Eliot Crowther
About Eliot Crowther
Eliot Crowther co-founded Pushpay in 2011 with Chris Heaslip. Pushpay builds mobile giving and payment software, with a focus on churches and non-profits. Crunchbase lists him as Executive Director, Sales and co-founder from April 2011 to June 2019. NZ Herald reported that he left the company in 2018 and Heaslip left the following year.
Before Pushpay he was a sales executive at HRV, a New Zealand home ventilation business. PitchBook lists a Diploma in Applied Sciences (2006) from AUT. Tracxn also credits him with founding ChurchStaq. He is based in the Seattle, Washington area.
Public records show a small number of angel investments, mostly alongside Heaslip. In October 2019 the two led a NZ$2.5M seed round in First AML, an Auckland compliance startup. They backed its A$8M Series A in 2020, and Crunchbase lists a Series B in November 2021. RNZ reported that he renewed his commitment in a later NZ$30M round.
Crunchbase records him in a Leadr Series A in July 2021. He also took part in a seed round for the cybersecurity company Onwardly in December 2021.
In August 2026 he joined the seed round for Sterling, a New Zealand startup founded in 2025 that builds AI workflows for finance and accounting teams. The round was A$3.15M (NZ$3.8M) and was led by Blackbird. NZ Herald reported that he holds a 5% stake.
Also in August 2026 he joined the pre-seed round for Azonic, an Auckland company building an intelligence platform for law enforcement investigating online crime. Blackbird and Antler backed the round, and Jamie Beaton and Jovan Pavlicevic also took part. Azonic did not disclose the amount. Startup Daily reported NZ$1M at a NZ$6.1M valuation.
Data aggregators list him as a pre-seed and seed investor. Tracxn lists enterprise applications and enterprise infrastructure as his main sectors, and New Zealand and the United States as his main regions. His recent AI deals are in finance automation and law enforcement software.
We found no public statement from him on his check size or on what he looks for in founders.
- Sterling: AI autopilot for finance and accounting teams; seed round, August 2026.
- Azonic: AI intelligence platform for investigators of online crime; pre-seed round, August 2026.
- First AML: customer verification and anti-money laundering compliance; seed in 2019, Series A in 2020, Series B in 2021.
- Leadr: Series A participant in July 2021 per Crunchbase.
- Onwardly: cybersecurity company; seed round, December 2021.
- crunchbase.com/person/eliot-crowther
- pitchbook.com/profiles/investor/327364-12
- tracxn.com/d/people/eliot-crowther/__puamNXLucnCZdaDnz2jA5f2HLikqNsFB5
- easyvc.ai/investor/eliot-crowther
- nzherald.co.nz/business/pushpay-founders-chris-heaslip-and-eliot-crowt
- rnz.co.nz/news/business/454711/first-aml-raises-30-million-in-funding-
- zoominfo.com/c/onwardly-ltd/556944139
- crunchbase.com/organization/leadr-842e/financial_details
Investing activity
Eliot Crowther appears in 2 AI deals tracked by the Lounge deals desk. The rounds are mostly Pre-seed and Seed, with a median round size of $2M. The most recent are Azonic (Pre-seed, Aug 2026) and Sterling (Seed, A$3.15M, Aug 2026).
Eliot Crowther most often invests alongside Blackbird, Crimson Education, Jovan Pavlicevic and Antler Elevate (Antler), and the companies they back on Lounge are mostly in AI.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Eliot Crowther
Who is Eliot Crowther?
He is a co-founder of Pushpay, the church giving and payments company, and an angel investor based in the Seattle area. He has backed startups in New Zealand and the US.
What AI startups has Eliot Crowther invested in?
In August 2026 he joined Sterling's A$3.15M seed round, which Blackbird led. He also joined Azonic's pre-seed round, whose size was undisclosed.
What stage does Eliot Crowther invest in?
Data aggregators list pre-seed and seed. His public deals include seed rounds in First AML, Onwardly and Sterling, and a pre-seed in Azonic.
What is Eliot Crowther's check size?
It is not public. NZ Herald reported that his Sterling stake is 5% of a NZ$3.8M seed round, but no dollar figure for his own cheque was found.
Does Eliot Crowther invest outside New Zealand?
Tracxn lists New Zealand and the United States as his investment locations. Azonic's platform is already used by investigators in Australia, New Zealand and the US.
Does Eliot Crowther co-invest with other angels?
Yes. He has invested with Pushpay co-founder Chris Heaslip, and in Sterling alongside Rowan Simpson and Blackbird. In Azonic he invested with Blackbird, Antler, Jamie Beaton and Jovan Pavlicevic.
Is Eliot Crowther an angel investor?
Yes. Eliot Crowther invests personally as an angel.
What AI companies has Eliot Crowther invested in?
Eliot Crowther's AI investments include Azonic and Sterling. The 2 rounds on Lounge are listed on this page with amounts, dates and co-investors.
What stage does Eliot Crowther invest at?
In the rounds tracked on Lounge, Eliot Crowther has invested at Pre-seed and Seed, with a median round of $2M.
Who does Eliot Crowther co-invest with?
Eliot Crowther's most frequent co-investors on Lounge are Blackbird (2 deals), Crimson Education (1 deal), Jovan Pavlicevic (1 deal), Antler Elevate (Antler) (1 deal) and Rowan Simpson (1 deal).