James Alexander is the co-founder and Partner at  Galileo Ventures– an Aussie VC firm backing emerging founders looking to change the world.

James studied Computer Science at Usyd, before starting the Incubate Startup Program in 2012, where he helped over 100 startups launch and grow. In 2020, he closed a $10 million tranche of Galileo’s first fund with co-founder Hugh. I chatted with James about starting Incubate, why and how he’s backing emerging founders at Galileo and why Australia can become a global leader in technology.  

Timestamps:

[1:08]- Who James wanted to be when he grew up

[2:41]- How James learned about business through his dad

[4:19]- James’ career journey

[8:50]- Working at Atlassian in the early days

[12:30]- The process of starting Incubate

[16:26]- Do founders have common backgrounds?

[18:39]-Why the name Galileo?

[21:19]- The Galileo model

[24:05]- How do you develop the conviction to invest in early-stage startups?

[26:32]- Why do traditional VCs overlook emerging founders?

[27:48]- What does the accelerator look like?

[29:20]- What support do coaches provide?

[31:42]- Galileo’s unique investment process

[33:23]- What’s the long term vision for Galileo?

[34:35]- Can Australia become a global tech powerhouse?

[36:51]- Government regulation that is holding Australia back

[38:15]- Is technology a bipartisan issue overseas?

[39:36]- Exciting tech trends

[41:35]- Discussing Galileo’s portfolio 

[44:04]- James’ perspective on failure

[47:06]- Advice for students looking to start a company

References:
Galileo Ventures

Relevance AI

Huey the Bookbot

Space Services

Ally Assist

Incubate