Invests in
Sectors:
Min Investment:
$100,000.00Max Investment:
$10,000,000.00Target Investment:
$1,000,000.00
Skills
Education
Lists including Gaurav
Work Experience
2020
Managing Partner
2020
Omega Venture Partners (OMEGA) is a premier technology investment firm headquartered in Silicon Valley. Omega invests in rapidly growing Software Businesses that leverage AI, ML, Data, and Automation to deliver transformative solutions. The Firm employs a thematic investment strategy to identify large market opportunities and the next generation of market leaders. Omega’s investment focus is on businesses with exceptional products that deliver unparalleled value and happiness to their customers. OMEGA seeks to provide exceptional counsel and unique resources to support the growth of enduring and consequential businesses. The Firm generally invests in early-growth stage companies that have traction and product-market fit, and works closely with the proprietary Omega Network of world-class enterprise executives, Fortune 500 companies, and renowned domain experts to accelerate the trajectory of portfolio companies.
2015
Managing Director, Global Venture Investing & Innovation
2015
Gaurav leads Venture Capital and early-growth stage technology investments in innovative digital companies, and collaborates closely with Citigroup's executive leadership to drive strategic growth initiatives as well as alliances with emerging businesses on a global basis. He has extensive experience in various leadership, deal making, and operating capacities across the technology and financial services industries, and has led investments in dozens of private companies and held numerous board seats. Gaurav possesses established expertise and networks across the next-generation Technology ecosystems, including the FinTech, Commerce & Payments, Software / SaaS, Cloud, Mobile, and AI / ML sectors. He has directly led and / or played an instrumental role in investments including Braze, Plaid, Optimizely, Tealium, Datarobot, Persado, Cylance, Joist, Feedzai, IPSY, Tanium, Stealth AI.
2012 - 2015
Managing Director
2012 - 2015
• Led and drove investment strategy, and all aspects of identifying, evaluating, negotiating, and managing investments in the next generation of disruptive and innovative companies • Focused on Enterprise and Consumer investments across SaaS, Media, Internet / Mobile, Data, and Technology-Enabled Services. • Thematically pursued opportunities that take advantage of Big Data, Analytics, new business models, and disruptive technology-fueled paradigm shifts within large GDP-driver sectors such as Finance, Healthcare, Transportation / Logistics, and Education • Led investments in and worked closely with innovative companies that have created billions in enterprise value in the public markets and tens of thousands of jobs, including Square (IPO), Criteo (IPO), Recommind (acquired by OpenText), Krux (acquired by Salesforce), Docusign (IPO)
2010 - 2011
Chief Operating Officer (via Highland Capital)
2010 - 2011
• BTR was ranked fastest growing e-commerce company in North America by Internet Retailer magazine (2011); Red Herring Top 100 Tech Company (2013); OnMedia Top 100 Private Company (2013); Third Fastest Growing Canadian Company (2012, Profit Magazine) • Instrumental in delivering 200% increase in company ecommerce revenues by providing operational leadership and establishing critical systems and processes • Partnered with CEO to develop BTR’s strategic plan; Translated strategies into granular action plans, KPIs, and growth objectives for each department • Developed a culture of open information sharing and increased accountability by driving alignment across disparate groups, and institutionalized processes and systems to facilitate agile coordination • Refined operating model, supervised predictive analytics forecasting project, and redeployed resources • Evaluated and qualified in-bound M&A interest; Managed bakeoff process to select investment bankers • Reorganized corporate structure to solve for cross-border tax, liquidity, and compliance considerations • Managed competitive bidding process to solicit and secure mezzanine debt financing
2006 - 2011
Principal
2006 - 2011
• Multi-stage venture capital and private equity firm with over $3 Billion under management Invested in companies across the Internet, mobile, digital media, and software / SaaS sectors; Evaluated venture capital investments, growth equity transactions, recapitalizations, spin-outs and PIPEs • Led transaction evaluation and execution by directing in-house and external resources to execute and coordinate work streams; Managed construction of detailed investment models, financial and operating analyses; Structured and negotiated deal terms and key legal provisions • Provided timely and effective counsel to portfolio company CEOs on product roadmaps, revenue models, business development, strategic and financial planning, operating decisions, and capital markets • Actively monitored portfolio company progress and designed feedback loops to take timely action • Board Director at StyleFeeder (Time Warner), SET Media (Valueclick), Global Streams, and Top10 Media • Board Observer at Rent The Runway, Navic Networks (acquired by Microsoft), Coremetrics (IBM), CafeMom, Beyond The Rack, Green Bullion Financial Services, Vibe Solutions, Gotuit, and Yipit Executed mandates to drive portfolio value appreciation • Administered M&A process for Gouit by qualifying and building relationships with prospective acquirers, developing and coordinating a disciplined roadshow process, and working closely with the board to evaluate and select an acquisition offer • Negotiated and completed a management buyout of Globalstreams • Made the business case to spin-out StyleFeeder from Top10 Media, and played a hands-on role in securing buy-in from management, reformulated the option plan to align incentives, and coordinated legal documentation, including IP cross-licensing, indemnification, and employee agreements • Guided Gotuit’s CEO in analyzing, structuring and negotiating multi-million dollar Intellectual Property licensing deals
2005 - 2005
Corporate Strategy
2005 - 2005
• Recommended “build, buy, or partner” decisions as part of an eight-person team working with Bill Gates’ Technology Advisor • Orchestrated the acquisition of FrontBridge by Microsoft by building an M&A thesis within the Messaging Archiving sector and screening prospective acquisition candidates • Collaborated with business unit executives across the company to validate and quantify growth opportunities for Microsoft’s Cloud offerings in the SMB and emerging markets segments
2001 - 2004
Associate
2001 - 2004
• Advised CEOs in the high-tech and financial services sectors on strategy, organization, and innovation • Promoted directly from Analyst to Associate ("DTA")
2000 - 2000
Product Manager
2000 - 2000
• Product Manager, Application Center Product (.NET platform) • Managed a team of developers and testers to lead the specification, design, development, and release of the User Interface module of Application Center, which is a key pillar of Microsoft’s .NET strategy
1998 - 1999
Software Engineer, Inventor and Prototype Developer
1998 - 1999
• Research Engineer, Web Technologies (1998); Mobile Technologies (1999) • Invented “Live Information Selection and Analysis” (LISA) platform for real-time Internet applications • Developed “Cufflinks,” a pioneering system for wireless data communication in handheld devices