Introducing Atmosphere, breathing new life into deep tech startups

Here at Main Sequence, most of our initial investments are in pre-seed and seed stage deep tech startups, so we spend a lot of time thinking about how to help very young businesses thrive. Much like the atmosphere surrounding our planet — which creates the particular conditions that make life possible — we seek to create a set of circumstances for our young companies that support life in complex, ever-changing industries.

That’s why we’re thrilled to launch Atmosphere, our new platform designed to nurture early-stage deep tech startups and help them grow into world-changing businesses. The incomparable Grace Bird is joining us to champion the platform as our Head of Atmosphere. 

Why Atmosphere?‍

Because Australia is on the cusp of something truly remarkable. We’re a nation brimming with scientific talent, ranked in the top 1% globally across 15 fields of research. We have all the makings of a strong launching pad for transformative innovation, and yet there’s still work to do to take our cutting-edge research and transform it into venture scale businesses for maximum impact. 

Building a deep tech company can feel like trying to run through honey. No matter how fast you try to go, the world around you tends to feel viscous, full of friction and opacity. That’s where Atmosphere comes in. We’re offering a whole ecosystem of dedicated support:

First funding:

‍We’re investing up to $500K in Australian companies. Our aim is to provide the crucial initial capital that can catalyse your business into being or help it progress quickly so that you can reach key milestones, laying a solid foundation for future funding.

Tailored mentorship:

‍Each investment will be led by a member of the Main Sequence investment team, who dedicates time and effort to help with your early business building.

Access to networks and expertise:

Positioned at the heart of Australia’s deep tech ecosystem, we can be the ‘connective tissue’ between your startup and valuable introductions to customers, talent and the research ecosystem.

A bridge to future funding:

‍We’re here to help set you up for a successful subsequent funding round, potentially with Main Sequence’s core funds. Our goal is to help you lay strong foundations for long-term success in the competitive world of deep tech financing.

A community for early-stage deep tech founders:

‍We will provide the platform for you to connect and learn from other deep tech companies at a similar stage of growth. We’ll act as a point of connection to the wider Main Sequence portfolio and founders who are one step ahead and can help you see around corners. 

At the most fundamental level, Atmosphere continues Main Sequence’s mission of supporting deep tech founders to build world-changing companies. It is about catalysing a shift in our economy by agitating more research off lab benches and into the world. We’re talking about creating high-growth, enduring and global companies, generating thousands of highly-skilled jobs, and building greater economic resilience and prosperity. It’s about harnessing the knowledge from our research institutions and universities and creating support systems for founders pursuing deep tech ventures that can be the foundation of our next industries.

Why are we doing this?‍

We believe that by coming in earlier with targeted support, we can work alongside founders to accelerate and de-risk the next generation of high-growth Australian companies. We’re not just betting on ideas; we’re investing in the unreasonable inventors who dare to tackle the world’s biggest challenges. We want to help build businesses across climate, healthcare, next-generation computing, industrial productivity, the global food system, and beyond.

Atmosphere is more than investment — it’s a launchpad for Australia’s deep tech entrepreneurs. It’s our way of saying, “We believe in you, we’re here for you, and together, we can figure out how to change the things that most need changing in the world.”

To all the brilliant minds working on breakthroughs in quantum technology, clean energy, the new bio-economy, and other scientific fields: Main Sequence is here to help. Through the Atmosphere platform we can bring your ideas to life — together.