Ben and Omar have worked together for close to a decade — starting with shared engagements that tested the compatibility of their thinking before formalising the partnership at Happenco Ventures. Ben led the fund as Partner and Fund Manager of Happenco ES1 LP — managing it from raise through the full investment cycle to complete allocation across early-stage technology, B2B SaaS, and defence accelerator platforms for the Australian Government — while Omar operated as a partner across the advisory and portfolio side, bringing his operational depth to bear on the companies within it.
What became clear through that process was that our most compelling work consistently sat at the intersection of emerging technology and brand — and that the same principles underpinning a successful early-stage fund applied with equal force to the next wave of consumer businesses. As the fund matured, the partnership backed a natural evolution: a hyperfocused proposition targeting emergent brands at exactly that crossection. FOURTHREETWO was born from that foundation.
The conviction behind it is straightforward: in an age of AI, the products and brands that endure will be the ones that are unmistakably human in origin. Well-designed objects, considered aesthetics, and brands with genuine creative identity carry an emotional charge that doesn't commoditise. ANZ produces exceptional talent in this space — and getting more of it onto a global stage is what FOURTHREETWO exists to support.