Irene Hao

Irene is an Investment Manager at Sprout, where she focuses on identifying and supporting high-potential agritech and foodtech startups. She works closely with founders, investors, and industry partners to help early-stage companies grow and succeed.

Before joining Sprout, Irene was at Nuance Connected Capital, a deep-tech venture capital fund, where she led due diligence on a variety of investments and supported portfolio companies as they scaled.

Beyond her role at Sprout, Irene is a strong advocate for New Zealand’s startup ecosystem. She is a Trustee of the Global Entrepreneurship Network NZ and the Programme Delivery Lead at startup governance programme Onboard.

With an M.Sc in Forensic Science, Irene also has a background as an Analytical Chemist, having worked both in New Zealand and internationally.