Something Real Ventures

Overview

Established in 2023, Something Real Ventures is an angel investment firm based in Melbourne, Australia, dedicated to supporting and funding early-stage cybersecurity companies across Australia and New Zealand. The firm emerged from the experience of its co-founders, Kirstin McIntosh and Scott Handsaker, who previously led CyRise, Australia's only dedicated cybersecurity venture accelerator. During their tenure at CyRise, they oversaw 39 investments in cybersecurity startups, achieving a commendable 3.2x return on paper and an internal rate of return (IRR) exceeding 50% at the time of their departure. The firm's core mission is to address a critical funding gap in the ANZ cybersecurity market, where innovative solutions often struggle to secure investment due to a lack of specialized expertise among traditional venture capitalists. Something Real Ventures leverages its deep domain knowledge, extensive networks, and hands-on experience to identify and invest in ambitious founders who are building generational companies in the cybersecurity space. They exclusively back B2B (business-to-business) ventures, occasionally considering B2B2B or B2G in exceptional circumstances, and prioritize founding teams with cyber-specific Go-To-Market expertise and strong technical skills. Beyond capital, Something Real Ventures cultivates a vibrant and supportive community for cybersecurity founders. This includes a private Slack channel, regular networking dinners and drinks, and direct access to customer and investor connections. This community-first approach aims to ease the challenging startup journey by fostering collaboration and shared learning. The firm’s investment model involves a lead investment of $5,000 in every deal presented, with syndicate members contributing a minimum of $2,000 to $5,000, ensuring alignment and shared commitment.

Investment Focus

• B2B ventures
• Cyber-specific Go-To-Market expertise
• Strong technical skills