AI Ventures
Build new businesses for the AI era
Secret Sauce supports selected founders, provides fractional venture leadership and originates new AI-native services and niche software opportunities.
AI changes what's possible
AI is reducing the cost and time required to research markets, design services, build software and reach customers, creating room for smaller teams, faster learning cycles and narrower, high-value entry points.
How to work with us
Founder advisory and coaching
Problem and market validation, venture thesis, go-to-market and fundraising readiness. One-off assistance or ongoing coaching.
Fractional venture leadership
Senior operating capacity for ventures with a committed founding team, across strategy, commercial development and key hires.
Venture studio
Secret Sauce originates and tests focused AI opportunities internally, where AI materially changes the economics or feasibility of the solution.
20+
years building and backing ventures
01
Startup founder and operating experience
Founded and led five deep-tech startups, raising venture capital and taking businesses from Day 0 through growth, exit or failure.
02
Venture capital
Venture Partner at Antler Australia and former founding General Manager of Offspring Ventures, investing in and supporting early-stage technology companies.
03
IP and commercialisation
More than 20 years commercialising research IP through spin-outs, licensing, venture creation and investment.
04
Innovation grants committees
More than a decade assessing innovation funding through federal government committees and Queensland's Advance Queensland program.
Antler VC Fund: A front-row seat on venture formation
Steve is a Venture Partner at Antler, the world's most active investor in AI startups. Steve provides deal sourcing, founder coaching, due diligence and post-investment support to portfolio companies. He has a direct line of sight into the latest technologies and business models.
Steve is an Antler Venture Partner guiding the latest founder cohort.
Affiliations and track record
Venture perspective
Follow Me AI
AI-powered physical fitness and mobility assessments using computer vision on mobile devices. Secret Sauce supports strategy, commercial development and fractional leadership.
Learn about Follow Me AI →Talk to us about fractional or leadership roles
We are most useful when the opportunity is important, the assumptions can be tested and experienced commercial judgement can change the path forward.
We take on selected ventures at a time: operator-led, a real problem, evidence it's worth pursuing.
Tell us about your venture