LH

Laurence Hayward

VC @ ATOMS hardtech fund

Greater Chicago Area

Work Experience

2022

  • Founding Partner

    2022

    ATOMS is a "hardtech" venture capital fund investing in engineering and scientific breakthroughs that improve the human condition. These include health and wellness (med device, food tech), sustainability (clean energy, water) and productivity (robotics, semi, etc.). We are Venture Capital for the hard stuff (tm).

  • Venture Partner

    2011

    Independence Equity is an early-stage venture capital fund focused on technologies that promote resource efficiency. Investment sectors include cleantech, agtech, material science and industrial innovation.

  • Founder and Managing Partner

    2003

    VentureLab and LAB-137 bring together the essential elements to help entrepreneurs succeed (www.theventurelab.com). We incubate businesses by helping our clients access capital (capital), plan the business (strategy), find the right people (people) and take products to market (customers/partners). A primary focus is private placements of equity for early-stage companies, which is done through our LAB 137 affiliate (a Rainmaker Securities FINRA broker-dealer). We've completed transactions with a wide range of companies from water purification to nano-structured polymers to healthcare IT. We've represented entrepreneurs in mergers & acquisitions and have secured project debt financing, leasing arrangements, and commercial bank financing for our clients. We often serve as a part-time (interim) executive for clients advising them in areas including strategic planning, operations, financial management, business development and strategic alliances.

2006 - 2020

  • Co-Founder

    2006 - 2020

    Cornerstone Angels is an industry agnostic angel group investing in seed and early-stage companies.

  • Managing Director

    2000 - 2003

    A start-up founded by the original financiers of AOL, Vcapital matched entrepreneurs with investors using an internet-based private equity exchange. Became President & Managing Director following the acquisition of Vcapital by J&L Securities, a full service, NY-based investment bank in 2002. Managed operations in early-stage private equity, business services and Internet systems.

1992 - 2000

  • Marketing Director

    1992 - 2000

    Marketing Director of an international accounting and business advisory services group that served mid-market and venture-backed companies. We achieved fee growth that was more than twice the rate of the industry during tenure by innovating with new marketing initiatives such as the Best Practices Awards, which recognized emerging companies with excellent business processes. We developed the first Internet-based application and benchmarking tools in the mid-90s. Responsibilities included managing a team at headquarters and marketing professionals in 80 offices throughout the world. We designed and produced Andersen’s first global eBusiness Symposium hosting more than 800 senior-level executives from more than thirty countries. Was selected to represent Andersen at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.