The VC Land Podcast connects you with some of the leading players in Australia’s growing venture capital (VC) market.

Hosted by news media and PR veteran, CEO of Mojo Media, Justin Kelly, we chat to leading VCs on how to get started, what it takes to build a successful business, how to overcome challenges, and advice for early stage businesses looking for funding.

In this episode, Justin speaks with technology industry veteran and VC guru Daniel Petre AO, founder of one of Australia’s most successful venture capital firms, Airtree Ventures. AirTree is a venture capital firm that invests in Australia and New Zealand’s most ambitious technology entrepreneurs that are changing the world as we know it.

Airtree has invested in companies such as Canva, Expert360, Brighte, Inventia, Archistar, HotDoc and many more. When Daniel Petre speaks, people listen……

Daniel has been a leading player in Australia’s software industry for more than 30 years, both as a founder of three successful venture firms and as a senior executive in operational roles in Australia and the US.

Daniel’s roles have included chairman of Netus, founding chairman of Ecorp (a venture capital fund), director on the PBL board and time with Microsoft Corporation, where he served as vice president of the Workgroup Division, director of Advanced Technology and director of the Asia Pacific Region.

Daniel is on the board of OneView Limited (Advisory Board), Sydney Theatre Company, Innovation Science Australia, UNSW Business School (Advisory Board) and the UNSW Centre for Social Impact Sydney Advisory Council. He is also an Adjunct Professor of the University of NSW and University of Sydney.

Daniel has a Doctorate in Business (Honoris Causa), a Bachelor of Science from the University of New South Wales and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Sydney. He also holds a Graduate Diploma in Counselling, and is a published author. He was made an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO), for distinguished service to Australia and is an author of four books.

In this episode, Daniel talks through the origins of Airtree; how his fund identifies opportunities; the ideal characteristics of a good founding team; how COVID-19 has changed the investing landscape; some of his famous hits and misses and the best way startup founders should approach VC firms.

Click below to tune in.