Paul Slaats
Operating Partner
Paul has over three decades of technology operating and investing experience, having served as founder, CEO, senior executive, and board director in technology businesses across enterprise software, data analytics, machine learning and AI, mobile and social media applications, and cloud-based managed services.
BACKGROUND
In addition to his founder and operating experience, for fourteen years from 1996 through 2010, Paul was a Managing Director and head of acquisitions at Internet Capital Group, responsible for sourcing and leading platform investments and buildouts of dozens of software and cloud-based businesses.
Paul’s prior industry experience includes leadership roles in business development at SAP and product development, marketing, and sales management with IBM.
Paul is also a co-founder and board executive of two business accelerator platforms focused on end-to-end AI-based business process redesigns, scaled software development, agile advisory services, and distributed ledger applications.
His cross-functional senior leadership experience combined with deep technical and data science acumen make him uniquely capable of supporting both the firm and portfolio management teams to discover, prioritize, align, and drive execution for growth, market expansion, unit economics optimization, and rapid product and business model innovation.
Paul believes that lean-principled, data-driven, and integrated business strategies, when combined with world-class leadership teams, are essential in optimizing capital efficiency, embracing fast-evolving new technologies, and building an winning and continuous improvement culture that is the true foundation for business success.
EDUCATION
Paul earned a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Purdue University and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Chicago.
INTERESTS
Paul is a Midwestern native who met his wife waiting for a parking bus at O’Hare. He is an avid runner, active in many sports, loves live music, and is a proud parent of two sons and a daughter, all engineers and product managers in software, AI, and data science.
