Evergreen private investment firm Manifex has announced the
opening of its second round of investment funding to help start-ups
commercialise their hi-tech products.
Funding will be available to support companies that have
developed technology in the advanced materials and advanced manufacturing
sectors.
Manifex was established in early 2014 and to date has been
working with companies being incubated and assisted by VCAMM, the Victorian
Centre for Advanced Materials Manufacturing. VCAMM incubates companies and
their technologies from very early conception through to investable businesses.
Manifex managing director, Iain Ralph (pictured), said its first round
of investment is proving very successful and its Asian and local investors were
now looking at more opportunities and ventures in which to invest.
“As an evergreen fund we have the ability to raise capital
as required to support the needs of our growing portfolio of firms to
facilitate the commercialisation of their technology and assist in the ongoing
growth of the business,” he said.
At the announcement of the new round of funding, Iain Ralph
and Brad Dunstan, CEO of VCAMM, indicated that further investment capital will
be made available to VCAMM incubated companies.
Manifex is co-located with Scoresby-based VCAMM, which had
provided critical assistance over a number of years to companies that received
capital injections as part of Manifex’s first round of funding.
Two of these were Cytomatrix in Geelong and Circa Group in
Coburg, which have developed world first technology in their respective fields
and now benefit from Manifex’s ongoing support.
Manifex’s interest is often in establishing an early
relationship with a company that’s working with VCAMM, making it easy to “pass
the baton” (between VCAMM and Manifex) for ongoing commercial investment at an
appropriate stage of commercialisation.
“Australia has some great minds and great opportunities for
advanced manufacturing,” said Ralph. “Manifex and its investors have a
knowledge and passion for new product businesses and I believe that with the
injection of appropriate early stage investment to qualified ventures,
Australia will realise substantial economic dividends.”