Xavier Taucher: From Startup Grit to Fund Strategy
Bridgewest Ventures is excited to welcome Xavier Taucher as Fund Associate for our soon-to-be launched Fund.
With a rare mix of founder experience, financial insight, and scientific training, Xavier brings both empathy and analytical rigour to a role that sits at the heart of our mission: backing ambitious deep tech ventures and helping them scale from New Zealand to the world.
What sets Xavier apart isn’t just his technical competence. It’s his lived experience as someone who’s been on the other side of the investment conversation. As the fund takes shape, he is helping to embed that same founder-first thinking into its operations, ensuring it’s well-aligned with the people it’s built to support.
“I’ve done the startup thing, I’ve built a product, and I’ve experienced the hard graft, where there’s always more to do and never enough time. It gives me a lot of empathy for what founders are going through.”
A Curiosity for Science, and a Founder’s Drive
Xavier studied a double degree in commerce (economics and finance) and applied science (sports science and nutrition) at the University of Otago. That breadth is exactly what shaped Xavier’s interest in innovation and ultimately led him into the startup world.
“I’ve always been curious about how things work, whether it’s biology or engines or business models. That curiosity is what drew me toward startups and deep tech.”
After graduating, Xavier briefly considered a career as a strength and conditioning coach but soon found himself gravitating toward entrepreneurship. He combined his applied science knowledge and a keen sense for problem-solving to found a services marketplace startup focused on matching individuals with health and fitness services.
“I built the matching logic behind it. Basically, how to connect what someone wants with what someone else offers. We created a web app that blended data, algorithms, and a clean user experience.”
Like many early-stage ventures, the startup eventually ran out of capital before finding Product Market Fit. But the experience left a deep impression on Xavier and changed the way he viewed the venture ecosystem.
“Nobody tells you how many hats you’ll wear or how little downtime there is. There’s no ‘end of the day’, you’re always trying to overcome that next hurdle. That pressure teaches you a lot about resilience, and it shapes how you support others.”
Joining Bridgewest: A Role That Connects Passion with Purpose
Before joining Bridgewest Ventures, Xavier worked at Enterprise Angels, a large angel network with hundreds of portfolio companies and investors. There, he had a broad role covering investments and operations, including preparing investment summaries for member investors.
It was during that time that Xavier first became aware of Bridgewest and its unique positioning in the New Zealand venture landscape.
“What stood out to me was Bridgewest’s global connection, especially to the US. That’s rare in our market. I also loved that they weren’t just investing in deep tech, they were building it. That incubator model, that high-conviction approach, really appealed to me.”
Xavier’s role at Bridgewest starts with operational support, including documentation, valuations, capital calls and distributions, corporate actions, analysis, and reporting. As the fund progresses toward its final close, his responsibilities will evolve to include investor relations and oversight of outsourced compliance.
“I'll eventually be more involved in investor relations and overseeing outsourced compliance. It’s great to have that level of ownership early in my career. I’m learning a lot, fast.”
Xavier is also particularly enthusiastic about the potential of Bridgewest’s portfolio companies, such as BioOra, and the opportunity to contribute to a fund that’s deeply hands-on.
“It’s not just about writing a cheque and waiting for updates. We’re in there helping build the business, and that’s where I think Bridgewest really stands out.”
Aotearoa's Deep Tech Edge
Xavier believes New Zealand has a unique edge when it comes to growing deep tech ventures. While the ecosystem is still maturing, the country’s size and connectedness can actually work in its favour.
“In New Zealand, you get access to smart, experienced people early. You don’t need to go through layers of hierarchy to find someone who can help. That kind of access speeds things up.”
His science background gives Xavier a particular appreciation for the complexity (and promise) of deep tech.
“When deep tech companies came through during my previous role, I was always more interested in those than the rest. They’re doing something novel. Having studied science, I was gripped by the concepts and appreciated the problems they were solving.”
If given the chance to stop time for four years and study engineering, Xavier says he’d do it in a heartbeat.
“I’ve always been fascinated by machines, systems, how things are built. Deep tech is where that curiosity meets impact, and that’s why it’s so exciting.”
A Calm Perspective in a High-Stakes Game
Asked how his founder background shapes the way he interacts with startups, Xavier reflects on the mindset He’s cultivated:
“I try to stay relaxed but driven. That probably comes from doing a startup. You learn to control what you can and not stress about what you can’t. There are going to be things outside your control, like who might buy your company one day, but you can always focus on making progress where it counts.”
That attitude, grounded and quietly ambitious, is exactly what makes Xavier a great fit for Bridgewest Ventures and for the work ahead.
With New Zealand’s deep tech ecosystem gaining momentum, and a new fund ready to support the next generation of breakthrough ventures, Xavier is here to help shape the future - One founder, one investment, one data point at a time.
To learn more about the Bridgewest Investment Fund and register your interest (wholesale investors only) click below.