Matthew Growney

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Matthew has become a well-known and successful investor and entrepreneur for both his understanding of new technologies as well as his ability to build compelling new businesses for the consumer marketplace. Matthew currently runs Rudyard Partners, his personal investment office, focused on creating and investing in various consumer markets.

From 1998-2006, Matthew was Co-founder & Managing Director of Motorola Ventures (MV), the corporate venture capital arm of Motorola, Inc. outside of Chicago, IL. Matthew was directly responsible for building investment offices in Chicago, Boston, Silicon Valley, Tel Aviv, and Beijing. By the age of 27, Matthew co-managed a $400M portfolio of 70+ companies. Matthew created the investment program in 1997 and established it as one of the premier corporate venture practices in the world. He developed MV’s investment thesis around monetizing both strategic and financial returns. He focused on emerging networks (3G, 4G, Wireline, Cable), new media, mobile devices, Web 2.0, enterprise software, and material science. He was responsible for making investments in innovative companies like E Ink (Acquired), A123 (IPO), Fitsense (Acquired), Intellon (IPO), Snaptrack (Acquired), and Sportvision (Merged). He has also served on both the Investment Committee and the Board of Directors for Shanghai NewMargin Ventures, one of the leading domestic venture capital firms in China. Matthew is also credited with several patents in the wireless communications field.

In 2008, Matthew departed Motorola to create Isabella Products, one of the industry’s first mobile Internet companies focused on creating digital learning solutions like Fable®, a tablet designed exclusively for children and Fable Learning, a world-class digital content collection for the children 5-12 years old. Isabella delivered its award-winning solutions to over 3,000 school customers and several large retail partners, including Best Buy and Wal-Mart. In December 2015, Matthew managed the acquisition of education software company, Starwalk Kids Media (Long Island, NY), to provide Isabella with exceptional educational content, management, and additional distribution capabilities.

In November 2005, Matthew was named one of Boston’s “40 under 40″ by the Boston Business Journal for his professional achievement and community contributions in New England. In 2010, Matthew also was given the Connected World “M2M PIONEERS” award for his contribution to the mobile industry. He has been a featured speaker around the world and contributed to several books both on innovation and venture capital. Matthew currently serves on the Board of Advisors for Sigma Capital Partners, a specialized private equity firm in New York. Matthew graduated from Michigan State University (BA ‘95), where he serves on the Board of the Center for Venture Capital, Private Equity, & Entrepreneurial Finance at the Broad School of Business, and New England School of Law | Boston (JD ‘00).

Outside of his professional investment interests, Matthew serves as a Board Director for the Concord Education Fund, a privately funded organization focused on providing teacher grants to support unique innovation efforts within public schools. Matthew previously served as Chairman of the Advisory Board for the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, a non-for-profit focused on developing national entrepreneurship criteria for low-income high school students. He was also involved with the Ad Hoc Technology Committee for the Boston Children’s Museum. Matthew serves as an active fundraiser for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Umbrella Community Arts Center. In January 2016, Matthew joined the Advisory Board of the Miami Symphony Orchestra.

In late 2015, Matthew diversified his focus to include making investments in non-technology consumer opportunities including hotel design, apparel, and restaurants. Matthew has also closed a recent investment in ADUE, a digital music company co-founded by MC Serch of famed 90’s rap group, Third Bass, focused on connecting fans who share proximity and artist/genre interests. Matthew is fluent in French, speaks Japanese, and painfully failed at learning Mandarin.

While Matthew currently lives outside Boston with his wife, Shelley, and their three children, their has long standing roots in both Chicago and New York City. Matthew has become an avid runner completing 5 marathons and a 8 half marathons since April 2014.

IG: @iamgrowney