Melbourne | Blackbird Foundry Roadshow

​We're hitting the road for the Blackbird Foundry roadshow in Jan and Feb 2026 and you're invited!

​We're hosting VC learning sessions in cities across Australia and New Zealand covering how venture works in 2026 for deep tech companies, how to raise well, and how Foundry helps you get started.

​What we’ll cover

• ​How venture works and how we think about investing in deep tech companies

• ​How to raise well in 2026

• ​Red and green flags we see in decks and data rooms

• ​How to get the most out of your investors

• ​Foundry: what it is, who it’s for, how to apply

• ​Live Q&A + office hours

​Who should come
Aspiring founders from research/technical backgrounds, early teams, solo builders, students who ship, and founders planning a raise in the next 12 months.

​Format
90 minutes

• ​25 min VC learning session

• ​15 min Foundry deep dive

• ​20 min Q&A

• ​30 min Office Hours (pre-registration required)

​When
Melbourne — Tue 3 Feb, 12:30 - 2pm

​Lunch and drinks provided.

​Where
Location will be shared with attendees.

​Speakers
The Blackbird Investment team (Michael Tolo, Saron Berhane, James Palmer, Jessica Tulp)

​Spots are free but limited so grab a ticket!

​About Blackbird and Foundry
Blackbird is an early-stage venture fund across Australia and New Zealand. We back wild-hearted founders from the very beginning and stay useful as they scale. Foundry is our idea stage program for researchers, engineers, tinkerers and hackers who want to build a deep tech startup. Applications for Cohort 6 open on 19 Jan, 2026 - find out more here.

​Other cities and dates
[AUS]
Perth — Thu 29 Jan, 12:30 - 2pm
Melbourne — Tue 3 Feb, 12:30 - 2pm
Adelaide — Thu 5 Feb, 12:30 - 2pm
Sydney — Tue 10 Feb, 12:30 - 2pm
Brisbane — Thu 12 Feb, 12:30 - 2pm

​[NZ]
Auckland — Tue 17 Feb, 12:30 - 2pm
Wellington — Wed 18 Feb, 12:30 - 2pm
Christchurch — Thu 19 Feb, 12:30 - 2pm
Dunedin — Fri 20 Feb, 12:30 - 2pm