OUD CAPITAL
GROWTH
INVESTING PLATFORM
Long Term Focus. Current Impact.
MICHAEL RONEN
CEO, MANAGING PARTNER
Michael founded Oud Capital to build a leading alternative investment firm based in Silicon Valley, California and New York. The firm will focus on investing in advanced-stage high-growth companies leveraging technology to disrupt large end markets in transportation, logistics and other industries.
Michael currently serves as advisor to Softbank’s flagship $100bn Vision Fund, having served as a Founding Managing Partner from 2017 until 2020. Prior to Softbank,
Upon formation of Softbank's Vision Fund in 2017, Michael established the Fund’s Transportation and Logistics investment practice. Under Michael’s leadership, the firm invested over $5bn of capital in a portfolio of investments ranging from last-mile delivery platforms, parking and logistics, as well as AI, Robotics and autonomous driving. Michael serves on the board of Cruise (GM’s autonomous driving platform), Reef Technologies, GoBrands and Flexport. Michael was also responsible for the investments in Nuro Robotics and Getaround where he is an advisor to management and the board of directors.
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INVESTMENT
THESIS
We believe we are in midst of generational disruption to global transportation, logistics and consumer-led end markets.
Electrification of transport modalities, AI / self-driving breakthroughs, supply chain redesign, urban reinvention and last-mile economy explosion are changing the way people and goods move around the world.
Media and entertainment landscape changes driven by ubiquity of mobile broadband penetration, and transition to cloud services and streaming subscription models.
In consumer-driven product and services end markets, the shift continues to online purchasing, telecommuting, tele-health, social networking and disruption to traditional financial services.
All of these changes open up opportunities for new entrants to disrupt the status-quo and build scale companies that better serve consumers by delivering innovative services and products without the burden of legacy costs.
WE BELIEVE COVID-19 IS ACCELERATING POSITIVE CHANGE
The COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a catalyst, pouring fuel on this fire, speeding up secular last-mile trends.
As consumers transition to a flexible home-centric environment, focused on work-from-home, telemedicine and online education - the logistical and communications ecosystem supporting these trends needs to quickly adapt.
The post COVID-19 era will create a decade of opportunities to build technology companies that solve problems associated with this transition, as well as enhance consumer experiences associated with them.
OUR NAME OUD EXPLAINED
Oud oil is produced out of Agarwood, the “Wood of the Gods”.
This wood has been traded and highly coveted for thousands of years. The resinous wood is used as incense, for medicinal purposes, and pure resin in distilled form (commonly referred to as Oud) is used as an essential oil as well as a perfume component.
Outside its native countries, it is most widely known in the Middle East, China, Taiwan, and Japan.
OUR VALUES
We founded Oud Capital Management to create the a leading growth investment firm, supporting the long-term committed entrepreneurs building the most consequential companies in their field.
WE ARE LONG-TERM
FOCUSED
We understand that building businesses is a messy and non-linear process. That’s true of our own firm, as well as that of our portfolio companies. We expect and accept volatility as part of the journey of building great companies. Our success will stem from our ability to keep our gaze towards the horizon while navigating the choppy waters ahead.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE IN ALL WE DO
While we always focus first on the 20% of the challenge that impacts 80% of the outcome, we nonetheless never neglect the details required to ensure 100% excellence.
OUR COMMITMENT TO ETHICAL BEHAVIOR IS NON-NEGOTIABLE
It is at the core of our existence as a firm. As a partnership, we are collectively responsible to hold each other accountable to the highest standards of behavior. We keep a low public profile and point the limelight at our portfolio companies. However we always act as if our actions are in the public domain such that nothing we do will ever embarrass us if it became public.
We do not believe investing is necessarily a zero-sum game. While we strive to be the best in our field, we do so while partnering wherever possible with our peers, competitors and other constituents. To solidify our position as a leader in our field, we sacrifice short-term gains when needed to ensure long-term alignment with the broad community we operate in.
Our legacy will not be made in a day or determined by a single outcome. It will be measured by the growth we enable over decades to come.
OUR INVESTORS ARE PLACING THEIR TRUST AND THEIR CAPITAL IN OUR HANDS
We will always protect and prioritize their interests while promoting the interests of our portfolio companies.
OUR BUSINESS IS BASED ON THE FUSION OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL WITH FINANCIAL CAPITAL
Diversity of thought, background, color, gender, sexual orientation and other physical and experiential factors is critical to having the best intellectual capital in the world. It is therefore the basis for creation and prosperity of the strongest firm in our field. The best teams create the best firms. The best teams are made of the best and most diverse and complementary groups of individuals. We will recruit, train, retain and promote the best
OUR VISION
Is to leave the world a better place than we have found it. We will adhere to these principals as we deploy our collective intellect and our investors’ capital in pursuit of growth, capital appreciation and advancement of the human condition.
PREVIOUS INVESTMENTS
DIVERSIFIED SOURCING
STRATEGY
We utilize a top-down thematic approach to investing. We map key sectors, maintain a proactive stance with emerging winners and focus on preempting where appropriate.
Our deep, diversified and wide network of relationships with CEOs, angel investors, VCs, Board members and advisors, covering US, Europe, Asia and Middle East, was built over more than 20 years.
We have a unique network of Israeli technology executives - in US and abroad. There are approx. 100,000 Israelis living in Silicon Valley, 8,000 working in the technology industry, and we estimate several hundred with CEO-level experience who serve as unique sourcing network.
Our differentiated approach to structure and our embrace of creativity further differentiate our go-to-market. As with our investments in Cruise and Reef - we are driven to find differentiated structures that satisfy our investment criteria and isolate us from competitive dynamics
(650) 750-1350
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Made in California, USA