Madrona Appoints Technology Leader, Bill Richter, Venture Partner

SEATTLE, Jan. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Madrona Venture Group, an early-stage venture capital firm, announced today that Bill Richter has joined the firm as a Venture Partner.  Richter, with nearly 20 years of experience in the technology industry, was most recently the President of the Isilon Storage Division of EMC.  As Venture Partner, Bill will help identify new investments and provide strategic and operational advice to Madrona portfolio companies.

"The Pacific Northwest is the birthplace of the modern Enterprise Cloud and some of the most dynamic technology companies in the world. I see enormous potential over the next several years to cultivate the next generation of market-leading technology companies," said Richter.  "Madrona has been an important catalyst in the growth of the region so far and with its access to world class talent, deep history in technology and connectivity to the best entrepreneurs, is an exciting place to be.  I'm delighted to be part of the team."

Richter was most recently the President of the Isilon Storage Division of EMC, growing the business to $1.5 billion in annual sales at the time he departed in late 2014.  He's spent the last year in residence at the Madrona Venture Group, angel investing and advising companies.  Before his role as President of Isilon, Richter served as COO of EMC's $4 billion Midrange Storage business.  Richter was Isilon's public company CFO from 2007 through it's $2.5B sale to EMC in 2010.  Before joining Isilon, Richter was a director in the finance department of Amazon.com, where he focused on scaling global accounting operations for the rapidly expanding business.

Richter started his career and spent eight years at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.  He focused on the technology industry and was based in Seattle and later London where he joined the Transaction Services group advising clients on IPO's, mergers and divestitures. 

"Bill's direct operational experience building and scaling a complex business at Isilon Systems, both as a public company and then as the market leading division of a massive company, is an incredible asset for our portfolio companies," said Matt McIlwain, managing director, Madrona Venture Group.  "Layered with the understanding of how to best navigate relationships with larger companies, we know that Bill will be an important resource for our companies and for Madrona."  

Richter graduated from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington with a BA in Business Administration.  He is a native of Los Angeles but has lived in Seattle for nearly 20 years.  An avid traveler and a committed (but mediocre) player of bridge, squash and golf, he and his wife, Gimena, have two young daughters who keep them both busy.

About Madrona Venture Group
Madrona (www.madrona.com) has been investing in early-stage technology companies in the Pacific Northwest since 1995 and has been privileged to play a role in some of the region's most successful technology ventures. The firm invests predominately in seed and Series A rounds across the information technology spectrum including consumer Internet, commercial software and services, digital media and advertising, networking and cloud computing, and mobile. Madrona manages nearly $1.3 billion and was an early investor in companies such as Amazon.com, Apptio, Redfin, Isilon Systems, and World Wide Packets.

Media Contact; Erika Shaffer, [email protected], 206-972-5514

SOURCE Madrona Venture Group