Charlie Kemper is a life-long entrepreneur and seasoned investor, dealing mainly with the infrastructure and digital media sectors.
Kemper is currently a Founding Managing Director at Revel Partners, an early-expansion stage investment group based in New York City. This close team of entrepreneurs and investors are “focused on financing disruptive innovation in the areas of digital media and Internet technology,” according to the Revel Partners’ website.
In addition to his current work at Revel Partners, Kemper is a Co-Founder and General Partner at Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) and a Venture Partner at Tigerlabs.
Before the launch of Revel Partners in February 2011, Kemper was a Principal with Steelpoint Capital Partners (sub of Moore Capital Management), a venture capital & growth equity firm operating out of San Diego, Menlo Park, and New York City.
Earlier, Kemper worked with Darby Overseas Investments, a global private equity firm. Here he helped to launch a new technology-focused seed-stage investment vehicle and assisted in early-stage investment opportunities in Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina.
Prior to his work with Darby, Kemper was the Co-founder and Managing Director of a Chicago-based digital media agency, KMF, focused on intranet design and e-commerce systems.
Kemper has lived in New York since 2004, but was born in Brazil and mostly raised in Mexico. Born to Franco-Brazilian parents, he speaks Portuguese, French, Spanish and English..
Kemper holds a B.S. in industrial engineering from Northwestern University and also enjoys blogging at Digital Rubicon Musings.
Sector Focus:
Digital media, e-commerce, advertising technology, software companies
Selected Investment:
While at Steelpoint Capital Partners ~
AdSpace Networks
Atempo (acquired by ASG Software)
Boingo Wireless (IPO’d at Nasdaq: WIFI), Genesis today
GreatCall/Jitterbug
Orion Telescope
PacStar Communications
prAna (acquired by Columbia Sportswear)
Privasys (patent licensing to American Express, Discover, First Data, MasterCard, and Visa)
Promptu
SeaMobile/MTN Satellite
Tasti D-Lite
Women’s Marketing Inc. (acquired by PNC Riverarch)
Workshare (acquired by SkyDox)
Other ~
The Chart Group
Snow Phipps Group
Validately
Hookit
Sylvan Road
Recent Revel investments in ~
Tracx
MediaBrix
The Trade Desk
JenJo
Vidible
Selected ERA Investments in ~
PricingEngine
TripleLift
Rockerbox
RetSKU
Mezzobit
Boards/Groups:
Founding Officer and Chair at New York City Venture Connection
Board Member at Media Brix
Board Member at Tracx
Investor Board at Venture for America Advisor
Co-Host MaiTai Hamptons Kitepreneur
Expertise:
Digital media, infrastructure, e-commerce, technologies, advertising, software, marketing, kiteboarding
Social Media Links:
Twitter
Revel Partners
Blog
LinkedIn
On raising money at low valuations: “When startups in New York City, especially ones with teams of 4-5 or more founders, raise low amounts like $500,000 on sub-$2-3 million valuations, it ends up undermining the success of their startup. Why? Because there doesn’t end up being enough incentive for the founders to stick around.”
