# Jean Kovacs

> Jean Kovacs is a angel investor at ALW (Architectural Lighting Works) backing Apps and SaaS. See 2 investments, check sizes, portfolio. Updated Aug 2026.

- Type: Angel Investor
- Fund: [ALW (Architectural Lighting Works)](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/architectural-lighting-works-alw)
- Location: San Francisco, United States
- Total investments: 2
- Last investment: May 2019
- Lead investor: 0%
- Last updated: Aug 2026
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-kovacs-b032233

Jean Kovacs is a angel investor at ALW (Architectural Lighting Works) in San Francisco focused on Apps and SaaS. JMs. Kovacs has over 30 years’ experience directing technology companies and a track record of using her strategic business skills and background to deliver exceptional results with growing enterprises. Ms. Kovacs is a partner at Hillsven Capital, a venture capital firm focusing on early stage enterprise SaaS companies. She sits on several companyand non-profit boards and is currently Co-Chair of the Global Board of HBS Alumni Angels. Prior to her work in the investment side, Ms. Kovacs was CEO and co-founder of Comergent Technologies, a fast-growing leader in e-business. Comergent was purchased by Sterling Commerce, a division of AT&T, and became the platform for their e-commerce product line. Prior to Comergent, Kovacs co-founded Qualix Group, a developer of reliability software in distributed computing environments. As co-founder and Executive Vice President, Kovacs was responsible for managing and directing the engineering, marketing, services, and telesales departments, and was closely involved in the Company's IPO. Kovacs has also held positions in sales, marketing, and support at Frame Technology, Sun Microsystems, and Compugraphic Corporation. Kovacs has been named to the Silicon Valley/San Francisco Business Journal’s list of Most Influential Women in Business. In 2014, Kovacs was selected as one of a group of Harvard Business School alumni honored by the dean for making an impact through leadership roles. She also has been profiled by influential publications such as Fortune Magazine, The Financial Times, Computerworld, Internet World and InfoWorld. Ms. Kovacs holds a bachelor's degree in finance from Northeastern University and a master's degree in business administration from Harvard University.

## Investment focus

### Industry

| Industry | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Apps | 1 | 50% |
| SaaS | 1 | 50% |
| Retail | 1 | 50% |
| Finance | 1 | 50% |
| Internet | 1 | 50% |

11 industries tracked in total.

### Stage

| Stage | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Angel | 1 | 50% |
| Series A | 1 | 50% |

## Investments

| Company | Description | Amount | Stage | Date | Website |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Zipline | Zipline is the operations platform that powers retail’s most complex work. Built by retail for retail, Zipline understands the unique pressures stores are facing today and ensures that everyone in the field has the information, context and tools needed to be successful in their particular roles. By aligning the fleet, Zipline enables digitaltransformation at Rite Aid, agility at Sephora and cost savings at Gap Inc. | $9.6M | Series A | May 16, 2019 |  |
| oneforty | oneforty is the Social Business Hub. We're a buyers' guide for businesses who want to invest wisely in doing social right.Social business is shaping up to be a huge market opportunity plagued by massive complexity and uncertainty about how to invest in tools, training and expertise. We're serve as the "buyers'guide" for social strategists, marketers and other corporate buyers. * B2B platform for figuring out what to do in social business and how to invest your budget in tools, experts and other services* access to your peers - find out what others are doing and how you measure up* Business content helping buyers understand what to do, how to do it and which tools and experts can help* Listings/ratings & reviews of: tools and social business pros (agencies and consultants)* Discovery & comparisons engine (and marketing platform) for serious business tools | $135K | Angel | Oct 05, 2009 |  |

2 of 2 investments shown.

## Co-investors
- [Emergence Capital](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/emergence-capital-095d) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Emergence Capital](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/emergence-capital-partners) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Serena Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/serena-ventures) — VC Fund, 1 deal together

## About ALW (Architectural Lighting Works)

VC Fund · Oakland, United States

ALW (a.k.a. Architectural Lighting Works) is an innovative, award-wining architectural lighting manufacturer based in Oakland, California, with a mission to Illuminate the Soul™ via a portfolio of over 60 linear and decorative luminaires. ALW has been creating inspiration and illumination since 2005 for clients such as Microsoft, Volkswagen, Tesla,Lord & Taylor, and Whole Foods.ALW grew its portfolio of decorative lighting options with the acquisition of Neidhardt in 2017, and manufactures all products in North America, giving specifiers an unparalleled amount of creativity and flexibility in customizing their luminaires. ALW primarily serves the United States, Caribbean, and Canadian markets.

1 contacts available at ALW (Architectural Lighting Works).

| Name | Title | Profile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Jean Kovacs | Board Of Directors | https://shizune.co/investors/profile/jean-kovacs |

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## FAQ

### What does Jean Kovacs invest in?

Jean Kovacs invests primarily in Apps, SaaS and Retail startups, most often at Angel and Series A stage. Most of the 2 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in United States. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.

### When did Jean Kovacs last invest?

The most recent investment recorded for Jean Kovacs closed in May 2019. Shizune tracks 2 investments in total for this profile, including round sizes, stages and portfolio companies, all sourced from confirmed public funding rounds and refreshed monthly.

### Is Shizune's investor data accurate?

Yes — every stat on this profile is calculated from confirmed public funding rounds monitored across hundreds of sources since 2020. This profile was last refreshed in Aug 2026 and is updated monthly. Spotted something off? Use the “Suggest an edit” link near the top of the page.

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