finance 14% | Education 14%
Other Themes: SaaS, Security, Data, Organisation, Productivity
Portfolio Companies: Adviser Ratings, Ansarada, Aurelius Health, Auror, ExpenseCheck, FeatureFlow, Forever Network, HealthMatch, HappyCo, MentorLoop, Snug, Swoop Aero, Uptick, Wonde
Funding Round Stats
Total Rounds: 24
Initial Investments: 14
Follow-ons: 10
Initial Investments by Stage: 86% Seed | 14% Series A
Other Investment Preferences:- Typically leads investments- Frequently takes a board seat
Wrap-up
The Folklore Ventures (Tempus Partners) management team has diverse experience in founding and operating contemporary technology businesses (including one large exit and 3 global unicorns), as well as investing, which positions them as invaluable for any founding team.
Based on the data, Folklore Ventures (Tempus Partners) likes to back companies early (69% within 2 years of inception) with ambitious founders that often have deep domain experience (72% with 6+ years). B2B software companies (~93%) with 2+ founders (86%) that have started at least 1 startup in the past (72%) will pique their interest.
Having said this, Folklore Ventures (Tempus Partners) has backed more founders with lower domain experience than initially expected.
It is also important to note that Folklore Ventures (Tempus Partners) is currently raising their third fund and they have signaled that their focus will widen from mainly B2B software to now include deep tech.
If you are thinking about reaching out to Folklore Ventures (Tempus Partners) then as always, make sure you are familiar with their current portfolio, the team and where your business fits into the portfolio and fund’s focus (complementary or adjacent).
Folkore Ventures (Tempus Partners) — Analysis was originally published in Aussie Startup Funding on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, tax or investment advice. This content is intended for companies and startups and is not directed towards investors. Readers are advised to consult with a qualified professional before making any business decisions. I make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information provided in this article. Readers use the information provided at their own risk.