Richard P. Kuntz
Managing Director @ Shepherd Ventures
Richard P. Kuntz is a startup investor at Shepherd Ventures. Richard Kuntz, a Managing Director of Shepherd Ventures, has more than 20 years of private equity and venture capital experience, including startup, early stage, mezzanine, and buyout investments. Rich has also had operational, financial, and strategic planning responsibility for various startup and early stage life science ventures, most recentlyas president of a San Diego-based biotechnology company.As Senior Managing Director of Premier Medical Partner Fund, L.P., a San Diego based healthcare/medical technology venture fund, Rich developed and implemented investment strategies and directed the fundâs investment activities and operations. Under his leadership, Medical Partner Fund built a portfolio of investments in seven emerging venture-backed companies whose realized liquidity events to date included two IPOs and three M&A transactions. Previously, as a principal at Senmed Medical Ventures, Rich was responsible for the assessment and implementation of the financial and legal aspects of Senmeds venture capital and technology commercialization activities, as well as a member of the firms Investment Committee. Four of the five venture-backed life sciences companies funded by Senmed during Rich's tenure with the firm have successfully achieved liquidity (three through IPO and one through M&A), with the remaining one having received several subsequent significant venture financing rounds. Earlier in his career Rich held investment principal positions within 3i Group plc and The Prudential Insurance Company of America.Rich holds BS and MS degrees in Aeronautical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA with multiple concentrations from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Rich is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of San Diego.
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About Shepherd Ventures
Shepherd Ventures was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in San Diego, part of Southern California's Tech Coast, with easy access to other technology centers throughout the region. The four original Managing Directors of Shepherd Ventures were George Kenney, Peter Fisher, Tom Siegel and Richard Kuntz. The region has vibrant high technologyand life sciences industries, is underserved by the venture capital community, and offers compelling investment opportunities.Shepherd Ventures focus is on information technology and life sciences companies characterized by passionate and experienced management teams, compelling value propositions and extraordinary upside potential. They concentrate on companies located in Southern California and the Southwest, particularly San Diego, where they believe there is a significant shortage of venture capital. Their objective is to generate significant capital appreciation through a balanced portfolio of first and later stage equity investments in carefully selected, wisely shepherded growth companies.First stage companies are those with products that incorporate a disruptive technology, that are (or are about to be) commercially released, and that are capable of creating a valuable new paradigm in their category. In particular, Shepherd Ventures look for companies with completed products, where sales channels have been defined, and when possible, validated by a purchase order or letter of intent from a bona fide customer. Companies should exhibit a sustainable competitive advantage that will drive them to market or sector dominance and a credible path to profitability. Investments in these companies may be part of the first or second round of institutional capital. Seed stage opportunities will generally not be considered.Later stage companies are those that either have received prior rounds of venture capital, or have achieved growth and operational maturity without venture funding. These companies would be established technology companies with existing revenue and proven management teams. They likely will have profitable products, brand identity, market traction, and satisfied customers.The Shepherd Ventures Managing Directors, Venture Partners and Advisors are industry leaders who have extensive experience operating, guiding and investing in first and later stage information technology and life sciences companies.Shepherd Ventures takes pride in its people. They have a dynamic team of experienced professionals who hold diverse, yet extremely relevant backgrounds. The Shepherd team is disciplined, committed, capable, and always eager to assist Shepherd Ventures companies in any area they need to succeed. While Shepherd Ventures structure and lead most of the investments they make, they recognize the value of partnering to help entrepreneurs execute and build world class businesses.
Shepherd Ventures Contacts
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Fred Lawrence
Venture Partner
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George C. Kenney
Managing Director
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Olga Kitsakos
Operations Partner
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Richard P. Kuntz
Managing Director
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