Peter Devine: We never imagined Uniseed would be around this long

At the end of last year, Uniseed CEO Peter Devine stepped down after two decades at the helm of a venture fund that has not only survived and thrived for a quarter of a century, but which has completely reshaped the Australian innovation ecosystem. It was a good excuse to sit down with Peter and reflect on how far the world of research commercialisation has come, what lessons have been learned, and what more remains to be done. We discuss how Uniseed convinced pension funds to invest decades ago (if you’re a policymaker in the UK: there’s actionable advice here), why governments getting involved in venture capital is a double-edged sword (Breakthrough Victoria will be an interesting case study when the dust has settled), and how former members of staff at Uniseed have gone on to help build a country where most universities have their own spinout investment fund. Candidly, Peter also shares tactical errors he made as CEO, and he explains how he turned a blockbuster exit that went from celebration to shock into an investment opportunity. And, of course, we find out what’s next for Peter. Spoiler: it’s not retirement. Read the transcript.