Joined: January 2018
OPERATING PARTNER
Mike Denning
Background
Mike is a partner at Blu Venture Investors and CEO of SecureG, the Digital Trust Broker for 5G and beyond. Mike spent the last 20 years in the IT security industry, most recently as chief operating officer at ScienceLogic, the leading hybrid IT monitoring software company. He has extensive experience in leading security business management, including as VP of Global Security for Verizon Enterprise, the leading Managed Network Security provider; as the SVP General Manager of the security business unit for CA Technologies, the leader in Identity and Access management software; and management roles for two different security focused business units for VeriSign in the Managed Security Services space.
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As an investor, Mike is passionate about engaging early-stage startups and helping them shape a successful market and product strategy. He looks for genuine coach-ability of the management team brought into the portfolio. He believes the management team is the key difference maker in the success of an early stage company.
What do you look for in a start-up company?
​The management team is the key difference maker in the success of an early stage company. Most early stage companies are going to pivot and a strong leadership team will define success and failure. I look for genuine coach-ability of the management team we bring into the portfolio.
What excites you about early stage investing?
The ability to engage early and help shape strategy
Why do you invest in follow-on rounds?
I like to invest in companies that did what they said they were going to do. I am a big fan of predictability and follow through. A good plan executed with intensity beats a perfect plan executed half-heartedly 90% of the time in my experience.