We believe investment capital has a significant positive role to play in shaping the future for people and the planet. At Ecotone Partners we strive to be a trusted partner for others that share this vision.
Every climate focused venture deserves to have their solution placed at the centre of the design process for financing. We believe starting with the solution at the centre provides the best opportunity to source the right type of capital and the right amount of capital from the right investors.
An ecotone is an area that represents the boundary between two ecosystems. One may also consider this place as a transition zone, since it’s different than either of the two ecosystems that it lies between. We operate in the ecotones between private investors, companies, governments and philanthropic foundations.
The team at Ecotone Partners has a breadth of experience spanning many sectors including commercial, non-profit, government and the arts. This includes executive experience in investment banking, wealth management, funds management, family office investing, non-profit management, industry body leadership and government policy. We believe this breadth of experience is critical to the discovery and delivery of investments that blend private value and public outcomes.
Amanda has been at the forefront of impact investing in Australia for much of the past decade, and is passionate about how finance can fuel positive change in the world. Most recently, Amanda was Head of Capital Raising and Investor Relations at Impact Investment Group. She has deep relationships with private clients, family offices and wealth advisory groups across Australia. Amanda helped raise over $700m of investor capital during her time at IIG and helped develop a number of industry-first impact funds in Australia, including Australia’s first 100% impact-focused VC fund. Amanda started her career at Goldman Sachs in the US and UK, after which she became a Principal in a UK-based VC firm. After arriving in Australia in 2001, Amanda worked with LJCB Investment group, a diversified private investment group, and JCA, a non-profit fundraising and planning organisation for the Jewish community. Amanda has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University and a Master of Applied Finance degree from Macquarie University. Outside of work, Amanda and her husband Lance juggle volunteer boards, raising a teenage daughter and soon-to-be teenage son, and ensuring someone remembers to feed the dog (a very lovable schnoodle).
Jeremy is committed to working at the forefront of how we create, and transition to, a greener economy. He has financial services experience in Melbourne, London and New York including extensive experience in developing solutions to deliver responsible and green investments. Most notably Jeremy was part of the establishment and operations of the UK Green Investment Bank as the inaugural Finance Director and then Director, Strategy. Prior to Ecotone Partners Jeremy was Head of Product & Strategy at Impact Investment Group , where he developed a number of positive investment funds. Jeremy has extensive governance experience within for-profit and not-for-profit organisations and is chair of the Audit & Risk Committee for CDP Worldwide (the leading global environmental reporting platform) and on the investment committee of Social Enterprise Finance Australia (Sefa). Jeremy has run a number of marathons, most noticeably the Medoc wine marathon, and is convinced he has one more just around the corner, ‘to prove to the kids I’ve still got it’.
Driven by a strong commitment to addressing gaps in funding climate solutions, Nicole believes that new funding models hold the key to unlocking both significant financial returns and scalable climate action. Drawing on over 15 years of diverse experience across venture capital, investment banking, and strategy consulting, Nicole brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. As Investment Director at Rampersand VC, she played a pivotal role in shaping the fund's investment thesis, leading the team, and holding directorships in portfolio companies. Prior experience at Rothschild, ANZ Bank, and SEEK further refined her financial acumen and strategic thinking. Nicole's multifaceted approach, combined with her diverse background, empowers Nicole to provide support and mentorship into strategy development, operational excellence, leadership, and strategic outcomes. Nicole has a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Civil Engineering for The University of Melbourne, and an MBA from Melbourne Business School. Outside of work, Nicole is busy honing her negotiating skills with her three children.
Dan is passionately curious about how business and finance can be utilised as tools for building a sustainable and equitable future. Before Ecotone Partners, Dan was CEO of Impact Investment Group (IIG), one of Australia’s largest impact fund managers. Dan joined IIG following three years as the inaugural CEO of Impact Investing Australia. In addition to research, education and convening activities, Impact Investing Australia is the primary support organisation for the Australian Advisory Board that leads Australia’s contribution to the Global Steering Group on Impact Investing (formerly the G8 Taskforce). Dan began his career in finance with 13 years at JBWere and Goldman Sachs JBWere across roles as an Investment Advisor, Executive Director Investment Services, Head of Advice - New South Wales, COO and Acting CEO. Outside of work Dan and his wife Laurence have three football (soccer) mad boys who play at his local club in Berwick where Dan is the Under 11s coach. Dan is a keen gardener and bee keeper.
Vidit Agarwal is a Venture Capital investor, globally recognised podcaster, Entrepreneur and Non Executive Director. He previously built/led well-known brands and products in Marketing, Commercial and Operational roles, managing portfolios up to $150 million in turnover. He was previously leading Ecotone Ventures, and is now our first Venture Partner. He is a Non Executive Director at StreetSmart Australia, Founding Partner of the FB10x AdVentures Investing Syndicate and Founder/CEO of the Curiosity Center with an audience of over 200,000 students, business leaders, investors and founders. This can sound very positive, he has also dealt with redundancy two times in my career, one of which led to creating The High Flyers Podcast and leads his life with a belief that “if you believe you can, you can." He has lived and worked in Melbourne, and Sydney and jokes that Tennis was his first love, and is a proud finisher of the Melbourne full marathon.
Andrew is the Angel Network Manager of Ecotone Ventures, our climate-focused Angel Network that connects the growing amount of climate conscious investors to early stage ventures with climate solutions. In his role, he manages our community of angel investors, founders and ecosystem partners, sourcing the best investment opportunities and activating capital towards a more sustainable future. Andrew was previously the Program Coordinator at Melbourne Accelerator Program (MAP) where he had a hands-on role supporting early-stage startups grow and scale their businesses to make a lasting impact. Outside work, Andrew is a sports fanatic. He plays soccer for his local club Glen Waverley and has worked as a statistician at the Australian Open for the last 14 years since being a ballkid.
Audrey has experience in financial services and performance management. She was previously employed at Macquarie Investment Management (MIM) within their Distribution function, working across the marketing, sales and research teams. Audrey has also worked in the startup space as a Performance Analyst and as a Marketing Analyst for a number of years. Audrey is a qualified yoga teacher, enthusiastic boulderer, and spends way too much of her spare time curating her Spotify playlists.
Cyle is an Analyst at Ecotone Partners, currently pursuing a Master of Finance at the university of Melbourne. He is dedicated to extracting value from data to provide insights that guide strategic decisions. Previously, Cyle was as a consultant at BDO where he worked on projects with government entities and ASX listed companies to build financial models and provide actionable advice. In his free time Cyle has also led a small logistics start up which serviced interstate jobs along Australia’s East Coast and provided support for the importation of goods. Outside of work Cyle enjoys taking his Pomeranian Casper on long walks, playing badminton, and exploring new hiking spots around Victoria.
Ecotone Partners is a boutique funds management and advisory business focused on positive investing. We are passionate about using capital to move the needle toward a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous future.
We provide a range of services that act as a bridge between high growth companies with climate solutions and investors who are seeking financial returns alongside positive outcomes for the planet.
Specifically, we provide services:
We wish to acknowledge that prior to Europeans arriving this was a land cared for by Aboriginal people for thousands of generations. Every Australian story begins with their story. We acknowledge their care and love of this land and the wisdom of their elders both past and present.
We want Ecotone Partners to be an inclusive place to work and to contribute to an inclusive society where every person is treated with respect and dignity regardless of their skin colour, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender identity or physical ability. Living up to this commitment requires us to think carefully about how we work, how we hire, who we take on as a client, who we partner with and many other actions we take. Placing this statement here serves to provide our investors, founders and other stakeholders with a clear sense of our values.