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DQventures General Partner, Oliver Palmer

1 Sept 2026 · 2 min

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1:58

Oliver Palmer introduces himself as a co‑founder of DQ Ventures and outlines his extensive experience helping founders build, fund, and exit companies. He founded the mobile technology firm Tigerspike in Sydney in 2005, bootstrapped it for eight years, then raised $11 million, expanded to eight global offices, grew to 400 employees, and sold the company in 2017 for $85 million. After the exit, he spent time in venture capital, reviewing more than 1,000 first‑round startup pitches and assisting another business sale in 2022. At DQ Ventures, he focuses on guiding founders through idea selection, validating assumptions, establishing solid business foundations, and navigating fundraising and exit processes. He shares his personal background—born in Cape Town, raised in Nairobi, educated in the UK, lived in Sydney and Singapore—and his passion for golf, which he uses as a metaphor for understanding people and businesses. He positions himself as a mentor who offers practical, experience‑based support to make the founder journey more enjoyable and successful.

Chapters

Hi, I'm Oliver Palmer, one of the co-founders of DQ Ventures. I understand what kind of business is scalable, and I can help you raise money and exit when you're ready. I started a mobile technology company in Sydney in 2005 called Tigerspike. We bootstrapped it for the first 8 years and then raised $11 million in venture capital. We opened up 8 offices around the world, grew it to 400 people, and eventually sold it to a US company in 2017 for $85 million. After that, I spent some time in venture capital and listened to over 1,000 startup pitches from startups raising their first round. Along the way, I helped a second business sell in 2022. My job is to help you start with the idea. Which one is right for you, worth your time, and what has to be true for that idea to actually work? Then we'll look at developing the building blocks that let it stand on its own, the business foundations. If you need external capital, I know what investors look for, and when you come to sell, I've been there before. So where am I from? I was born in Cape Town in South Africa, and I grew up in Nairobi in Kenya. I studied in the UK, and after that I went traveling around the world. I got as far as Sydney and I never left, other than 8 years in Singapore. I moved back to Sydney in 2021, and I've been here for the last 5 years. So what matters most to me? Apart from family and friends, I try and play as much golf as I can, often combining the two. Last Saturday, I played a round of golf with my son to celebrate his 18th birthday. I've played all over the world. I'm a member of a few clubs in Sydney and Melbourne. 4 hours on a golf course will tell you an awful lot about someone or their business. What can you expect from me? Being a founder is challenging. Having someone who you can talk to along the way, whether it's to celebrate the wins or negotiate the challenges, makes that journey bearable, hopefully a lot of fun, and will ultimately increase the chances of success immeasurably. So as I say to everybody, let's build something together.