Adviser and Ambassador, Koala · angel in 1 deal
| Role | Organisation | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Adviser and Ambassador | Koala | Startup Daily |
Every published round Steve Smith took part in, and every parcel of existing shares it bought off another holder. Deals we hold but haven't published yet are not counted.
| Company | Stage | Announced | Amount | Role | Alongside | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koala | Seed | 2015 | $100k | Participant | Startup Daily (Mon 30 Mar 2026), Startup Daily (Fri 27 Mar 2026), Startup Daily (Thu 26 Mar 2026), Startup Daily (Sat 21 Mar 2026), Startup Daily (Tue 13 Aug 2019) |
Companies Steve Smith has backed in a published round, and companies whose existing shares it bought off another holder.
| Company | What it does | First invested | Rounds | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koala | 2015, Seed | 1 | 0 |
Fund closes reported for Steve Smith, as distinct from the investments it has made.
Companies Steve Smith has backed that another company then bought. An exit for the holding, not a deal Steve Smith did.
Stories naming Steve Smith. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
Furniture brand Koala has secured $20 million ahead of its ASX debut at a $305 million valuation, while early backers including cofounder Mitch Taylor sold down some of their stakes.
Koala heads to the Australian bourse with a float mixing fresh equity and shareholder sell-downs, while a Test cricketer's decade-old six-figure backing of the furniture startup draws the spotlight.
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Roundup of seven startup funding deals, led by Airwallex's $57 million Series D add-on, with new raises at Capify, Snappr, LivePreso, TradeSquare, WeMoney and Catalyst.
A look back at cricketer Steve Smith's 2016 seed backing of mattress maker Koala, whose stake has grown sharply in value as the Sydney company's sales and headcount have expanded.
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