An Interview with Jim Hunt, VC at Lavrock Ventures
Podcast Episode on Spotify and Anchor
Jim Hunt, on scaling a startup to IPO, co-investing with In-Q-Tel, and three things he would tell any entrepreneur
Jim Hunt began his career in Washington in the mid 70’s as a U.S. Government scientist. After eight years with the government, he founded “BDS, Incorporated” where he served as CEO for ten years. In 1991, BDS was merged with BTG, Incorporated and Jim assisted in the integration of the two companies. In 1992, BTG was taken public in a successful offering. Jim also served on the BTG board of directors.
Subsequent to his tenure at BDS/BTG, Jim went to Price Waterhouse where he started and ran the firm’s system integration practice. After two years at PW, Jim was recruited away with 17 PW colleagues and founded “Ernst & Young Technologies” (EYT), where he was CEO for eight years. EYT was subsequently sold to Cap Gemini and Jim served as President of Cap Gemini Technologies for two years, leaving Cap Gemini in 2006.
After leaving Cap Gemini Technologies, with two colleagues, Jim founded “The MITA Group” a Washington-based consultancy focused on public affairs and business strategy.
Jim began his angel investing activities in the mid 1990’s after the successful BTG IPO, with five investments in area companies. After over 25 years of seed stage investing, he expanded his portfolio since the early 2000’s to the present over 120 early stage investment. Jim sits on numerous corporate boards. He has exited over 30 investments over the past ten years, the last of which was January of 2019.
Jim’s investments are in the area of cyber and physical security, Internet-of-Things, data center management, social media, analytics, and mobile applications.
As an active member of multiple angel groups and managing partner of “Lavrock Ventures”, a recently formed early stage venture capital firm, Jim spends a significant amount of his time scouting for world-class, game changing technology.
In addition to his investing activities, Jim serves as a consultant to both government and corporate organizations in the area of overall strategy, product commercialization, channel strategies and M&A strategies.
Jim has been an Adjunct Professor at the McDonough School at Georgetown for the past 20 years as well as at Notre Dame and teaches cornerstone courses in business planning and start-up business management and investing. He has also created and taught courses to international angels and entrepreneurs and has successfully launched four overseas ventures in the past several years, with particular emphasis on technology incubation in developing countries.
Jim is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Rochester Institute of Technology and sits on the Notre Dame Engineering College Advisory Council. Additionally, Jim is a past president of the Computing Industry Technology Association.