Atlassian founder backs impact investor Melior
Melior Investment Management, an impact investment house, has received funding and support from Atlassian founder Mike Cannon-Brookes.
Cannon-Brookes and his wife Annie’s private investment vehicle, Grok Ventures, would take a minority equity stake in Melior, having been a cornerstone investor in the Australian Impact fund for over a year.
Melior was launched in 2018 and its Australian Impact fund was launched in July 2019 and currently had $91 million in assets under management. The firm focused heavily on impact and ESG around three key UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of climate action, gender equality and reduced inequality and engaged in 200 advocacy engagements around FY21.
Cannon-Brookes said the decision to make additional support for Melior was fuelled by desire to catalyse impact investing in Australia.
“We all have a responsibility to do better. Investors need to consider their impact on the world, which is something Melior is tapping into. It’s this kind of epic leadership that drives real change across business,” he said.
Melior chief executive, Lucy Steed, said: “Mike, Annie and the Grok team share our view that public companies play a critical role in building a better, more sustainable future given their scale. Raising ESG ambition in corporate Australia is vital to solving the problems we face, including helping Australia achieve its commitments to the UN SDGs by 2030”.
Atlassian was one of Australia’s top technology firms, listed on the NASDAQ, and its share price had risen 104% over one year to 7 October, 2021.
AUTHOR
Laura Dew
Recommended for you
Australian fund managers are actively seeking to launch Cayman versions of their funds to attract offshore flows, with Regal Partners set to launch its latest offering this month.
As private markets gain traction in Australia but only a limited pool of talent is available, three recruiters explore whether fund managers should consider looking overseas to find top talent.
With an explosion of private credit managers appearing in the market, two alternatives experts believe a consolidation is needed to maintain the quality of the sector.
Bentham Asset Management has become the latest fund manager to expand its distribution team as it reports increased interest in its credit strategies.
