Voyager Capital Expands Leadership Team, Names James Newell as Partner
Newell’s Experience Investing in High Growth Technology Companies Fuels Firm’s Growth in Seattle Market
Seattle, Wash. – January 18, 2017 – Voyager Capital, a premier West Coast venture capital firm focused on first-round venture technology investments, today announced that James Newell has joined the firm as a Partner. Previously with Menlo Park, Calif.-based Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), Newell has more than a decade of experience working with high growth technology companies as both an adviser and investor. In his role at Voyager, Newell returns to his native Seattle to focus on investments in the Pacific Northwest.
“With roots in Seattle and strong relationships in Silicon Valley, James brings the ideal combination of experience, energy and passion to help Voyager expand our reach to new entrepreneurs and markets,” said Bill McAleer, Founding Partner, Voyager Capital. “James will contribute to building an even stronger foundation for the firm’s regional momentum, and will give us the bench strength we need to scale our Northwest investment focus.”
Since its founding nearly two decades ago, Voyager has become the go-to Pacific Northwest firm for entrepreneurs seeking not only early stage capital, but also accessible partners who provide focused attention on growing great teams and accelerating time to revenue. Newell joins Voyager at a time when the firm has been extremely active, with three new investments, and strong returns with five exits, including Blue Box and Elemental Technologies.
“While the Bay Area has traditionally been known as the center of the technology ecosystem, it is obvious that great companies can be built outside of Silicon Valley. Seattle is one of those markets.” said Newell. “The Voyager team has created a tremendous practice and I’m excited to help them accelerate success in this market.”
“In talking with entrepreneurs who have worked with Voyager, every single one shared that they would be excited to work with the team again,” continued Newell. “Voyager embodies the perspective that entrepreneurs are the real heroes. Their authentic focus on building long-term relationships with entrepreneurs is the reason why Voyager is so well positioned to excel as the leading Venture firm in the Pacific Northwest.”
While with IVP, Newell worked with portfolio companies including Casper, DoubleVerify, General Assembly, Sauce Labs and Zerto. Earlier in his career, Newell was an Associate with Maveron, a consumer-focused venture firm based in Seattle and San Francisco. He also spent time at the Technology Investment Banking group of Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Newell holds a B.A. in Economics and Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of Washington, where he was an all-conference academic team selection in football. He earned his M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in entrepreneurial management.
About Voyager Capital
Since 1997, Voyager Capital (www.voyagercapital.com) has focused on first-round venture investments to help entrepreneurs in the Pacific Northwest and California create winning businesses. Built on the team’s extensive experience with startups and its exceptional network across the industry, the firm’s entrepreneur-centric approach accelerates the pace at which companies can build, execute, pivot and scale. Voyager has $420M under management investing in B2B software, infrastructure and big data applications. With offices in Seattle, Wash., Portland, Ore. and Menlo Park, Calif., Voyager provides its portfolio the unwavering support and stage-appropriate connections needed to disrupt markets and create sustainable competitive advantage.