Globespan Capital Partners Adds New Venture Partner

Daniel Leff, Ph.D. Joins as Venture Partner with Focus on Cleantech

PALO ALTO, Calif. & BOSTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Globespan Capital Partners, a technology focused venture capital firm, has named Dr. Daniel V. Leff to the position of Venture Partner. Leff comes to Globespan from Harris & Harris Group, Inc. where he was an Executive Vice President and Managing Director in the company’s Los Angeles office. His track record with successful investments in hardware components and subsystems, as well as renewable energy, effectively complements Globespan’s existing investment strategy. Based in Globespan's Palo Alto office, Dr. Leff, along with Managing Directors Ullas Naik and Dave Fachetti, will focus on Globespan's existing cleantech practice. In addition, Daniel will also continue investing in the field of semiconductor-related technology.

“The combination of this expertise with his investment management experience is a terrific addition to our team.”

“Daniel brings a wealth of knowledge in the emerging cleantech arena to our team,” said Globespan Co-Founder and Executive Managing Director Barry Schiffman. “We are looking forward to expanding our team with his experience in this area, as well as the other contributions we expect him to make across our portfolio.”

“I chose Globespan for the firm’s global reputation and its culture. The Globespan team is comprised of a diverse, smart, passionate group of high-integrity individuals who work together well as a cohesive team to aid in the success of the entrepreneurs in which they invest,” Dr. Leff notes. “I’m looking forward to becoming part of the team.”

At Harris & Harris Group, Leff was involved in a number of early market leaders in the cleantech arena, leading the firm’s investments in Innovalight, Solazyme and Bridgelux. He also led the firm’s semiconductor-related investments in Cswitch, Adesto, and Molecular Imprints. Prior to joining Harris & Harris Group, Dr. Leff was with Sevin Rosen Funds and Redpoint Ventures. He also previously held engineering, marketing and strategic investment positions with Intel Corporation.

Dr. Leff earned a Ph.D. degree in Physical Chemistry from UCLA's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.S. degree in Chemistry, and holds an M.B.A. degree from The Anderson School at UCLA, where he was an Anderson Venture Fellow. He has published several articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has been awarded two patents in the field of nanotechnology.

“Daniel’s scientific background brings additional technical depth to our investing process.” added Globespan Co-Founder and Executive Managing Director Andy Goldfarb. “The combination of this expertise with his investment management experience is a terrific addition to our team.”

About Globespan Capital Partners

With offices in Boston, Palo Alto and Tokyo, Globespan is a leading venture capital firm committed to building a balanced portfolio in the information technology sector. The firm primarily targets US and Japan-based companies in the software, Internet/Infrastructure, communications, systems and peripherals and clean technology sectors with a typical investment ranging from $250,000 to $15 million. The Globespan team has combined experience of more than 100 years in private equity investing, entrepreneurship and operations and has been involved in 16 startups as individuals.

Since 1996, the Globespan team has invested in more than 125 companies. Portfolio companies that have gone public include: Airgate PCS, Avanex, BladeLogic, Brocade, Clearwire, Digital Island, Glu Mobile, Net Perceptions, ShoreTel, Silknet Software, Virtusa, and Vixel. Acquired portfolio companies include: Aptis, Argon, CDS, Cerulean, eDocs, Encommerce, m-Qube, Monterey, Obsidian, Ocular Networks, Pirus and Trigo. For more information, please visit www.globespancapital.com.