Ignition Partners Adds Former Microsoft CIO Jim DuBois and Former Amazon Executive and Datasphere CEO Satbir Khanuja as Venture Advisors

BELLEVUE, Wash. & LOS ALTOS, Calif.--()--Ignition Partners, the leading early investor in business software startups, added two new venture advisors to the firm’s roster, former Microsoft CIO Jim DuBois and Datasphere CEO Satbir Khanuja.

As chief information officer of Microsoft, Jim DuBois held one of the largest CIO roles in the world, overseeing the company's global security, infrastructure, IT messaging, and business applications, and in this role he was an early adopter and a leader in how to adopt and consume services, not just technology. A Microsoft veteran, he held a number of leadership positions prior. He began his career at Accenture, where he focused on financial and distribution systems. Jim is an advisor to several startups and sits on the Board of Directors of Expeditors. He is the author of “Six-Word Lessons on How to Think Like a Modern-Day CIO.” Working with Ignition’s portfolio of early-stage startups, he will help founders iterate rapidly on product, build high-performing teams, and deliver at the speed needed in a modern enterprise.

“We are thrilled to have such a highly accomplished, insightful and proven technology leader join Ignition, to help our portfolio companies go to market,” said John Connors, partner at Ignition Partners. “Jim understands the balance between financial value and creating effective processes and procedures to exceed business targets.”

“I joined Ignition Partners because I have great respect for their team and I believe in their mission: Ignition aims to be a transformative partner for the companies in which it invests. I like how they invest more of their time, expertise and network in their companies. That level of commitment can dramatically accelerate a startup,” explained Jim DuBois. “Adopting their mission as my own, I will deploy my time, contacts, experience and expertise to help Ignition’s founders succeed.”

Former Amazon executive Satbir Khanuja understands how to identify a market and build a full-stack, data driven business. As an Amazon executive, he led Amazon.com’s Worldwide Traffic organization, driving billions of dollars in sales through free and paid traffic to all Amazon.com websites worldwide. Satbir previously was a Vice President and General Manager of Amazon.com’s IMDb.com and In-Theater businesses, where he built out business functions and created one of the 50 most-trafficked websites in the world. Prior to Amazon.com, Satbir led engagement for McKinsey and Company. Making an entrepreneurial leap from Amazon, Satbir joined SecondSpace. Satbir reinvented the company under the name Datasphere Technologies, and as CEO created a new business providing hyperlocal web technology and ad sales for national media. Satbir is a member of the Board of Directors of Digi International. He holds a Ph.D. in Ceramics Engineering from MIT and a B.Tech. degree from IIT in Bombay, India.

“Satbir is among the most accomplished, respected and forward-thinking entrepreneurs I’ve been fortunate enough to work with, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the Ignition Partnership team,” said Bob Kelly, partner at Ignition Partners. “He will be a tremendous resource to our partnership and to companies in our current portfolio, bringing a wealth of insight into how to build data-driven businesses, as well as through his deep relationships across the technology and business landscape.”

“I’ve enjoyed a close relationship with Ignition Partners since they led the Series A for Datasphere. As a former portfolio company CEO, I’m excited to ‘pay it forward’ and share what I’ve learned with companies that are still in the early stage. My hope is that I can help them ‘build right’ from the beginning, avoiding potential pitfalls, and rapidly accelerating their progress,” said Satbir Khanuja. “It’s an honor to join the team at Ignition, they have earned their reputation for being not only thoughtful, constructive partners, but for being good people who founders enjoy working with.”

About Ignition Partners

Ignition Partners is a premiere venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments in enterprise software. Ignition strives to be a transformative partner to its portfolio companies, investing not only capital but time, expertise and access to an impressive network of technology leaders and decision makers throughout the Fortune 500. Ignition Partners’ track record includes early investments in B2B category creators including Cloudera, Docker, DocuSign, Heroku, Splunk, XenSource. For more information, visit: www.ignition.vc.

Contacts

Ignition Partners
Tiffany Spencer, 310-795-1806
tiffany@ignition.vc

Contacts

Ignition Partners
Tiffany Spencer, 310-795-1806
tiffany@ignition.vc