Nick Winstone
Managing Partner
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- Full Name
- Nick Winstone
- Title
- Co-founder and Managing Partner
- Firm
- Aera VC
- Firm Type
- Venture Capital
- Investment Stage
- Pre-Seed to Series A
- Check Size
- Reported third-party ranges vary: F4 reports $500K-$20M; IncubatorList reports average check size of $25K-$5M.
- Target Company Profile
- Founders in the USA and Asia Pacific building deep technology that will define the future of energy, security, and industrial resilience.
- Sector Focus
- Climate technology, deep tech, frontier technology, energy, industrial resilience, aerospace/space, advanced materials, biotech/health, sustainable food, grid optimization, robotics, carbon-negative materials and sustainable chemicals.
- Geographic Focus
- USA, Asia Pacific, and global deal flow across the USA, APAC, and beyond.
- Location
- Arrowtown, Otago, New Zealand.
Background
Nick Winstone is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Aera VC, where he leads the firm's global investment strategy. Aera VC says he has more than two decades of experience across venture capital, M&A, and investment banking, and that under his leadership the firm has invested in three unicorns from seed stage and achieved top-decile returns for Aera I (2017) and Aera II (2022).
Aera VC was formed in 2016 when fellow New Zealanders Derek Handley and Nick Winstone launched the globally distributed venture firm from bases in New Zealand and New York. The firm later established Singapore as headquarters for its climate-focused fund and is licensed and regulated as a Venture Capital Fund Manager by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Before Aera VC, Winstone worked in investment banking, corporate finance, M&A, and law in London and Auckland. Public profile data lists roles including solicitor at Buddle Findlay from 2001 to 2004, Director - Leveraged Finance at CIT from 2005 to 2009, Director at Northington Partners from 2010 to 2014, Partner at Aera Foundation from 2014 to 2015, and Director at Amplify Capital beginning in 2016.
Winstone holds a B.Com in Accounting and Marketing and a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours from the University of Canterbury. ContactOut and LinkedIn-derived profiles also list Cranfield School of Management for 2008-2009.
Investment Thesis & Focus
- Aera VC's stated firm thesis is: "Investing today for a better world tomorrow."
- Aera describes itself as an early-stage VC fund investing to create "a more resilient future" and says it backs "future icons."
- Aera's pitch page says it invests from Pre-Seed to Series A in founders in the USA and Asia Pacific building deep technology for the future of energy, security, and industrial resilience.
- Winstone's Liveability Challenge profile says Aera is investing out of its Climate & Frontier Fund, focused primarily on Seed and Series A companies.
- The firm's 2022 climate fund announcement described its focus as breakthrough technologies that reverse climate change and reimagine industries including finance, food, fashion, chemicals, cement, and construction.
- Target opportunities should have deep-technology substance and large industrial or climate relevance, not just broad sustainability branding.
Notable Investments
- Solugen - Sustainable chemicals company using biology and chemistry for industry and defence; Aera invested when Solugen was an early two-person startup, and Aera's 2022 announcement described Solugen as valued at US$1.8B.
- Twelve - Produces sustainable aviation fuel and other products from air, water, and renewable energy.
- Dawn Aerospace - Space propulsion and hypersonic drone company; closed a US$25M Series B in June 2026 with Aera VC among participating investors.
- Array Labs - Earth-observation satellite and radar imaging company; raised a US$20M Series A in January 2026 with Aera VC participating.
- Maritime Fusion - Developing fusion reactors for maritime and off-grid applications; raised a US$4.5M seed round in November 2025 with Aera VC participating.
- Allium Engineering - Makes coated rebar technology intended to eliminate steel corrosion in infrastructure; raised a US$7.4M Series A in June 2026.
- CarbonChain - Carbon accounting software for tracking emissions in global supply chains.
- Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals - Clinical-stage biotech developing psychedelic-inspired mental-health therapeutics; AbbVie agreed in August 2025 to acquire Gilgamesh's bretisilocin program for up to US$1.2B.
- Gridsight - AI-powered platform for electrical utilities to improve reliability, optimize operations, and integrate renewable energy.
- Intramotev - Autonomous battery-electric railcar company; public funding databases list Aera VC as a participant in its 2024 Series A.
- AstroForge - Space resources company pursuing asteroid/in-space mining.
- Fable Foods - Plant-based meat company using shiitake mushrooms.
- Umami Bioworks - Cultivated seafood and cosmetic ingredients biotech platform.
- CarbiCrete - Cement-free, carbon-negative concrete for construction.
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