Niki Scevak is an Australian venture capitalist, known for backing bold, visionary founders from the very beginning. As co-founder of Blackbird Ventures and founder of Startmate, Niki has helped build Australia’s startup ecosystem into a global force, investing early in companies like Canva, Culture Amp, Eucalyptus and SafetyCulture.

Beyond business, Niki is passionate about supporting purpose-led ventures and social change. He was an early backer of Chuffed.org, a global crowdfunding platform for social causes, and is a strong advocate for growing philanthropic culture within the tech community. His work continues to inspire a new wave of founders who believe that building a great company and making a positive impact can and should go hand in hand.

“Giving is a skill similar to investing. To become a great investor, you need to practice it every day for decades and with that path, you have a chance of making a big impact, versus waiting to the end of your life and then start giving, where you’d have less skill in giving it and knowing what’s a good donation, and where money is wasted.”