(Source: Business Wire)
Metamorphic Ventures, a venture capital fund focusing on technology startups and early stage companies, announced on Friday the signing of some of the most accomplished and recognizable talent in the media and technology worlds to its team. The newest team members join founding partners Lewis Gersh and David Hirsch, the latter of whom is a former Google executive.
Metamorphic welcomes third partner Marc Michel, as well as new advisors Gokul Rajaram, Roland DeSilva, David Nussbaum, Marta Wohrle, David Weisman and Joe Proto. These names join existing Metamorphic advisors Geoff Judge and Erik Matlik.
"We are thrilled and humbled by the level of talent and commitment of our advisors," says David Hirsch, co-founding partner of Metamorphic Ventures. "We are very focused on all touch points of the process from deal sourcing to technology, monetization, strategy, acceleration and exit. Our advisors are some of the best at executing around these goals."
Marc Michel, the newest Metamorphic partner, has been a venture and private equity investor for over 20 years. Previously, Michel was group head of TD Capital Communication Partners, Toronto Dominion's $500 million media and telecom private equity fund.At TD, Michel built and led a group of 20 investment professionals. Prior to TD, Michel led Eos Partners SBIC, a $60 million venture fund. He began his career with Merrill Lynch Interfunding, a $1.3 billion middle market buyout fund. Michel has been involved in building over 60 companies during his career. He brings deep industry, transaction and fund management expertise.
"Marc's proven track record in building large successful funds with stellar returns has already added strategic thinking, structure and discipline that will positively impact our portfolio companies and LPs," says Lewis Gersh, co-founding partner of Metamorphic.
Among the new advisors is Gokul Rajaram, founder of Chai Labs, a Silicon Valley, Calif.-based Internet solutions start-up. Prior to Chai Labs, Rajaram, a graduate of MIT's Sloan School of Management, was product management directorand engineer for Google AdSense. He helped conceive the product in early 2003 and played a key role in its launch and growth into a multi-billion-dollar product line. Rajaram was also tech/product lead for Google's DoubleClick, AdScape and dMarc. At Metamorphic, Gokul will assess technology, product and monetization diligence.
Roland DeSilva joins from the investment banking world. DeSilva co-founded DeSilva+Phillips in 1996. It has become a leading investment banking boutique in the traditional and digital media industry.
