The Startup Retro with Will Richards & Gemma Clancy 
About Chris Gillings
Chris Gillings is the founder of Cut Through Venture, which tracks and analyses Australian startup funding, and an investor on the venture capital team at Five V Capital, which he joined in 2022. Cut Through Venture began as a monthly newsletter in May 2021 and now publishes quarterly funding updates, state and sector reports, and the annual State of Australian Startup Funding report, which it has produced with Folklore Ventures.
Before returning to Australia he spent about a decade in New York, including operating roles at OnDeck and leading Mastercard's startup investment and engagement program for North America. Earlier he was an investor at TDM Growth Partners and worked in KPMG's mergers and acquisitions team in Sydney. He holds an MBA from Yale.
On The Startup Retro, he walked through Cut Through's Q2 2024 figures: $1.5 billion across 99 deals.
- Talks about
- Climate & Energy, Fundraising, Venture Capital
In conversation.
1 episode
The Startup Retro with Will Richards & Gemma Clancy Go straight to the good bits.
Key moments from Q2 Deals Surge, AngelClass Launch, Climate Tech, Her Tech Circle.
- 0:26Overview of today's episode topics: Cut Through Venture report, angel investing innovation, climate tech funding, and more.
- 1:07Discussion on the Cut Through Venture report revealing 99 deals with $1.5B invested in Q2.
- 1:44Insights on climate tech funding and the need for more support, based on Climate Salad's report.
- 3:32Analysis of climate tech funding challenges, including early-stage funding and regulatory barriers.
- 10:09Girls in Tech becomes Her Tech Circle, a rebranded initiative to support women in tech.
- 11:21Gemma's pick: Fugu, a climate tech startup developing solid direct air capture systems.
- 16:25Will’s pick: Sircel, focusing on recycling obsolete solar panels and e-waste.
- 20:57Interview with Chris Gillings from Five V Capital and Cut Through Ventures discussing their Q2 report and insights on the Australian startup ecosystem.
- 36:58Knowledge as a Service (KaaS) segment featuring Gemma's pick, the Calling Operator podcast, and Will's pick, Pop Culture by Edward Zitron.
The path so far.
- Now
Founder · Cut Through Venture
- Earlier
Lead, startup investment & engagement program (North America) · Mastercard
- Earlier
Investor · TDM Growth Partners
- Earlier
Mergers & acquisitions team · KPMG
Sources: fivevcapital.com
Cut Through Venture on Day One
Cut Through Venture publishes data and research on Australian startup funding, including the Cut Through Quarterly reports, an investor database and, with Folklore…
1 person · 1 episode
Across the network.
In the room with
Spot something wrong? Suggest a correctionUpdated 29 October 2026
Be part of
the conversation.
Put your brand alongside the voices founders, investors and operators come to hear.
Explore sponsorshipProduced by W2D1 Media
Want a show of your own?
W2D1 Media — the team behind the Day One Network, which helped build Blackbird Ventures' Wild Hearts — builds and produces podcasts for funds, founders and operators. If you want a show built around your brand, let's talk.
