Stratus Group, a São Paulo-based private partnership that manages venture capital, private equity and mezzanine funds, has appointed Carlos Kokron as a managing director to lead its
Stratus Group, a São Paulo-based private partnership that manages venture capital, private equity and mezzanine funds, has appointed Carlos Kokron as a managing director to lead its venture capital practice.
The firm’s venture capital funds provide development capital to companies in IT, communications and manufacturing as well as the clean technology and biotechnology segments. Kokron was most recently Intel Capital’s regional director for the south-west US, having built the firm’s Latin American operation based in São Paulo between 1999 and 2004.
During his career he has held general management and venture capital investment positions in the energy and hi-tech industries, having invested nearly USD100m in more than two dozen hardware, software and services companies in half a dozen countries.
Kokron joins Stratus with the challenge of making new investments and broadening the firm’s venture capital investor base. ‘Our objective is to have USD300m under management within the next three years,’ he says.
‘There are a large number of investment opportunities in the sectors we’re targeting. In addition, the Brazilian venture capital industry has attained a maturity level that effectively allows the development of healthy companies that are bound to provide superior returns to entrepreneurs and investors alike. The trend is for Brazil to attract eve- increasing amounts of international capital seeking to participate in its growth, despite recent volatility.’
Stratus founding partner Álvaro Gonçalves says: ‘We’re delighted to have Kokron join our firm to head up our venture capital practice. His international venture capital experience and solid background in sectors relevant to our venture capital funds will help us fund attractive growth-oriented companies.’
Kokron adds: ‘Stratus Group has achieved a leadership position in the Brazilian venture capital industry with a strong culture of value creation based on solid strategies and a keen focus on bringing corporate governance practices to its investments. I’m looking forward to leveraging this platform to continue to grow this business.’
