# F5 Collective

F5 Collective is a Private Debt based in Melbourne, Australia.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Private Debt
- **Headquarters:** Melbourne, Australia
- **Region:** Oceania
- **Address:** Melbourne, Australia
- **Founded:** 2022
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** f5collective.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/f5collective

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

F5 Collective is a financial ecosystem focused on women entrepreneurs in various sectors. It offers funding solutions, a marketplace for women-owned consumer brands, and expertise for scaling businesses. F5 Collective primarily serves women-led startups and businesses in the beauty, wellness, fashion, and lifestyle sectors, founded in 2022 and based in Australia.

## Sectors

- Healthcare Services
- Enterprise Software
- Media & Entertainment
- Real Estate
- Consumer
- FinTech
- Professional Services

## People

- Wendy Fergie — Chief Investment Officer
- Kelly Kimball — Founder
- Tracey Warren — Leader
- Divya Reddy — Executive Affiliate, IQSS Foundry at Harvard
- Levent Shevki — Group CEO, Cornwalls

## Questions

### What does F5 Collective invest in today, and how did its model change?

F5 Collective began as a traditional venture fund backing early-stage technology companies with at least one female founder on the cap table. After deploying its first fund, the firm concluded that equity venture capital is structurally mismatched with the majority of women-owned businesses — 97% of which operate in services, health, retail and consumer, per its own research. It now operates exclusively as a non-dilutive business lender to women-owned and women-led SMEs, providing loans without equity dilution or director guarantees.

### Who runs investment decisions at F5 Collective?

Wendy Fergie is the Chief Investment Officer. She brings over 30 years of experience across debt, private equity and financial services, including senior roles at National Mutual, AXA, AllianceBernstein and as founder of the IFM Debt team. She is also a CFA Charterholder and serves on the Advisory Board for SWEEF Capital.

### What is F5 Collective’s relationship with California Senate Bill SB 54?

F5 Collective co-authored and helped pass SB 54, a first-of-its-kind California law that requires venture capital firms operating in the state to publicly report demographic data on the founders they fund. The firm was formally acknowledged on the floor of the California State Senate for this work. Its website frames the bill as part of a structural advocacy effort to create transparency and accountability in capital flows.

### Does F5 Collective still make equity investments?

No. After fully deploying its first venture fund — which backed companies including uPaged, Mass Dynamics, Xakiatech and Givvable — the firm fully transitioned to a business lending model. Its current capital is deployed as loans, not equity, and the firm explicitly states it does not seek ownership stakes or director guarantees.

### How large is F5 Collective’s team and where do they operate?

The firm is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, with a distributed international team. Key named professionals include CIO Wendy Fergie, founder Kelly Kimball, leader Tracey Warren, Divya Reddy and Levent Shevki. Firm headcount and AUM are not publicly disclosed.

## Related profiles

- [F4 Fund](https://altss.com/profile/f4-fund)
- [F7 Ventures](https://altss.com/profile/f7-ventures)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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