Samantha Wong

Samantha Wong is a prominent General Partner at Blackbird Ventures, a leading venture capital fund in Australia and New Zealand. She is dedicated to finding and supporting ambitious founders in the region, actively contributing to Blackbird's expansion into New Zealand and leading initiatives for diversity and inclusion within the VC community, such as drafting a Model Code of Conduct for startups and launching a Women in VC Internship program. blackbird+3

Transitioning from a background as a corporate lawyer at Minter Ellison, Samantha pivoted her career into the startup ecosystem. She gained hands-on experience as a product manager at e-commerce startup SurfStitch and later as the CEO and Co-Founder of CapacityHQ, a professional services marketplace, before moving into venture capital. techcrunch+1

As a Kauffman Fellow (Class 26) and a Partner at Startmate (Australia's pre-eminent early-stage technology accelerator), Samantha is deeply embedded in the global and local startup and venture capital communities. She mentors founders and contributes to building a stronger ecosystem, particularly in Australia and New Zealand. kauffmanfellows+2

Samantha is intellectually curious and excited by disruptive ideas, particularly in the future of food, synthetic biology, longevity, and healthcare. She believes in learning through investment and actively seeks out 'wild hearts' with 'wild ideas' to back, emphasizing speed of progress and talent acquisition in her investment philosophy. blackbird+1