Hillfarrance Venture Capital

Hillfarrance Venture Capital is a New Zealand seed fund founded in 2019 by Managing Partner Rob Vickery, who previously raised three funds and invested in 40 startups across the US, Latin America, and Israel before relocating to New Zealand in 2020. The fund has grown to over $40 million in size, including a $15 million commitment from NZGCP's Elevate programme in March 2023. General Partner Aisha Ross brings a strong track record supporting Maori businesses. Hillfarrance leads rounds and invests in seed-stage New Zealand founders solving hard problems, with a focus on AI-first tech startups with machine learning and natural language processing at their core. The fund has backed approximately 20 companies across AI, gaming, media, and climate technology. Notable portfolio companies include Kwotimation, an online tradie platform that raised a $500,000 pre-seed round led by Hillfarrance in January 2025 and was co-founded by Maori and Pasifika entrepreneurs; Space Rock Games, which raised $900,000 at seed; Floating Rock Studio, a VFX studio that raised $2.5 million; and Naut, which raised $1.5 million. The fund recorded one exit when Yabble was acquired in August 2024. Hillfarrance was the first New Zealand venture capital fund to launch a venture scout programme, placing 12 scouts across the country who invest capital on the firm's behalf. The fund is purpose-driven, targeting diverse founders who build sustainable, defensible businesses that democratize new technology and extract unique value from proprietary data.