Joseph Ziller, a fund manager with a keen eye for brilliant business minds, has found success by investing in companies led by exceptional founders. His Ziller Funds Management’s $10.4 million Founders Global Fund, which invests in 15 to 25 high-growth companies, has delivered impressive returns since its inception in 2022. The fund achieved a 37.1 per cent annual return and a staggering 50.4 per cent return for the 2025 financial year, net of fees. The fund’s recent success is partly attributed to its investment in Figma, a design tool that allows teams to collaborate in real-time on digital products such as websites and apps.
Ziller’s investment strategy involves a rigorous process of assessing founders based on output and quality. This framework helps him filter through hundreds of founder-led companies to identify those with the greatest potential. One of the fund’s early and most successful investments was in Palantir, a Nasdaq-listed company that develops powerful analytics platforms used by governments and businesses. Ziller recognised the potential in Palantir’s unique business model and the culture cultivated by its co-founders, Alex Karp and Peter Thiel.
Another key holding is Rocket Lab, which designs and launches small rockets to deliver satellites into orbit. Ziller believes in founder Peter Beck and anticipates that Rocket Lab will thrive in the medium launch market. He also holds positions in Tesla and XPeng, strategically hedging against potential risks associated with the electric vehicle market and its key players. Ziller carefully avoids companies with founders he deems ‘low quality’, having successfully dodged ASX-listed WiseTech Global and Mineral Resources.
Ziller is particularly excited about Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange described as “the Amazon of crypto”, which he believes will benefit from the evolving regulatory landscape for stablecoins. Ziller’s approach of focusing on founders, culture, and rigorous stock selection has proven to be a winning formula for the Founders Global Fund.
