MENLO PARK, CA — (Marketwired) — 08/21/13 — Almaz Capital, an early stage venture capital firm, today announced that Ross Hangebrauck and Daniil Stolyarov have joined its Silicon Valley team. The firm, which raised its first fund in 2008, invests in highly-motivated, passionate entrepreneurs based in Silicon Valley or from Russia and surrounding countries who are developing proven technologies that will serve global markets. All of its portfolio companies are incorporated in western jurisdictions.
“Our differentiated -geo-connect strategy,- promotes and grows companies with the brightest minds on both continents,” said Dr. Alexander “Sasha” Galitsky, Almaz Capital Co-Founder and Managing Partner. “Many believed it wasn-t possible to bridge two historically diverse geographies. We-ve proven it can be done successfully, which is why we-re expanding our team.”
Ross Hangebrauck joins as Managing Director. He is a primary interface between limited partners, general partners, operations and the Silicon Valley-based venture capital community. He also works with portfolio company executives and entrepreneurs. Most recently, Hangebrauck was an early investor and co-founder of the computer vision software company, Hover Inc., and currently remains the Board Chairman. Prior to joining Almaz, he spent six years as a start-up CEO. Before that, Hangebrauck was a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch managing financial portfolios and relationships. He also served as a Navy Seal working in various operational theaters around the world.
Also joining the Almaz Silicon Valley office is Daniil Stolyarov, Investment Director. He is a seasoned investment professional with more than 10 years of experience advising technology, media and communication companies in Russia and Silicon Valley on mergers & acquisitions, strategic partnerships, public and private financings. He is focused on helping entrepreneurs and portfolio companies in both geographies develop and successfully grow their operations and organizations across borders. Previously Stolyarov worked at Cowen and Company, Lehman Brothers, Renaissance Capital. Prior to his work in banking, he co-founded and served as a board member of itour.ru, a Russia-based online travel company with operations in Russia and Ukraine.
Hangebrauck and Stolyarov join Almaz Capital General Partners Geoffrey Baehr, Dr. Alexander Galitsky, Charles Ryan and Dr. Pavel “Pasha” Bogdanov. Baehr is a long-time Silicon Valley technology executive, who in recent years has also served as an advisor to the Skolkovo Foundation outside Moscow, where scientists, designers, engineers and business executives catalyze new technologies. Dr. Galitsky serves as a Skolkovo Board member. Prior to Dr. Galitsky-s achievement and recognition in the venture capital industry, he built five successful international high-tech start-ups. In the 1980s, he was responsible for the design and implementation of critical space electronic systems. Ryan-s expertise and deep knowledge of both Russian and international markets dates back to 1989 with CS First Boston. Dr. Bogdanov earned a PhD from Stanford University and, following a science and technology career in the U.S., returned to Russia in 2005 to invest in telecom and technology.
Silicon Valley-based Almaz advisors include Jonathan Feiber, a successful 20-year venture investor and consulting Associate Professor at the Hasso Platner Institute of Design (d.school) at Stanford University, and Dr. Ed Lu, a former program manager for Advanced Projects at Google, and a NASA Astronaut who flew the Space Shuttle twice as well as the Russian Soyuz, and served a six month tour on the International Space Station.
Founded in 2008, the Almaz Capital team practices a “geo-connect strategy” focused on early and expansion stage venture investments in high-growth tech sectors including enterprise and cloud computing, mobile, internet infrastructure and services, data storage and management, and ecommerce with an emphasis on Series A rounds in capital efficient businesses. Almaz Capital investors include Cisco, EBRD and UFG Asset management. The following companies are among Almaz Capital-s realized exits over the last two years: , acquired by Skype in 2011; , IPO 2011; and , acquired by Brocade in 2012. Almaz Capital has offices in Silicon Valley and in Moscow. For more information, please visit .
Pamela Mahoney
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