Battery Ventures Announces Promotions on Investment, Services Teams

BOSTON, MA and MENLO PARK, CA and HERZLIYA, ISRAEL--(Marketwired - Aug 5, 2014) - Battery Ventures, an investment firm focused on innovation and technology worldwide, announced several promotions on its investment team, highlighting continued traction in its global business.

Principals Alex Benik and Brian Lieber are both now partners at the firm. Benik, who specializes in enterprise-IT opportunities, also continues to be Battery's main liaison with industry technologists, CIOs/CTOs at Fortune 1000 companies and large, Web-scale operators. He joined the firm in 2001 and is currently involved with a number of companies, including Cumulus Networks, Diablo Technologies, Primary Data, Chef and Stratoscale.

Lieber, who joined Battery in 2004, focuses on sourcing and managing relationships with executives for Battery's buyout-investment practice. This includes recruiting Battery executive-in-residence Richard Smith, who became CEO of Battery portfolio company Vero Software. Vero, based in the United Kingdom, announced last month it is being acquired by Hexagon AB.

Also promoted was Battery Vice President Morad Elhafed, now a principal. Elhafed is involved with portfolio companies in the U.S. and Europe including Vero, IHS GmbH, Jeeves Information Systems AB, Mendix and SingleHop. He focuses on software and services investments and joined Battery in 2008.

"Morad's promotion is a testament to his extremely hard work and keen insights about the technology industry -- including the fact that tech is now completely global, and great deals can happen anywhere," said Dave Tabors, a Battery general partner. "We are also excited about Alex's and Brian's new roles, which underscore the importance Battery places in astute deal-making as well as critical service functions, including talent management and business development with technology end-users."

Other investment-team members recently promoted include Paz Eshel, who was promoted to vice president from associate, and Satoshi Harris-Koizumi and Evan Stein, both analysts promoted to associate.

Benik, Lieber, Elhafed, Harris-Koizumi and Stein work in Battery's Boston office, while Eshel is based in Herzliya, Israel.

About Battery Ventures

Battery invests in cutting-edge, category-defining businesses in markets including software and services, Web infrastructure, e-commerce, digital media and industrial technologies. Founded in 1983, the firm backs companies at stages ranging from seed to buyout and invests globally from offices in Boston, Silicon Valley and Israel. Follow the firm on Twitter @BatteryVentures, visit our website at www.battery.com and find a full list of Battery's portfolio companies here.