Andrea Scholz

Operates as an investment company that specializes in private equity and infrastructure

Earlybird seeks to invest in companies led by outstanding people who are creating major new markets. Most investments are made in the early-stages or during a phase of expansion while the company is privately held. The firm seeks a team with an entrepreneurial vision and skill-set with highly personal commitments to the success of the venture. They invest in companies that demonstrate vision and creativity with large, untapped market opportunities, and seek entrepreneurs with a passion for their ideas and the determination, commitment and skills needed to transform their vision into a successful business. The target investment’s market must be sufficiently expansive, with growth to enable significant annual sales in a few years. After a sufficient developmental period, they expect the company’s products and services to maintain growth potential and also generate a high level of profitability. Products or services should have a clear and sustainable competitive advantage based on product features protected by strong intellectual property and other barriers to entry while posting a moderate technology risk. Earlybird’s investment focus is software/information technology, communications, healthcare and convergent technologies.

Sapphire Ventures invests in companies located in the United states, Europe and Israel with revenues of at least USD 5 million or more. The firm targets companies operating in the fields of enterprise, sports and consumer. It provide financing for seed, early and growth stage capital requirements with an investment size ranging from USD 3 - 50 million. It takes an active role on the board of directors, acts as a lead or co-lead investor and makes follow on investments.

Cipio Partners specializes in secondary direct investments and manages several private equity funds. The firm is also marginally active in the primary market. They usually co-invests with institutional partners. Cipio Partners invests primarily in the information technology, communications and media sectors. The firm employs a disciplined bottom-up when acquiring investments, whether single assets or entire portfolios, and in supporting their existing portfolio companies. Cipio Partners pursues the acquisition of portfolios of direct private equity investments in the secondary market. The firm considers transactions ranging from single company shareholdings to large and well-diversified portfolios across all stages of the investing life cycle, from early- to late-stage venture capital through middle-market and smaller buyout investments. Securities purchased may include equity, mezzanine and debt. Cipio Partners is flexible in structuring transactions to address the needs and preferences of all parties involved. As appropriate, the firm provides capital to portfolio companies in which they have acquired secondary positions and may consider the purchase of additional shares. Cipio Partners may serve as a lead or co-lead investor. The firm considers transactions ranging from a single asset costing a few million dollars to portfolio deals of $100 million or more in size.