Investor Briefing: Indo-Pacific Outlook | Georgia Barkell, Sprint Ventures

You can sit on your hands. Or you can act while others stall. Australia is re-pricing risk—and that creates openings. This episode maps where private capital is moving across the Indo-Pacific, with a hard look at exits, secondary markets and what it takes to commercialise deep tech in Australia now. Fresh from a Harvard executive course in PE/VC, Georgia Barkell shares the practical signals fund managers and policy planners should watch in 2025. What we cover: fast, factual, applicable: ✔️ Downturn as a buy signal: why disciplined buyers move now. ✔️ From hype to depth: less SaaS, more hard tech with real-world use. ✔️ Deep tech, defence and circular economy: the common threads investors back. ✔️ Capital rotation: where funds are moving—and why exits are slowing. ✔️ Barriers that matter: exit hurdles, thin secondary markets, and a fragmented research-to-commercialisation path. ✔️ Fund posture: how Sprint Ventures is playing the long game without waiting for perfect conditions. Who it’s for: CIOs, venture and PE partners, policy advisers, strategy leads, program directors and delivery leaders across defence, energy, infrastructure and analytics. https://vaxabureau.com/ #venturecapital #privateequity Chapter: 00:00:00 — Intro 00:00:43 — Harvard Scholarship & Course Focus 00:01:49 — Course Length, Format & Case Method 00:03:02 — Cohort Mix & Global VC Perspectives 00:06:57 — Indo-Pacific Outlook: Where’s the Upside? 00:10:25 — Advanced Manufacturing: Australia’s Edge 00:14:19 — Where I’d Invest: Deep Tech & Climate 00:17:31 — RBA Rate Cuts: Impact on Investors 00:20:16 — Investing in the Pacific: Practical Advice 00:21:23 — How Australia’s VC Model Must Evolve 00:28:39 — Outro