Rob Ward

Rob Ward

Investor · Advisor · Builder

Quad Lock Co-Founder.
Bootstrapped → Scaled → Exited.

I'm not a consultant. I've built, scaled, and exited.

I co-founded Quad Lock in 2011 and built it into a global DTC brand selling millions of units across 100+ countries. In 2024, Thule Group acquired the business, one of the largest Australian DTC deals to date. I completed my exit in late 2025.

Before Quad Lock, I dropped out of uni, sold door-to-door, trained as a toolmaker, grew a laser manufacturing business, and launched a string of side hustles with my co-founder Chris Peters, including Australia's first Kickstarter product.

Today I invest in and advise growth-stage founders through VC funds and direct startup investments, with a focus on e-commerce, consumer products, and DTC brands. I also created The DTC Playbook, a free guide covering everything I learned building, scaling, and exiting a direct-to-consumer brand.

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Launched. Scaled. Exited.

Now helping others do the same.


Get in Touch

Raising a round, building a DTC brand, or just want to compare notes? I'm always up for a chat.