Venture Capital  ·  Investment Governance  ·  Commercialisation

Tony Sinclair

Investment Committee Chair, Board Director and venture capital professional

My career has sat at the intersection of capital, technology and growth, helping founders, boards and government programs turn complex technology into credible commercial and investment outcomes.

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20+Years across venture capital, commercialisation and government investment
$80M+Raised and managed across equity, joint ventures and government funding
200+CEOs and founders advised on growth, strategy and financing
$150MLargest business model assessed through investment due diligence
$30MBlended finance raised for charities and impact businesses
About

Investment judgement, grounded in the founder’s side of the table

I help identify strong opportunities, allocate capital intelligently and build businesses with genuine potential to scale.

Tony Sinclair seated at a boardroom table

Background

I’m an investment, venture capital and commercialisation leader with more than 20 years’ experience across venture capital, family office investment, technology commercialisation, entrepreneurship, government investment programs and Board governance.

Across the lifecycle

My work covers the full investment lifecycle: deal origination, investment assessment, due diligence, financial modelling, valuation, investment committee papers, capital raising, portfolio management and investor reporting.

The founder’s view

Having co-founded and built ventures myself, raising capital, negotiating term sheets and taking ideas from early validation towards commercial scale, I understand what it takes to execute. That experience shapes how I assess every opportunity today.

Governance & Investment Roles

Where capital meets governance

Chairing public investment programs, advising on national commercialisation funding and assessing opportunities for private capital.

Jun 2026 – Present

Commercial Lead & Committee Chair

NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

I chair a $20M NSW Government innovation grant program supporting industry uplift and technology deployment across the state’s Renewable Energy Zones, with end-to-end responsibility for program design, delivery and independent oversight.

  • Governance frameworks, probity and conflict-of-interest controls for public funding decisions
  • Investment strategy and decision tools assessing economic, technological and community impact
  • Specialist technical and value-for-money panels that bring structured challenge to recommendations
Dec 2023 – Dec 2025

Commercialisation Adviser, Industry Growth Program

Department of Industry, Science and Resources

I advised high-growth and emerging technology businesses through the Federal Government’s Industry Growth Program, supporting the commercialisation of research, market entry, and growth and export capability.

  • Reviewed business models and financial projections representing investments of up to $150M
  • Led commercial, financial and IP due diligence, and prepared investment committee papers
  • Helped lift the committee funding rate from 40% to 80% by coaching advisers in analysis and presentation
Aug 2021 – Jun 2023

Previously: Commercialisation Facilitator

i4 Connect

Delivered the Accelerating Commercialisation grant with the Department of Industry, advising pre-revenue founders on financial modelling, governance, value proposition and product positioning.

2017 – 2018

Family Office Investment Team

Investible

I joined the investment team of a Sydney venture capital and family office investor as it moved to a registered fund management model, assessing high-growth businesses through screening, diligence and Investment Committee processes.

  • Evaluated up to 20 businesses a week across business model, market and competitive position
  • Supported the Chief Investment Officer to raise a $20M ESVCLP venture fund
  • Managed relationships and investor reporting across 27 portfolio companies
Board & Advisory Portfolio

Fractional roles, specialist contribution

Committee, Board and advisory work where I bring investment discipline, financial stewardship and commercial challenge.

May 2026 – Present

Emerging Technology Commercialisation Fund

Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer

Member of the Physical Sciences Subcommittee overseeing a $7M emerging technology commercialisation program, assessing technical feasibility, market potential, team capability and delivery risk.

Investment assessment  ·  Strategic challenge
2020 – Present

Impact Investment Adviser

Social Impact Hub  ·  Professional Impact Network

Advising non-profits and impact businesses on investment readiness, financial models, blended finance and deal structure, contributing to $30M in blended finance raised for charities and non-profits.

Impact investment  ·  Blended finance
Oct 2023 – Sep 2026

Non-Executive Director & Treasurer

ConFit Pathways

Three years as Treasurer and Finance & Risk Subcommittee member for a youth-focused charity, leading the Board through a financial turnaround from a $750K deficit to surplus within six months.

Financial stewardship  ·  Risk & governance
Areas of Focus

How I add value

Bringing investment judgement, commercial strategy, technology and governance together, from the first screen to the Board table.

01

Venture Capital

Deal origination, screening and portfolio management, with experience supporting a $20M ESVCLP fund raise and negotiating term sheets alongside VC managers.

02

Due Diligence

Commercial, financial, technical and IP diligence that tests market assumptions, margin drivers, capability and execution risk.

03

Investment Committee

Chairing, sitting on and writing for investment committees, turning complex technical and risk issues into clear, defensible decisions.

04

Technology Commercialisation

Mapping the path from research and IP to regulatory approval, first sales and scale, including advising CSIRO, universities and medtech founders.

05

Venture Building

Co-founding and building ventures, from financial models and investment cases to multidisciplinary teams and regulatory authorisation.

06

Founder Advisory

Working with more than 200 CEOs and founders on business models, go-to-market, financing and investment readiness.

Tony Sinclair by the Sydney waterfront
My Approach

I look beyond the pitch deck to the quality of the business model, market evidence, leadership team, execution capability, economics and pathway to value creation.

Governance is an increasingly important part of my work. My Board and committee roles span investment oversight, financial stewardship, risk, probity, funding decisions, organisational sustainability and executive challenge.

Earlier Career

Where the foundations were built

Before governance and investment committees, I built and grew ventures from the inside. It’s where I learned how capital, product and people really come together.

2015 – 2018

Product Growth Manager

Hello Sunday Morning  ·  Digital health

Drove 75% month-on-month growth for a digital health product, building data-led funnels that signed up 1,300 people a month, and used machine learning to halve the incidence of urges for members in their first 30 days.

2014 – 2017

Investment & Growth Strategy

JumpStart Africa  ·  Marrakesh, Morocco

Advised a microfinance social enterprise on capital raising, business planning and an international growth strategy spanning 54 countries and four languages.

Earlier

Startup Co-Founder & Director

Fintech venture  ·  London

Co-founded an equity crowdfunding venture, raising seed investment, building a multidisciplinary team and securing UK financial services authorisation to operate.

Education

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

The University of Sydney Business School  ·  2016 – 2018

Bachelor of Economics (Social Science), The University of Sydney

Contact

Let’s talk

I’m particularly interested in Board, investment committee and venture capital opportunities where I can bring together investment judgement, commercial strategy, technology and governance.

Email Tony