TLDR: Main Sequence VC appoints Elaine Stead as principal
Key points:
- Elaine Stead joins Main Sequence VC as principal, adding another woman to its ranks
- Main Sequence has several women in senior roles at the fund, including Chair Alison Deans and partner Gabrielle Munzer
VC investor Elaine Stead, known for her work with Human VC and Blue Sky Alternative Investments, has joined the CSIRO-backed venture capital fund Main Sequence as principal. Stead brings a wealth of experience in the VC space, having managed the South Australian Venture Capital Fund and co-founded Brisbane fund Tribe Global Ventures. She joins a team at Main Sequence that already boasts several women in senior roles, including Chair Alison Deans and partner Gabrielle Munzer.
Main Sequence recently raised $450 million for its third fund, bringing its total funds under management to over $1 billion. The fund has invested in over 50 startups, including carbon capture agtech Regrow AG, AI-based inertial navigation scaleup Advanced Navigation, and quantum computing pioneer Q-CTRL. The third fund is expected to make around 25 pre-seed and Series B investments, each exceeding $100,000.
Stead, who has been advising government and was most recently director of new venture and entrepreneurship at Australian National University, recently launched a handbook on dealing with sexism and harassment in the tech sector. She also won a defamation case in 2021 against former AFR columnist Joe Aston.
Overall, Stead’s appointment at Main Sequence represents a significant addition to the fund’s leadership team and reinforces its commitment to diversity and innovation in the deep tech space.
