Xilium Capital

Co-founders Thomas Fu and Adrian Yusuf lead all investment decisions jointly. The firm operates a flat decision-making structure without a separate investment committee, which allows for rapid commitment to pre-seed and seed-stage rounds. Both principals maintain active involvement in portfolio company development through the firm's builder platform.

Xilium sources primarily through deep operational networks in the Sydney and Melbourne startup communities, leveraging its builder platform as a magnet for technical founders seeking more than passive capital. The firm's engineering and product resources attract entrepreneurs who need hands-on support rather than just a cheque, creating a natural filtering mechanism in its origination funnel.

Xilium operates a hybrid model. It makes direct venture investments from a traditional fund structure while simultaneously maintaining an in-house venture-building arm that provides dedicated engineering, product, and go-to-market resources to portfolio companies. This differentiates it from standard Australian venture firms that typically offer only capital and light-touch advisory support.

The firm focuses on pre-seed through Series A rounds, with a strong preference for leading or co-leading first institutional rounds. Xilium's builder model allows it to enter earlier than many competitors, sometimes participating in pre-product or pre-revenue stages where its internal technical resources can materially reduce execution risk for founding teams.

Xilium deploys exclusively through direct equity investments into operating companies. There is no public record of the firm making fund-of-fund commitments or investing in other venture capital vehicles. Its operational model requires board-level engagement or active collaboration with portfolio company management.

Xilium has not publicly articulated explicit sector exclusions. However, its builder model and technical operator lens suggest low appetite for capital-intensive hardware, medical devices, or sectors where the firm cannot directly contribute operational leverage beyond capital. Its historical public focus has remained firmly within enterprise software, fintech, and adjacent digital-native categories.

Xilium co-invests selectively with both domestic Australian funds and international venture firms, particularly when portfolio companies expand into US or Southeast Asian markets. The firm prefers to lead or co-lead rounds where its builder resources can be applied directly, but will follow established international leads for later-stage rounds when strategic alignment exists.