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WEBINAR: What investors want: Capital Raising in 2026

Capital Raising in 2026 What investors want

What are investors looking for in 2026? 

 

The bar for capital raising has never been higher. With greater competition, and AI making timelines from MVP to market much faster, the funding landscape for 2026 looks very different from even a few years ago. For funding, this means increased selectivity, heightened due diligence and a focus on clear pathways to revenue, adding new pressure for founders.  

  

So what do founders need to know? And what do investors really want? Join us online this February 23rd as we pick the brains of two investors and a KPMG specialist to unpack what they’re looking for in 2026. 

 

This session is designed to give founders the insights and practical actions they need to prepare for the funding environment in the year ahead. 

 

You’ll hear from: 

 

  • Andrew Poesaste, Partner at Rampersand

  • Justine Carzino, Investment Principal at OneVentures

  • Sarah Josey, KPMG Partner who has helped early‑stage startups raise with confidence on what she’s hearing on the ground 


Moderated by Amanda Price, Head of KPMG High Growth Ventures
  

Together, we’ll unpack: 

 

  • What founders should be doing in the next 6–12 months to raise smarter 
  • How the landscape has changed in the past year  
  • Why clarity and transparency now shape whether you close a round 

 

If you’re planning to raise in 2026 and want to get inside the minds of top VCs, this session will answer all your burning questions and help you gain confidence in what investors want.  

 

 

Time & Location

 

  • Date & Time: 11:00AM - 12:00PM Monday, 23rd February AEDT
  • Location: Online (Microsoft  Teams)

 

Who should attend?

 

Founders, founding team members, and senior leaders who are looking to raise or currently raising in Australia within the next 6-12 months. 

  

Event description 

 

Join us for a frank discussion on what it really takes to raise capital in 2026, and what VCs are looking for. Hear from leading VC voices on what they're seeking from startups in 2026 and a KPMG specialist who has helped early‑stage startups raise with confidence on what she’s hearing on the ground. Expect honest perspectives, grounded observations, and the practical steps that separate founders who get funded from those who stall. Insights in this discussion are anchored in what investors are signalling right now: the rising premium on clarity, the non‑negotiables shaping deal flow, and the operational indicators that build trust in a market where confidence must be earned, not assumed. You’ll walk away with a sharper understanding of what investors want in 2026, and how to align your strategy, narrative, and readiness to meet that bar with conviction.

 

 

Justine Carzino

Justine Carzino

Investment Principal, OneVentures

Andrew

Andrew Poesaste

Partner, Rampersand

sarah josey

Sarah Josey

KPMG Partner

amanda-price

Amanda Price

Head of KPMG High Growth Ventures

Our Panelists

 

Justine Carzino, Investment Principal at OneVentures. Justine is a Principal at OneVentures across both Growth Equity and Credit funds. She leads the OneVentures Victorian Growth Fund (VGF), which invests in the state’s most promising scale-up companies. As a Board Observer and investor, Justine works closely with portfolio companies such as XYSense, Drawboard, AmazingCo and 6clicks. Justine has over 15 years experience working with growth stage companies across capital raising, M&A and capital management. Previously, Justine was a Senior Vice-President at Deloitte Corporate Finance in Tokyo, leading domestic and cross border transactions. Originally from Melbourne, she returned to Australia in 2021, bringing extensive M&A experience and strong local networks. 

 

Andrew Poesaste, Partner at Rampersand. Andrew Poesaste is a Partner at Rampersand, backing Australian and New Zealand founders globally from day zero. He has led investments including Restoke, Cor and Mass Dynamics, as well as several stealth AI companies. Andrew works closely with founders on engineering and product, including through Rampersand’s Product Counsel and his Claude Coffee series, where he explores how teams can rewrite their playbooks with AI in practice. Previously, he spent several years at Angular Ventures investing across Europe and Israel, and was part of the initial investments in unicorns including Firebolt, Aquant and Forter and others, alongside the best tier-one San Francisco as follow-on investors. Earlier in his career, he led an algorithmic trading team building low-latency systems at the intersection of software, hardware, data and math.

 

Sarah Josey, Partner at KPMG. Sarah is a Partner based in Perth within the Enterprise Business  Tax Advisory Service. Sarah has over 15 years' experience providing advisory and compliance services to corporate enterprises and startups. Sarah works with founders, business owners and their teams to develop and implement goal focussed strategies. Sarah has operated as an outsourced CFO, and advised clients on matters including: enhanced finance capability, cash-flow forecasting, budgeting, tax effective structuring and Board reporting/governance, amongst other broad finance function support.

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