Mahesh Muralidhar — Email, Phone & Partners

Overview

Phase One Ventures is a New Zealand-focused venture capital firm founded by Mahesh Muralidhar in 2021. The firm operates as an early-stage founder community, a product and growth incubator program, and a venture capital fund, aiming to support and fund startups to grow and succeed. The firm's vision is to make New Zealand an even happier place by nurturing a thriving and vibrant startup ecosystem. The firm provides support to founders by helping them lay the foundations for high-growth companies. This includes assisting in crystallizing a vision, identifying growth engines, achieving product-market fit, and building valuable connections. Phase One Ventures connects experienced operators with the next generation of founders, offering mentorship and resources to help startups scale. Under Muralidhar's leadership, Phase One Ventures has made significant strides in the New Zealand startup ecosystem. The firm has invested in several high-potential technology companies, with a notable achievement being the deployment of its NZ$2.1 million early-stage fund across 14 startups. This fund attracted GD1 as its anchor investor and individuals from companies like Canva and Kami. The portfolio includes companies such as Ivo, NextWork, and Prana Thoracic, with 12 out of 14 companies securing institutional venture capital backing. Muralidhar's commitment to fostering high-growth startups reflects his dedication to enhancing New Zealand's technological landscape. Before founding Phase One Ventures, Muralidhar held senior leadership roles across Asia and Australia, including being an early executive leader at Canva, the COO at Simply Wall St., and a senior executive at Airtasker. He returned to New Zealand in early 2021 with the goal of helping create 10 New Zealand technology unicorns by 2026. In February 2026, he was selected as the National Party's candidate for the Tāmaki electorate in the 2026 General Election, demonstrating his continued commitment to New Zealand's growth and development.

Portfolio Companies

Prana ThoracicIvoNextWork

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Frequently asked questions about Mahesh Muralidhar

What sectors does Mahesh Muralidhar invest in?

Mahesh Muralidhar invests in Financial Services, Technology, Healthcare, Energy, Consumer Goods and Real Estate, and is based in North Island, New Zealand. Mahesh Muralidhar is listed as a angel investor in the ConnectSafely investor database.