Supercharging AI infrastructure: Celestial AI’s David Lazovsky

In this episode, we speak with Mitchell Green, the Founder and Managing Partner at Lead Edge Capital, a growth equity firm with over $5 billion in assets under management. Investing in software, internet, and tech-enabled services businesses globally, the firm specializes in helping growth-stage companies scale.  Lead Edge Capital has an interesting model that combines elements of private equity, growth, and an active network of over 700 limited partners to build a very powerful moat. Prior to founding Lead Edge, Mitchell was on the investment teams at Eastern Advisors and Bessemer Venture Partners. Mitchell is formerly a nationally ranked alpine ski racer. Mitchell is one of the members of the Board of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. To learn more about this organization click here. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.  If you like the episode, click to follow.

In this episode, we speak with Sami Inkinen, the Founder and CEO of Virta Health. Virta is an online specialty medical clinic that reverses type 2 diabetes safely and sustainably, without the risks, costs, or side effects of medications or surgery. Created in 2014, Virta’s innovations in nutritional biochemistry, data science, digital tools, and clinical expertise are shifting the diabetes treatment paradigm from management to reversal. Before Virta, Sami was a Co-Founder of the leading online real estate marketplace Trulia. He also previously worked for top companies including Microsoft, McKinsey, and Nokia. Sami is also an endurance athlete.  Sami and his wife rowed from California to Hawaii—2,750 miles, completely unsupported. He is also a triathlon age group world champion and 8 hour 24 minute Ironman with seven Hawaii Ironman finishes. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.  If you like the episode click to follow.

In this episode, we speak with Andrew Adams, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Oak HC/FT, one of the leading growth investment firms with $5.3 billion in assets under management. Founded in 2014, the firm invests in companies driving transformation in healthcare and fintech, two uniquely complementary and high-growth sectors. With deep domain expertise and strategic resources, the firm partners with leading entrepreneurs at every stage, from seed to growth, to build businesses that make a measurable, lasting impact on these industries. Before founding Oak HC/FT, Andrew spent 15 years, primarily at Oak Investment Partners, investing in early and growth stage companies.  During the over 25 years Andrew has spent investing in leading healthcare companies, he has had 35 exits, including 6 IPOs. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.  If you like the episode, click to follow.

In this episode, we speak with David Lazovsky, the Co-Founder and CEO of Celestial AI.  Founded in 2020, Celestial AI is the creator of the Photonic Fabric™ technology platform, a pioneering optical compute and memory fabric solution for supercharging AI infrastructure. David leads the company in using his in-depth knowledge of semiconductors, data/telecommunications, photonics, clean energy industries, and extensive international business experience. His impressive career background includes being an Executive Chairman of POET Technologies, Venture Partner at Khosla Ventures, and founder of Intermolecular. David supports Canary Foundation. To learn more about this organization click here. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.  If you like the episode click to follow.

In this episode, we speak with Max de Groen and Scott Kirk, Partners at Bain Capital, one of the world’s leading private investment firms with approximately $185 billion in AUM. The firm pioneered the value-added approach to investing and has been at the forefront of growth investing since its founding in 1984. Max joined Bain Capital in 2011. He is a Partner on the North American Private Equity team. He focuses on supporting the growth of cutting-edge cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, and horizontal application businesses. Scott joined Bain Capital in 2019 and is a Partner on the Bain Capital Tech Opportunities team. He co-leads the team’s investments across application software and information services, most notably focusing on vertical SaaS, SMB platforms and B2B marketplace investments. Previously, Scott was a senior investment professional with TCV. Max and Scott were recognized by GrowthCap as Top 40 Under 40 Growth Investors of 2023. Max supports YMCA. To learn more about this organization click here. Scott supports Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. To learn more about this organization click here. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.  If you like the episode, click to follow.

In this episode, we speak with the Founder and CEO of Masterworks, Scott Lynn. Specializing in the art investment market, Masterworks securitizes blue-chip artworks between $1-20 million per painting and sells shares to over 200,000 investors via their site. Blue-chip art has historically retained its value and appreciated in times of high inflation. Masterworks was founded in 2017 by Scott to make the art market more accessible to investors. Scott is an early Internet entrepreneur with a focus on online advertising, martech, and fintech. Over the past 15+ years, he’s founded, acquired, sold, or remained a controlling shareholder in over a dozen tech companies. Prior to Masterworks, Scott founded Payability, V2 Ventures, and Virtumundo. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.  If you like the episode click to follow.

In this episode, we speak with Jeeta Bandopadhyay, Co-founder and COO of Tookitaki. The company operates in the financial crime prevention space and is a pioneer of the concept of combating financial crime through a community-based platform. This collective effort, known as the Anti-Financial Crime (AFC) ecosystem, enables financial institutions to acquire knowledge, collaborate, and utilize typologies to counter emerging financial crime patterns, thereby ensuring their own safety and security. Tookitaki was recognized as one of the Top 100 Financial Technology Companies of 2023 by the Financial Technology Report. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.  If you like the episode, click to follow.

In this episode, we speak with Jake Heller, Head of Tech Growth Equity Americas of KKR. Prior to joining KKR in 2019, Jake was at Spectrum Equity, where he focused on growth investments in software, information services and internet businesses. He started his growth equity career at Symmetric Capital and also spent time as a strategic consultant at the Parthenon Group in their global private equity practice. Jake served four years as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy and finished his career in Naval Special Warfare as the Commander of a high-speed assault boat team. He is a decorated veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom including the Bronze Star with distinction for Valor in Combat. I am your host RJ Lumba. We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode, click to follow. Jake supports NAVY SEAL Foundation.  To learn more about this organization click here.

In this episode, we speak with Ross Devor, a Partner at Thoma Bravo, which is one of the largest software investors in the world with approximately $138 billion in assets under management. Ross co-heads Thoma Bravo’s growth equity platform, a dedicated fund focused on making minority investments in high growth software and technology companies.  He leads the team’s close collaboration with founders and management teams to implement world-class operating principles and help realize their visions and growth potential. Ross was recognized by GrowthCap as one of the Top 40 Under 40 Growth Investors of 2023. Ross supports Boys and Girls Club of Miami-Dade and Feeding South Florida. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.  If you like the episode, click to follow.

In this episode, we speak with Bill Gibson, CEO of Deposco, a provider of cloud-based supply chain applications for retailers, distributors, 3PLs and brand companies. Deposco’s Bright Suite of omnichannel fulfillment supply chain applications allows fast-growing companies to rapidly scale their warehouse management and order management operations, so they can see what inventory they’ve got, where it is, and where to position it to fulfill demand. Bill first got his start in 1993 as an account executive at Manugistics. From there, he went on to Grotech Ventures and then became a Managing Partner at The Albermarle Group. Bill was recognized as one of the Top 50 SaaS CEOs of 2023 by The Software Report. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.  If you like the episode, click to follow.