Built to ship, not advise
Lightning Ventures is a Melbourne-based AI integration and custom software agency. We build production systems — AI agents, MCP servers, workflow automation, Bubble.io apps, and custom software — for Australian businesses.
We were founded on a simple premise: most businesses don't need an AI strategy. They need someone to build the thing. We skip the consultancy theatre and get straight to building working systems that replace manual work and compound over time.
Our team is entirely Australian-based. We work with startups, mid-market companies, and enterprises across aged care, property, professional services, logistics, and SaaS. We've led technical builds for Ford, 10+ Y Combinator companies, and dozens of Australian businesses.
Trusted by leading organisations
What we believe
Build, don't advise.
Strategy without execution is a waste of money. We ship working software.
Be honest about trade-offs.
We'll tell you when AI isn't the answer, when Bubble is better than custom code, and when your idea needs more validation.
Own what you pay for.
You get the source code, documentation, and infrastructure access. No vendor lock-in.
Measure what matters.
Every project has clear success metrics. If we can't measure it, we don't build it.
Our team
Adi Patel
Growth & Operations Lead · Melbourne, VIC
Adi leads growth and operations at Lightning Ventures, keeping clients, projects, and delivery running smoothly. He works across the business — from scoping new engagements to streamlining how the team operates — so clients get results and projects ship on time.
Dave McManus
Founder and Product Lead · Melbourne, VIC
Dave founded Lightning Ventures after four years building software products across Australia and the US. He's led builds for Ford, 10+ Y Combinator companies, and dozens of Australian mid-market businesses. He specialises in AI integration, product strategy, and replacing manual workflows with autonomous systems.
Florian Birolleau
Senior Engineer (CTO-Level) · Sydney, NSW
Florian is a CTO-level full-stack and AI engineer with 8+ years shipping production systems — from HIPAA-compliant healthcare platforms to AI-driven development workflows. He's been a founding engineer, CTO, and technical lead across startups in Australia, the US, and Europe.
Jhoann Lumbera
Developer · Melbourne, VIC
Jhoann specialises in Bubble.io development and workflow automation. He builds client-facing platforms and back-end automation pipelines, with particular expertise in Make.com, Xero integrations, and Bubble frontend architecture.
Ready to get started?
Book a free 30-minute scoping call. We'll tell you honestly whether we can help.
We take on 2–3 new projects per quarter.