Episode 23

From Checkouts to Cutting‑Edge Tech – how Australian venture capital is growing

Purpose of Wealth Podcast

About the episode

What if our biggest planetary problems weren’t just massive risks, but once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunities?

Enter the world of private venture investment, entree to some fascinating partnerships that are providing early stage backing for a new generation of companies poised for transformative growth.

From plastic-munching enzymes to breakthrough deep tech, Gabrielle Munzer, Partner at Main Sequence Ventures, and Simone Rouse, Mutual Trust’s Partner and Head of Portfolio Solutions & Responsible Investment, discuss how science, capital and entrepreneurial ambition are intersecting, with host Narelle Hooper.

Featuring

Narelle Hooper - Host

During more than 25 years as a business and finance journalist and editor Narelle has worked for Australia’s leading media groups including the ABC, Fairfax Media and SBS TV. She’s a former Editor of the Australian Financial Review’s BOSS Magazine and was founding co-chair of the Financial Review’s Women of Influence Awards.

Narelle is also a member of the board of the The Ethics Centre. She has held a number of non executive director roles over the past decade, including with the Tasmanian Development Board, the Documentary Australia Foundation and with women's entrepreneurship accelerator SBE Australia, which runs the Springboard Enterprises program.

Gabrielle Munzer - Partner, Main Sequence

Gabrielle Munzer is a partner at Main Sequence, the venture capital firm co-founded by the CSIRO, where she leads a number of deep technology investments. With a strong focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles, Gabrielle specifically seeks investments in startups with the ambition to have massive impact in the world.

Gabrielle has more than 20 years of financial markets experience, having worked at Challenger in Australia, and Morgan Stanley and ABN AMRO in London. Gabrielle earned her Bachelor of Science in International Securities, Investment and Banking from the University of Reading and received a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD. She has also completed a fellowship program for Leadership in Sustainable Development from LEAD in Europe.

Simone Rouse - Partner, Head of Portfolio Solutions and Responsible Investment

Simone has over 20 years’ experience providing investment solutions for a range of clients around the world, from global institutional investors, High-Net-Worth families and individuals to Not-For-Profits. She is passionate about building trusting, long-lasting relationships with clients and truly understanding their unique needs, expectations and constraints. More recently, Simone’s focus has included Shared Value investing to deliver purpose, profitably and a passion for investments, identifying innovative solutions which address complex global challenges.

What matters most to Simone at Mutual Trust is ensuring her team is able to meet the needs of clients by offering best-in-class investment solutions and effectively communicating insights. For Simone, it is important to look to the future and ensure client portfolios are well positioned for shifting long-term trends.

Prior to joining Mutual Trust in 2017, Simone was Head of Investment Management for UBS Australia, responsible for over $4 billion dollars invested in discretionary investments. In this role, Simone provided tailored portfolio construction and investment implementation solutions for a range of wealth management clients. Prior to UBS, Simone’s focus was with institutional equity clients, as an Equity Research Sales specialist to institutional equity fund managers around the world.

Simone holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Graduate Diploma in Modern Languages

(Japanese) from the University of Melbourne. Simone is also a CFA Charterholder (CFA Institute) and has completed the Foundations of Directorship (AICD).

Outside of Mutual Trust, Simone keeps a healthy balance with an emphasis on family and friends, fitness and enjoying creative activities with her young boys.