DINO VENDETTI
General Partner
dino@formative.com
Dino's assistant: Sulma Zavala at 650-461-8006 or sulma@formative.com

Dino Vendetti joined Formative Ventures in July 2006 as a general partner, bringing with him over 20 years of operating and investment experience. Dino invests in early-stage companies across a broad range of technologies including wireless equipment, software and services, semiconductors, and communications.  His investment and board leadership experience include Enquisite, Staccato Communications, Cswitch, PulseWave RF, Northpoint Communications (NASDAQ: NPNT), and Wavetrace (acquired by Harris).  

Prior to joining Formative, Dino spent six years as a general partner at Bay Partners, an early-stage Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm with over $1 billion of capital under active management.  As one of Bay’s six partners over the span of three funds, Dino led investments in companies such as Staccato, Capella, PulseWave RF, Turin Networks, and TV Head.

Dino began his venture capital career in 1997 as an investing partner at Vulcan Ventures, the Seattle-based investment firm led by Paul Allen.  While at Vulcan, Dino invested in a variety of telecom and wireless companies including Northpoint, Wavetrace and Sharewave.  Prior to Vulcan, Dino was Vice President and Research Analyst at Dain Rauscher, where he covered the telecom industry.

Prior to embarking on a venture capital career that has spanned nearly a decade, Dino held a variety of key operating roles at some of the communications industry’s leading companies.  He was Vice President of Product Management at MetaWave (NASDAQ:MTWV), a leading developer of smart antennas for wireless networks.  He also held product management and business development positions at Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) and US West Cellular.  Dino began his operating career as an engineer at TRW, where he designed satellite communication systems.

Dino earned his MSEE and MBA degrees from the University of Washington and a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from San Diego State University.

On entrepreneurs:  “The best time to get engaged with a start-up is in the earliest stages, when strategies and approaches to the market are just being formed, and there’s a real need for entrepreneur and investor to be collaborative.  It’s a real thrill when you can help someone convert wild ideas and sketches on a paper napkin into a real business.”

Board experience:  Enquisite, Staccato Communications, Capella, PulseWave RF, Cswitch, Northpoint Communications

 

 

 

 

   

 

MANAGEMENT TEAM
Clint Chao, General Partner
Brian Connors, General Partner
Dino Vendetti, General Partner
Robin Casey, Controller

 

"It is critical for companies to find investors that you can rely on for advice and input as you build out your long term plans. I have known Dino for a number of years and knew he had that ability. Now that he has joined the Formative team, I see that this group as a whole has what it takes to bring that value add to us"

– Larry Schwerin,
CEO of Capella

 

 
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