Main Sequence appoints Alison Deans as venture partner

CSIRO-backed tech investment fund Main Sequence has added Alison Deans to the team as a venture partner.

While this is a new role, Deans has been serving as a member of the Main Sequence Investment Committee (IC) since the firm’s founding in 2017 and will continue to serve in this capacity as well.

Deans will work closely with the portfolio to help scale Australian startups, leveraging her experience in leading and building technology companies.

She serves as chair of Cochlear and as a non-executive director of Ramsay Health Care, Deputy and Calix Limited. Deans has also served as the first managing director of eBay Australia and was subsequently the CEO of two technology funds: publicly-listed Ecorp; and then Netus.

With more than 50 deep tech companies in its portfolio, the venture capital firm said Deans’ appointment at Main Sequence comes at a time when many of these companies are scaling globally and will benefit from her extensive operating, team building and strategy experience.

Mike Zimmerman, partner at Main Sequence said, “Deans has been a part of the Main Sequence journey since our earliest days, providing input on investments through her role on the IC and informal guidance and coaching to our founders as they transitioned from concept to commercial reality.

“we’re excited to have her deepen her involvement, becoming an even more integral part of Australia's burgeoning deep tech community.”

As someone who uniquely understands the Australian business and startup ecosystem, Main Sequence said Deans will play a critical role in building deep tech founders of tomorrow, and helping the firm as it continues its mission of solving the world’s biggest challenges by bridging the gap between research and commercialisation.

Earlier this year, Main Sequence hit $1 billion in total fund raising after closing $450 million in its third round.