Experience

Rainmakers Private Equity

• United States
• Financial Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• General Partner

  • Mar 2017 - Present

  San Francisco Bay Area Overview RainMakers Private Equity (“RainMakers”) is an independent boutique investment bank providing a unique expertise in special situations within the PE/VC asset class. Our value proposition is to advise General Partners and Limited Partners in structuring specific transactions, which address the new challenges in the PE/VC landscape. Advisory Services to General Partners: - Capital raising on a deal-by-deal basis in the form of co-investments - Syndicating a… Show more Overview RainMakers Private Equity (“RainMakers”) is an independent boutique investment bank providing a unique expertise in special situations within the PE/VC asset class. Our value proposition is to advise General Partners and Limited Partners in structuring specific transactions, which address the new challenges in the PE/VC landscape. Advisory Services to General Partners: - Capital raising on a deal-by-deal basis in the form of co-investments - Syndicating a portion of an existing deal with new LPs - Restructuring of legacy funds - Raising capital for the follow-on requirements of portfolio companies - Sell-Side advisory on secondary sale of direct investments Advisory Services to Limited Partners: - Sell-Side advisory on secondary sale of LP positions - Buyl-Side advisory on secondary purchase of LP positions - Fairness opinions on secondary transactions Since 2004, RainMakers has distinguished itself by its innovation and creativity. We have successfully completed plain vanilla as well as complex synthetic and structured secondary transactions, and have built a reputation for timeliness, discretion, creativity and integrity. RainMakers has set a new standard in creating value for our clients. We have a tailor-made approach for each transaction, instead of applying the same methods to all transactions. Show less



Nowak Ventures, LLC

• Managing Partner

  • 2014 - Present

  Wellesley, MA Nowak Ventures is a corporate strategy, business development and investor relations practice focused on providing experienced counsel and expertise to emerging growth public and private life science and tech companies. • Leading finance team in $100M rollup effort for a PE-backed, profitable advanced wound care products company. • Leading US investor outreach efforts for family office-backed European small cap public biotech company. • Led WW market analysis and competitive… Show more Nowak Ventures is a corporate strategy, business development and investor relations practice focused on providing experienced counsel and expertise to emerging growth public and private life science and tech companies. • Leading finance team in $100M rollup effort for a PE-backed, profitable advanced wound care products company. • Leading US investor outreach efforts for family office-backed European small cap public biotech company. • Led WW market analysis and competitive intelligence study in ophthalmology for Allied Minds start-up. • Led US investment efforts for a leading $ Billion-family office-backed German immuno-oncology company. • Co-founded, organized and led the Family Office BioForum with MassBio. Speaker on Biotech Impact Investing. • Conducted an M&A analysis and due diligence on a potential acquisition target for a leading French biotech. Show less



NAVAN Technologies, Inc.

• Canada
• IT Services and IT Consulting
• 1 - 100 Employee

• CEO

  • Apr 2017 - Jul 2019

  South San Francisco, CA NAVAN Technologies, Inc., (NAVAN) is a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company developing and commercializing its proprietary NanoStraw platform technology, which establishes a direct, physical connection into cells to overcome a huge challenge faced by researchers globally: delivering material into hard-to-transfect-cells in an efficient yet gentle and non-perturbative manner. Cargo delivery via NanoStraws will drastically reduce the working steps, costs and technical difficulties involved in… Show more NAVAN Technologies, Inc., (NAVAN) is a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company developing and commercializing its proprietary NanoStraw platform technology, which establishes a direct, physical connection into cells to overcome a huge challenge faced by researchers globally: delivering material into hard-to-transfect-cells in an efficient yet gentle and non-perturbative manner. Cargo delivery via NanoStraws will drastically reduce the working steps, costs and technical difficulties involved in cell therapy manufacturing. By overcoming viability and manufacturing challenges plaguing traditional viral-based development, NAVAN is actively pursuing innovative therapies in a broad range of indications via strategic collaboration with numerous biopharma companies. NAVAN is a resident company at JLABS @ SSF located at Oyster Point in South San Francisco, CA, and is supported by the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Technology Transfer Program Phase II (award no. 1759075). For more information on NAVAN, please visit www.navan-tech.com. Show less



Ferghana Partners

• United States
• Investment Banking
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Director

  • 2013 - 2013

  Cambridge, MA Ferghana Partners is a strategic partnership and boutique life sciences focused investment bank. • Led strategic partnership and financing engagements for Ferghana clients. Became a FINRA registered representative with Series 63 and 79 investment banking licenses.



Yorkville Advisors, LLC

• Managing Director

  • 2007 - 2012

  Jersey City, New Jersey Yorkville Advisors is a long-only and unlevered hedge fund providing growth capital to public technology companies listed globally, having raised more than $1B in its first 8 years. • Managed $500 M of investment into small cap public global healthcare and biotech companies. • Profitably led over 40 venture capital (cross-over), equity, debt or structured investments through bull and bear markets. • Led Fund’s first investments in Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland… Show more Yorkville Advisors is a long-only and unlevered hedge fund providing growth capital to public technology companies listed globally, having raised more than $1B in its first 8 years. • Managed $500 M of investment into small cap public global healthcare and biotech companies. • Profitably led over 40 venture capital (cross-over), equity, debt or structured investments through bull and bear markets. • Led Fund’s first investments in Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden and Finland and overall in small cap public companies listed on over ten international exchanges. • Built a strong and broad healthcare portfolio, covering a range of therapeutic areas, medical devices & business services. Show less



TVM Capital

• Singapore
• Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
• 1 - 100 Employee

• General Partner

  • 2001 - 2005

  Boston, MA TVM is the oldest and most successful German-American venture fund, having raised more than $1.5B in the last 20 years. Founded by Siemens and TA Associates, TVM focuses on traditional early-stage IT and LS sectors. • Led US Technology investment team and all US investments in the IT, software and technology sectors. • Active Board member for all US investments, including recruiting senior management, managing strategic partnerships, leading follow-on financing and successful M&A exit… Show more TVM is the oldest and most successful German-American venture fund, having raised more than $1.5B in the last 20 years. Founded by Siemens and TA Associates, TVM focuses on traditional early-stage IT and LS sectors. • Led US Technology investment team and all US investments in the IT, software and technology sectors. • Active Board member for all US investments, including recruiting senior management, managing strategic partnerships, leading follow-on financing and successful M&A exit negotiations. • Generated high-quality proprietary deal flow throughout New England, the U.S., and Europe. Show less



McKinsey & Company

• Business Consulting and Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Vice President, Business Development

  • 2000 - 2000

  Waltham, MA McKinsey is the world’s oldest and most prestigious strategic management firm. • Created global business development plan for new division of McKinsey focused on enabling its Global 2000 clients and high profile new entrants to exploit the coming wave of disruptive digital technologies. • Initial focus on market disruptions facilitated by the adoption of advanced wireless, software and broadband internet technologies.



Xerox PARC

• Founder and Senior Principal, Xerox Venture Lab

  • 1998 - 2000

  Palo Alto, CA The Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) was Xerox Corporation’s premier research center. It is known for being the birthplace of many seminal computer and information technologies of the last 40 years. • Co-founded Xerox Venture Lab (Corporate Venture Capital arm) to create and spin-off new businesses based on PARC innovations with multi-$M investment capital from corporate headquarters. • Assessed and prioritized PARC innovations. Built and presented investment case to senior corporate… Show more The Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) was Xerox Corporation’s premier research center. It is known for being the birthplace of many seminal computer and information technologies of the last 40 years. • Co-founded Xerox Venture Lab (Corporate Venture Capital arm) to create and spin-off new businesses based on PARC innovations with multi-$M investment capital from corporate headquarters. • Assessed and prioritized PARC innovations. Built and presented investment case to senior corporate executives. Led business creation and growth efforts as founding CEO of start-up businesses. • Founded and served as CEO of Xerox Electric Paper Company, renamed Gyricon Media, Inc. (GMI), which was spun off from Xerox in December 2000. Similar technology is now in the Amazon Kindle. • Founded and served as CEO of Xerox KnowledgeShare (XKS), a knowledge management software business built with an enterprise portal and eCRM software product developed at PARC. After initial market validation, the business was transferred to the Xerox Professional Services business within a year. Show less



Advanced Technology Program, NIST, US Dept. of Commerce

• Program Manager, Software and Digital Media Investment Funds

  • 1994 - 1998

  Gaithersburg, MD ATP was the U.S. Department of Commerce’s leading high-tech investment program. It invested more than $2B in the 90s in high-risk, high-reward technology development to create next-generation products and services. • Created and managed two $100 M+ investment funds focused on software and digital media. • Sourced all deal flow, conducted and managed all due diligence, evaluated all investment opportunities, managed a two-tier investment process for these programs. • Created $840… Show more ATP was the U.S. Department of Commerce’s leading high-tech investment program. It invested more than $2B in the 90s in high-risk, high-reward technology development to create next-generation products and services. • Created and managed two $100 M+ investment funds focused on software and digital media. • Sourced all deal flow, conducted and managed all due diligence, evaluated all investment opportunities, managed a two-tier investment process for these programs. • Created $840 M of enterprise value, or 7x multiple on invested capital, in 24 software investments totaling $125 M. • Served on Investment Boards which invested in next generation DNA Diagnostics firms. Show less



CEA SACLAY (COMMISSARIAT A L’ENERGIE ATOMIQUE) & UNIVERSITY OF PARIS

• Visiting Scientific Researcher

  • 1990 - 1991

  Paris, France The French Atomic Energy Agency (CEA) is a major research center in France for solid-state physics, and the University of Paris VI is a leading scientific institution in France. • Conducted fundamental research on organic polymers.



BELL LABS (BELLCORE/TELCORDIA) & PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

• Postdoctoral Member of Technical Staff & Postdoctoral Research Associate

  • 1988 - 1990

  Red Bank, NJ and Princeton, NJ Bellcore (Bell Communications Research, Inc.) was, before divestiture, a part of AT&T Bell Labs, the world’s premier research center in telecommunications. Princeton University is one of the premier academic institutions in the world. • Key research scientist in joint academic-industry R&D partnership, published 3 peer reviewed papers.