Eric Tran is Associate Director at Aura Ventures, an early-stage VC firm focused on Australia, part of Aura Group. Apart from Aura Ventures, Aura Group also has a Southeast Asia-focused firm called TNB Aura.

👋🏼 How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

I invest in audacious and unrelenting entrepreneurs looking to transform their respective industries through technology.

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🏆 What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

My very first investment was in a company that I passed on cofounding to pursue a career in investments. To still be able to be involved and help them grow into one of the world's largest esports and gaming media publishers is one of the most rewarding experiences to date!

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🔍 What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?‍

A space I'm keeping an eye on is B2B companies that are reimagining the Future of Work.

Underpinned by a number of broad megatrends such as the great generational shift, distributed work, the extended workforce and tech-augmented work, I believe our relationship with work is on the brink of disruption as great as the sudden shift to remote work at the onset of Covid-19.

We're already seeing a number of emerging market opportunities for companies delivering next-gen solutions in categories such as communication, productivity and collaboration, HR management, and independent work and passion economy facilitators.

💼 What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry? Focus on why yes rather than why not. In other words, rather than ask why this won't work, think in terms of what must be true for this to be big! This might help you uncover non-obvious solutions that reflect the non-obvious journey of new market creation.

🎥 What's your favorite movie/TV show?

Netflix - Peaky Blinders (have watched it three times over). It's a masterpiece for its exploration of mental health issues.

🍨 What's your go-to ice cream flavor?‍

Biscoff or Tiramisu