Uniseed CEO Dr Peter Devine as called time on two decades leading the university-backed research commercialisation fund, staging his own exit at the end of 2025.
Taking the helm in January 2026 is Dr Alistair Hick from Monash University, where he’s been its inaugural chief commercialisation officer, with responsibility for overseeing its IP commercialisation program, established proof-of-concept and investment funds
Under Hick, Monash has expanded its integrated commercialisation programs and strengthened investor networks, delivering a 500% uplift in commercialisation revenues and contributing more than $200 million in research revenues.
He also chaired Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia, and has board and investment experience in Australian spin-outs and venture initiatives, at Monash Ventures, IP Group Australia and BioCurate. He’s represented Monash on the Uniseed board since 2023.
Dr Hick said it was an honour to take on the CEO role.
“Together with our research partners and with the support of our lead investor, UniSuper and co-investor Stoic Ventures, I look forward to building on the exceptional record established under Peter’s leadership, and to accelerate the translation of world-class discoveries into companies that deliver real impact,” he said.
Uniseed chair David Miles AM said Hicks has a proven track record in research commercialisation and exceptional understanding of how academia and industry can intersect to drive innovation.
“Alastair is ideally positioned to lead Uniseed into its next phase of growth,” he said.
“I would like to acknowledge the outstanding leadership of Dr Peter Devine, whose vision and dedication over the past two decades have positioned Uniseed as both a national and global leader in research commercialisation, and seen it named the Most Impactful Research Investment Firm.
Uniseed’s scorecard includes 74 startups which have raised more than $1.58 billion and employed more than 1,000 people, with 12 exits being achieved. The Board sincerely thanks Peter for his strong leadership and wishes him all the best.”
Uniseed is Australia’s longest-running venture fund, backed by nine universities, CSIRO and UniSuper.
A decade ago, Uniseed launched its $50 million Fund-3 with Melbourne, Queensland, Sydney and NSW universities, plus CSIRO, each committing $10 million over 10 years. A $20 million follow-on fund was launched 18 months later and in January 2018, a co-investment fund was established in partnership with Stoic Venture Capital.
UniSuper came on board in 2022 with $75 million, and two years ago, Devine added five new universities to the Uniseed partnership: Monash, Macquarie, UTS, Western Sydney and Newcastle.
Dr Devine praised the appointment of Dr Hick as the new CEO, saying “he brings the expertise, vision and energy needed to build on our foundations and lead Uniseed” to deliver the next wave of impact from Australian research.
“I’m immensely proud of what we have achieved at Uniseed with our partners over the past 20 years. We transformed from a proof-of-concept fund, primarily managed by two university tech transfer offices, into a leading commercialisation fund manager,” he said.
Last week Uniseed was part of a $34 million Series B for nasal spray biotech ENA Respiratory, and last month, the $88 million Series C for wi-fi chip maker Morse Micro.
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