Salus Ventures appoints top advisors to boost resilience

Salus Ventures has launched its Strategic Advisor Program with the appointments of three eminent figures from the fields of intelligence, diplomacy, and defence.

The fund, which is Australia's largest venture capital fund with a focus on national resilience, has appointed Paul Symon AO, former Director-General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service and Deputy Chief of Army, The Hon. Arthur Sinodinos AO, previous Ambassador to the US and Chief of Staff to Prime Minister John Howard, and Rear Admiral Lee Goddard CSC, who was the former Head of Operation Sovereign Borders and a member of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

According to the venture capital firm, these appointments are intended to unlock unique opportunities for portfolio companies and enhance due diligence procedures, ultimately supporting the nation's national security and resilience.

Salus Ventures is committed to supporting Australian founders addressing significant national challenges in sectors such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, automation, and defence. The addition of these strategic advisors is seen as aligning with the firm's objectives to bolster the country's technological capabilities.

Dan Bennett, Salus Ventures' General Partner and Co-Founder, remarked, "We're delighted to have three highly influential and respected individuals join our advisory, each providing a unique pathway to further our mission to support deep technology in Australia."

Bennett further emphasised the importance of these advisors in strengthening Salus Ventures' connections in Canberra and Washington DC, and in facilitating AUKUS specialised opportunities, which aim to integrate public and private sector efforts for the benefit of Australian technology founders.

In 2024, Salus Ventures reviewed over 1,000 companies, making 10 investments in promising Australian startups thus far. The firm plans to invest more than AUD $250 million over the next five years, focusing on Pre-Seed and Seed investments.

Marten Peck, also a General Partner and Co-Founder of Salus Ventures, stated, "We're focused on building key technology competency with speed to capability."

He added, "There has never been a more important or impactful time for founders and private sector investors to contribute to and uplift capability in Australia and for our allies, which is why we are looking forward to the unique contributions that each of these strategic advisors can make."

Salus Ventures highlights the extensive domain experience within its team, having raised and invested more than USD $600 million in global deep technology investments, primarily across the US, Europe, and Australia. The firm's network of strategic advisors is seen as pivotal for unlocking further opportunities.