JP
James Palmer
VCPrincipal, Blackbird Ventures
NZ-focused principal backing deep tech founders
Auckland, New Zealand3 notable investments
Pre-SeedSeed
Deep TechRoboticsHealthcareAIEnterprise SaaS
Background
James Palmer is a Principal at Blackbird Ventures based in Auckland, New Zealand. He previously worked in corporate banking, corporate development and strategy, and venture capital at NZ Growth Capital Partners where he invested in VC funds and seed-stage companies. He focuses on backing ambitious New Zealand founders from the earliest stages.
Investment Thesis
Believes naivety is a strength for founders—those who don't fully understand the obstacles they'll face are more likely to attempt ambitious things.
Investment Focus
Stages
Pre-SeedSeed
Sectors
Deep TechRoboticsHealthcareAIEnterprise SaaS
Based in: Auckland, New Zealand (Oceania)
Notable Investments
Last updated: Jun 11, 2026