Jovan Pavlicevic
About Jovan Pavlicevic
Jovan Pavlicevic is a co-founder of Emerge, a digital business banking alternative for New Zealand founders and SMEs. He also co-founded SquareOne, a financial app for children and young people. Per The Org, he co-founded SquareOne in 2019. Other sources date its founding to 2020 or 2021.
Before that, he founded Forest Group in London and was its managing director from 2011 to 2016. Forest was an FCA-regulated financial advice firm and chartered accounting practice. The Enterprise Angels profile of SquareOne says he built and sold it within five years. The INFINZ conference bio says it grew to a team of 25 with seven-figure revenue.
Emerge grew out of SquareOne. In 2024 it closed an NZ$12 million Series A led by Altered Capital, with Icehouse Ventures, K1W1, NZ Fintech Fund and Hard Yaka also taking part. NZ Herald reported this came on top of NZ$10 million across four seed rounds. In December 2025 he spoke on a fintech panel at NZVC Portfolio Day.
Public information on his angel activity is limited. The one angel investment found in press coverage is Azonic, in 2026. He has not published a check size, fund or investment thesis that we could find. Press describes him as a founder of Emerge, not as a full-time investor.
Azonic is an Auckland company that builds an intelligence platform for law enforcement investigations into online crimes. These include child exploitation, financial fraud, sextortion and violent extremism. It was co-founded by CEO Caden Scott and CTO Thomas Holdom. Its pre-seed round included Blackbird Ventures and Antler, plus angels Jamie Beaton, Eliot Crowther and Jovan Pavlicevic. FinSMEs and Security Brief report the amount as undisclosed. NBR reported a round of about NZ$1 million at a NZ$6.1 million valuation. Neither report gives his individual check. Azonic says it will use the money for machine learning and backend engineering hires, agentic investigative workflows, and deployment with security agencies in North America and Europe.
The public record shows one pre-seed AI investment, in a New Zealand company selling to government agencies. That is too little to describe a stated focus. He has not publicly given a check size or preferred sectors. His own operating experience is in fintech. The INFINZ bio says he focuses on backing people and building teams.
- Azonic: AI-enabled digital intelligence platform for law enforcement investigations; pre-seed round reported in August 2026, amount undisclosed.
- infinz.com/Site/INFINZConference/2025_programme/jovan_pavlicevic.aspx
- enterpriseangels.co.nz/project/squareone
- finsmes.com/2026/08/azonic-raises-pre-seed-funding.html
- securitybrief.com.au/story/azonic-raises-pre-seed-backing-for-online-c
- nbr.co.nz/tech/teenage-roblox-entrepreneur-raises-1m-to-fight-online-p
- crunchbase.com/organization/emerge-7885
- theorg.com/org/squareone/org-chart/jovan-pavlicevic
- nzherald.co.nz/business/companies/banking-finance/tech-insider-emerge-
Investing activity
Jovan Pavlicevic appears in 1 AI deal tracked by the Lounge deals desk. The rounds are mostly Pre-seed. The most recent is Azonic (Pre-seed, Aug 2026).
Jovan Pavlicevic most often invests alongside Eliot Crowther, Crimson Education, Blackbird and Antler Elevate (Antler), and the companies they back on Lounge are mostly in AI.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Jovan Pavlicevic
Does Jovan Pavlicevic invest in AI startups?
Yes. He took part in Azonic's pre-seed round in 2026. Azonic builds AI-enabled investigation software for law enforcement agencies.
What is Jovan Pavlicevic's angel check size?
It is not public. Azonic did not disclose the round amount in its announcement, and no source gives his individual check.
What stage does Jovan Pavlicevic invest in?
The one public investment we found is a pre-seed round, Azonic in 2026. He has not published a stage focus.
What companies has Jovan Pavlicevic founded?
He co-founded Emerge and SquareOne in New Zealand. Earlier he founded Forest Group in London, which he led as managing director from 2011 to 2016.
Where is Jovan Pavlicevic based?
His companies Emerge and SquareOne are in New Zealand, and he has spoken at NZ events. NZVC's speaker bio says he previously worked in San Francisco and Singapore.
Is Jovan Pavlicevic an angel investor?
Yes. Jovan Pavlicevic invests personally as an angel.
What AI companies has Jovan Pavlicevic invested in?
Jovan Pavlicevic's AI investments include Azonic. The 1 round on Lounge are listed on this page with amounts, dates and co-investors.
What stage does Jovan Pavlicevic invest at?
In the rounds tracked on Lounge, Jovan Pavlicevic has invested at Pre-seed.
Who does Jovan Pavlicevic co-invest with?
Jovan Pavlicevic's most frequent co-investors on Lounge are Eliot Crowther (1 deal), Crimson Education (1 deal), Blackbird (1 deal) and Antler Elevate (Antler) (1 deal).
How can founders reach Jovan Pavlicevic?
Founders on Lounge can see Jovan Pavlicevic's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with them under Warm Paths, and add Jovan Pavlicevic to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.