Tom Cole
Education
Stanford University Graduate School of Business
Master of Business Administration (MBA), -
Yale University
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Computer Science -Work Experience
Catchlight Capital Partners
Current
Catchlight Capital Partners
Pantastic
2020-04-01 - 2025-03-01
Pantastic
Translink Capital
2018-01-01 - 2020-01-01
Translink Capital
Hone Capital
2015-01-01 - 2018-01-01
Hone Capital
Valimail
2015-01-01 - 2018-01-01
Valimail
Beau-coup Swoozies
2009-01-01 - 2015-01-01
Beau-coup Swoozies
Trinity Ventures
1998-01-01 - 2008-01-01
Trinity Ventures
Angel Investor / Advisor
2007-01-01 - 2007-01-01
Angel Investor / Advisor
Photobucket
2006-01-01 - 2007-01-01
Photobucket
Sygate Technologies
2002-01-01 - 2005-01-01
Sygate Technologies
Skills
Summary
Silicon Valley-based startup entrepreneur, venture capital and angel investor, board member, and advisor with a diverse and proven 25+ year track record across the e-commerce, software, Internet, and online media sectors. After beginning my career as a software developer at both startups and F500 companies, I spent a decade as a venture capital investor in early-stage software, technology, and Internet startups, serving as a General Partner in four funds. After that I spent 5+ years as CEO of an e-commerce startup which I led through a strategic M&A process culminating in a successful exit to a private-equity backed national omnichannel retailer with a combined 150 employees and low-mid 8-figure revenues. Subsequently I served as Managing Partner of a new venture platform where we developed a unique, data-driven investing model, and after that was part of a cross-border Asian venture capital firm with strong ties to Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Prior to my current position, I was co-founder and CFO of a startup providing ecommerce software and online marketing services. Recently I joined as the third partner of a venture capital firm focused on secondary transactions. 1992-1997: Software developer (Oracle, Wells Fargo, Approach Software, Expert Edge) 1998-2008: Venture capital investor (General Partner at Trinity Ventures) 2009-2015: CEO at privately-held e-commerce / omnichannel retailer (Beau-coup) 2015-2018: Venture capital investor and co-founder of new firm (Managing Partner at Hone Capital) 2018-2020: Partner at an Asian cross-border venture capital fund (Venture Partner at TransLink Capital) 2020-2025: Building an e-commerce startup (Co-Founder & CFO at Pantastic) 2025-present: Venture capital investor focusing on secondaries (Venture Partner at CatchLight Capital)
