Start Small VENTURES
Start Small, Think Big
Capital and growth strategy for ambitious businesses
How we help
Capital strategy
Build a capital strategy aligned with your growth plans. Determine what to raise, when to raise it and the right sources to pursue.
Fundraising
Build an investment proposition that stands up to investor scrutiny. Develop the pitch, financial model and supporting materials, and identify the right investors to approach.
Growth strategy
Find the right path to grow your business. Identify and size new market opportunities, assess the cost and route to entry, and determine how to use your existing capabilities to pursue them.
Who we help
We work with founders, management teams and boards preparing for their next stage of growth. Typically, the business has a proven product or service and customer traction, but needs support to develop its capital strategy, prepare for investment or identify new growth opportunities.Our experience spans emerging fund managers, early-stage technology companies and growing climate businesses.
Selected experience
New investment fund
Developed the investment strategy, mandate and approach for a new equity technology fund.
Capital raise advisory
Advised a growing climate technology company on its capital strategy and supported a successful $7.5 million raise.
Early stage investing
Deployed more than $100 million into early stage technology and climate companies, and established investment, due diligence and portfolio management processes.
About me
Nicole Kleid Small, Founder
Nicole has more than 20 years of experience across investment, strategy and corporate finance. She works with founders, management teams and boards to develop capital strategies, secure investment and identify opportunities for growth.Nicole is a Partner and co-founder of The Planet Fund, a climate-focused investment fund, and was previously Investment Director at Rampersand, an Australian early-stage venture capital fund. Earlier in her career, she worked in product strategy at SEEK, investment banking and management consulting.Nicole holds an MBA with Honours, a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne.