AusFirst

AusFirst Capital and AusFirst’s Supported Ventures have approximately 14,500 direct and indirect shareholders. We now call these investors “AusFirst Angels”. They meet regularly for venture updates and to receive information and education on how to invest in new ventures.

Our sister company Kixstaart Equities Limited ACN 106 211 983 has established Kixstaart Innovation Centres in partnership with local individuals in oder to provide service and information to local ventures and AusFirst Angles investors. These are set out at Regional Networks section.

Our Investment Companies and Supported Ventures have over 70 principal and independent directors working hard to ensure success.

We have many AusFirst Membership Agents around Australia selling memberships, seminars and products, and distributing flyers and information on our Investment Companies and Supported Ventures.

AusFirst Innovation was founded by Mr John Rivett who is the Managing Director -

 

Founder & Managing Director - John Philip Rivett

 

Mr Rivett’s passion has always been innovation and establishing new businesses. He opened his first business when aged 15 and his second and third while a teenager. He graduated from the University of Queensland with degrees in Commerce and Law and practised law in Townsville & Brisbane for a total of 11 years until 1988. Whilst a student, and later as a lawyer in Townsville between 1975 and 1985 he was involved as a principal and consultant in dozens of business start ups, buy outs and takeovers in various industries. He developed an expertise in start up corporate business structures and strategies, business finance and tax.                                                                    

He moved to the Sunshine Coast in 1988. From then until 2000 he was a professional company director and principal involved in businesses in the tourism and property industries. He was a Director of and Corporate Legal Counsel for Forrester Parker Group (now the listed FKP Properties), and CEO of its subsidiary, Sunshine Lifestyle Resorts Pty Ltd. For Forrester Parker, he was the Director responsible for Great Sandy Straits Marina at Hervey Bay, Coolum Village Shopping Centre and Noosa Hill Resort and for Sunshine Lifestyle Resorts, he established the Management Rights at Catalina Resort. After leaving Forrester Parker, he purchased a controlling interest in the ailing Westmark Corporation Limited, restructured it, and was able to re list it on the ASX before selling out at a profit.

As a principal he then established Pacific Horizons Resort, Holiday Mooloolaba, Strata Care, Ibex Sunshine Coast (a franchise), the first Remax Realty office in Australia, and with a partner purchased, restructured and then sold out of Mooloolaba Real Estate.                                                                          

He has started over 20 different businesses of his own. Whilst most were successful, several were not and he has experienced and learnt from the hard lessons of failed enterprise.

Since 2000 he has specialised in the venture capital industry-

1        Kickstart. He established Kickstart Innovation which owns the AusFirst group and also owns Kixstaart Equities Limited and Kickstart Cash Partners. The former holds Australian Financial Services License 275444. Mr Rivett has been approved by ASIC as the “Key Person - Responsible Manager” under this license. The latter provides short term loans to venture companies.

 

2        SME Securities. He and two partners founded SME Securities Pty Ltd – a new venture investor and mentor with several successful product developments.

 

3        Consulting projects. He has also taken on these roles  -

 

Alternate Chair & CEO - Foltainer International Pty Ltd (collapsible shipping container project)

Deputy Chair - BioCane Limited (developing new sugar cane animal fodder plant at Nambour)

Consultant (Legal Affairs) - Alternative Energy International Management Limited (HK) (developing the world’s first pathway to carbon free hydrogen)

 

He also currently practices part time as a Barrister at Law based at Noosa Heads, Queensland in a variety of causes.

 

 

Aged 58, he is married with adult children. He has been a leader in community affairs on the Sunshine Coast, serving as the President of Mooloolaba Chamber of Commerce, Matthew Flinders Anglican College P&C (Buderim), Central Coast Blue Light Youth Club (Maroochydore) and Sunshine Coast Junior Rugby Union.