DNX Ventures makes first-ever Australian investment in Gold Coast AI company Zeligate
In a milestone for the Australia’s growing tech sector, Gold Coast-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) startup Zeligate has secured a seed-round investment from DNX Ventures – marking the global venture capital firm’s first-ever Australian deal.
The investment underscores the city’s emergence as a serious player in Australia’s digital economy and provides fuel for Zeligate’s next phase of growth, which includes plans to achieve Series A by the end of 2026.
Denver Naidoo, Founder and CEO of Zeligate, said the partnership with DNX Ventures is a significant endorsement of the company’s mission and its potential to lead globally from the Gold Coast.
“DNX’s decision to make us its first Australian investment is a testament to the hard work of our team and the massive potential of our AI workforce, which we call Zelis,” said Naidoo.
“This new funding will allow us to scale our operations, expand our team of AI assistants, and demonstrate how easily organisations can delegate routine tasks to live avatars to unlock human creativity and strategic focus. It also confirms that the Gold Coast is a prime location to build a world-class technology company, which is why we moved here from Brisbane earlier this year.”
Yurika Imuta, Principal at DNX Ventures, said, “We’re excited to invest in Zeligate as our first investment in Australia. We were particularly impressed by the company’s AI technology, especially the quality of its AI-driven interview experience. Denver’s deep expertise in AI has enabled the team to build a truly multimodal, AI-native SaaS product, with a voice-based interview platform that stands out in a field known for its technical challenges.
“Recruitment is often a complex and imperfect process where candidates are assessed within minutes based largely on their resumes. This puts companies at risk of overlooking talented individuals with strong potential. We believe Zeligate can bridge this gap by enabling a more dynamic and inclusive way to evaluate talent, while providing fairer opportunities for all candidates to present themselves.
“We look forward to Zeligate setting a new standard in recruitment and helping companies unlock broader access to high-quality talent.”
With the latest seed capital, Zeligate will accelerate product expansion, marketing, and sales activities nationwide, with a focus on increasing awareness and adoption of its flagship AI products, led by the Hiring Co-worker. The company’s advanced AI solutions enable organisations to automate entire processes, not just isolated tasks, boosting productivity across a range of business functions.
Zeligate recently enhanced its Zelis with live avatars capable of real-time conversations, providing customers with an immersive digital experience. This new technology extends the functionality of Zeligate’s AI workforce and reinforces its leadership in workplace automation.
Invest Gold Coast, which has identified the knowledge economy and technology as key priority sectors for economic growth, welcomed the investment as a sign of the city’s rising prominence in Australia. The city’s economic strategy focuses on building future industries and positioning the Gold Coast as Australia’s leading digital city.
“DNX Ventures’ first Australian investment on the Gold Coast signals a powerful shift in strategic capital flows toward our city’s rapidly maturing innovation ecosystem,” said Invest Gold Coast’s Head of Industry Strategy & Alliances, Ben Foster.
“It highlights the global confidence in the Gold Coast as a destination where technology, talent, and investment intersect to drive the next wave of economic growth. Japan has long been one of Australia’s most trusted and strategically aligned partners, sharing values of innovation, quality, and long-term collaboration, and DNX’s investment underscores the strength of that relationship. This milestone demonstrates how global partnerships can accelerate our knowledge economy, create high-value jobs, and enable Gold Coast companies to scale their ideas to the world.”
Zeligate believes DNX’s investment not only brings major capital and expertise to the local startup scene but also reinforces the Gold Coast’s and Australia’s reputations as leading destinations for international venture capital, talent, and innovation.
