Author: Evangeline Matthews
Photo Courtesy of: Joshua Fidrmuc
For Joshua Fidrmuc, venture capital wasn’t the goal—it was a natural next step. His success as a founder gave him firsthand insight into early-stage struggles, drawing him into advising and backing ambitious entrepreneurs. A former Australian Army soldier, Fidrmuc was far from the world of polished pitch decks and high-stakes funding. His journey began on the ground: building a business from scratch, navigating its challenges, and ultimately exiting with hard-earned experience.
As the founder of Dial A Vet, a telemedicine platform for veterinary care, Joshua Fidrmuc transformed Australian animal health care, enabling pet owners to video call a vet in minutes across the country. By the time he stepped back, the platform had served 40,000+ pet owners. Rather than launching another startup, Fidrmuc turned to a new challenge: guiding early-stage entrepreneurs.
“I’d built something I was proud of, but I kept getting pulled into conversations with founders tackling early growth pains,” he recalls. What started as informal advice soon led to the launch of Cheers VC, a single-family office investment firm through which he has deployed seven figures into a dozen North American startups.
Building Cheers VC: Investing Beyond the Check
Cheers VC operates outside the traditional VC model: structured as a single-family office, independent, and founder-focused. This gives Joshua Fidrmuc the freedom to invest in high-potential startups without external pressure for quick returns. His approach requires strategic capital allocation but allows him to take risks that larger firms might avoid. Rather than chasing high-volume deals or unicorns, he prioritizes founders who are obsessed with solving real problems and executing on their vision.
“I don’t care about flashy pitches,” Fidrmuc states. “I want to see someone who’s obsessed with solving a problem and will work in the trenches to make it succeed.”
This approach has led Cheers VC to invest in a diverse range of industries, from creator economy tools like Gumroad to AI-driven robotics with Figure AI and customer engagement platforms like Customer.io. YourStory, another portfolio company, has also emerged as a key player in North America’s startup ecosystem.
What sets Cheers VC apart is Fidrmuc’s hands-on involvement. Unlike many investors who wait for pitch decks to arrive, he actively seeks out talent and provides tactical mentorship on early-stage growth strategies. He leverages his Dial A Vet network to connect founders with key players, helping them refine their go-to-market strategies, hire top talent, and navigate common startup pitfalls.
A Founder’s Perspective in a Changing Venture Landscape
The North American venture capital landscape has shifted in recent years. While traditional funds have poured billions into late-stage startups, early-stage founders often struggle to secure funding from investors willing to go deep rather than go broad. Cheers VC stands as a counterpoint to this trend, emphasizing long-term relationships over rapid-fire dealmaking.
Joshua Fidrmuc’s belief in founder-driven growth is reflected in his hands-on, mentorship-driven approach to investing. While global VC trends are shifting towards smaller, highly involved funds, Fidrmuc’s philosophy remains rooted in his own entrepreneurial experience.
“I’m not here to chase trends or build a massive portfolio,” Fidrmuc states. “I’d rather go deep with a few companies I really believe in and use my network to help where needed.”
That philosophy has already yielded results. Cheers VC’s portfolio includes a company that has reached unicorn status, with Fidrmuc investing in its pre-Series A round back in 2021. Companies like Gumroad have expanded into a major force in the creator economy, while Customer.io continues to carve out a space in automated marketing and engagement software.
Cheers VC: A Lean but Impactful Approach
Keeping Cheers VC agile and founder-centric has been Joshua Fidrmuc’s strategic advantage. Rather than scaling aggressively, he remains selective, focusing on startups where he can provide the most value. While some investors measure success by the number of deals closed, Fidrmuc gauges his impact by the quality of relationships built and the tangible progress of the startups he backs.
Fidrmuc’s success underscores a larger truth: venture capital is evolving. Hands-on investors with real-world founder experience are redefining the game. Sometimes, all it takes is a founder’s instinct and a willingness to bet on the next generation of builders.
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