How do you build a cross-border VC fund that backs female founders before the world sees their value?

In this #MeritIn Motion series, we sit down with Marisa Warren, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of ALIAVIA Ventures and Founder of the ELEVACAO. A former Microsoft and SAP exec turned entrepreneur and investor, Marisa shares how she’s rewriting the rules of venture, by backing high-growth female founders across the U.S. and Australia before they're on anyone else’s radar.

Backed by Carol Schwartz, the Forrest Family Office, the Denholm family and more, Marisa and co-founder Kate Vale (ex-Google, Spotify) are proving that investing in diverse teams isn’t charity—it’s smart capital.

Tune in now to learn more about generating cross-border alpha, and why Aussie startups may just be VC’s best-kept secret.

Timestamps / Key Takeaways

0:00 - Intro

02:21 - From teenage hustles to Microsoft, SAP, and Workday; built SAP’s SME channel and scaled Microsoft cloud partner revenue

07:35 - The gender gap in VC; founded ELEVACAO to support women in tech

14:24 - Building ALIAVIA: a cross-border VC fund amid the pandemic; creative loan structure to beat the “no track record” barrier

18:38 - Fund strategy & the edge of cross-border dynamics: Australian startups are often undervalued, capital-efficient, growth-ready

24:48 - LP co-investment as a value driver; founder red flags & must-haves

31:14 - Portfolio focus & the influence of AI on Future of Work and HealthTech

35:10 - The maturity of Australian startup scene; LP alignment and stakeholder management

39:52 - Looking ahead: Fund II at $25M; Fund III to follow with potential growth fund

42:41 - Billion Dollar Questions

ABOUT MARISA WARREN

Marisa Warren is the Founder and Managing Partner of ALIAVIA Ventures, investing in female-founded tech startups across the U.S. and Australia. Established in 2021, ALIAVIA has delivered it's first exit, Loupe Art to Stingray, and invested in 12 early stage companies. She’s also the founder of ELEVACAO, a not-for-profit that helped 175 women raise over $120 million in funding, leading to 5 exits.

FOLLOW MARISA:

https://www.aliavia.vc/

https://www.elevacao.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisawarren

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