Blackbird Ventures has become Australia’s biggest venture capital firms in little over a decade since its founding in 2012 by Niki Scevak and Rick Baker.

The firm was early in Canva, Safety Culture, and Culture Amp - investments that have helped the fund go on to deliver $10BN in returns, record a net IRR of 56%, and become one of the best-performing firms in the world.

Blackbird invests in every type of technology at every stage. As the firm’s website proudly states, “we invest in companies, not rounds…we’ll back you from idea to decades after your idea has become a publicly listed corporation”.

Being early to big names in what was then Australia’s fledgling startup ecosystem has helped the firm build its reputation and track record, but so has its content and events.

This is evident by the firm hitting the top 10 in our VC website rankings, generating 87,500 visits in September 23. 

Let’s take a closer look at how Blackbird has been using content to build upon the strong foundations it has laid and become a venture capital firm synonymous with the Australian startup ecosystem. 

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Website

To put it simply, Blackbird’s website is cool af.

It has all the design and UI ethos you’d expect of a firm backing companies like Canva.

This is no doubt done on purpose, and helps instill a sense of confidence in would-be portfolio founders, that Blackbird is a progressive firm that gets technology and startups, is fun, and would make an ideal partner. 

The website sits in stark contrast to some VC websites that come across more like private equity firms run by Gordon Gecko types and feel like they were built on Geocities in the 90s. 

Articles

Blackbird publishes articles that run the gamut from investment notes, to firm news, and numerous company-building insights. 

These insights, from founders for founders, cover topics such as leadership, product, people & culture, and marketing & sales. 

The firm has published hundreds of articles and appears to actively encourage its team to get their hands dirty, with contributions firm-wide contributions from associates all the way up to partners. 

As the adage goes, clear writing is a sign of clear thinking. By encouraging its team to write, also sharpens how the team thinks about startups, technology investing, and the world at large.

Podcast

Launched during the early days of the pandemic in April of 2020, Blackbird’s Wild Heart’s features conversations with portfolio company founders and operators.

The show has gained favor with builders in Australia and New Zealand, most recently hitting the Apple Podcasts top 20 chart (entrepreneurship category in Australia) a week from penning this article. 

Video

Blackbird has published over 160 videos to its YouTube channel, also hosted on its website. 

These videos cover mostly talks from the firm’s flagship conference, Sunrise, as well as insights for founders as part of its Giants Weekly series (an offshoot of the firm's Giants 1:1 mentoring program).

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Newsletter

Blackbird sends out a monthly newsletter with updates on portfolio companies, firm news, company spotlights, some insights for founders, job opportunities, and any new Wild Hearts podcast episodes.

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Social Media

The firm is reasonably active on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) where it boasts over 16,000 followers and shares its latest content and updates, as well as on LinkedIn where it boasts a solid 50,000 followers.

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Job Board

Lilypad, Blackbird’s jobs board, is where great talent - especially from Australia and New Zealand - go to find a dream job in startup. 

As the firm’s website states, “whether you are a grad in computer science, a salesperson, marketer, accountant or just a gun operator we could have the opportunity for you. So far, talented humans have landed epic roles with Canva, SafetyCulture, Gilmour, Oscer, Carted, See-Mode and Edrolo!”

Lilypid, lead by Giles Russell, helps its portfolio companies find the people they need to succeed, but also drives traffic to Blackbird’s website, improves SEO, and continues to build its brand awareness in the local startup ecosystem.

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Events

Last, but not least, Sunrise - Blackbird’s annual conference brings together founders and industry heads from across Australia and New Zealand. 

It has arguably become Australia’s premier startup festival, drawing over 1,000 people to its fireside chats.  Previous speakers include the likes of Melanie Perkins (Canva), Ben Sze (Edrolo) Cassie Bell (Butter Insurance) and the firm's own Samantha Wong.

Sunrise features talks from the biggest names in the business, workshops, and immersive technology sessions. 

Check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNmPFaghe9U&t=9s 

Final Thoughts

Blackbird’s content and events is a perfect embodiment of its core value of founders helping founders, and it has helped it take the Australian ecosystem from a virtual nothingburger in 2010 to a serious contender on the global tech stage. 

In the years since Blackbird launched its Fund I in 2013, it has raised three more funds. Its Fund IV is worth $1B AUD and is a testament to its track record, reputation and growing confidence in the Australian startup ecosystem amongst investors. 

In the decade since its founding, Australia has minted numerous unicorns, including Atlassian, Zip Co, Afterpay, Airwallex, Culture Amp, Safety Culture, LinkTree, ImmutableX, GO1, Scalapay, and the aforementioned Canva. 

Listen to my conversation with Blackbird co-founder Niki Scevak on the Venture Backed podcast below.