Shervin Pishevar

Super Angel Investor, Venture Capitalist, and Entrepreneur

Shervin Pishevar is a Silicon Valley Angel Investor, Venture Capitalist, and Entrepreneur. He is the Co-founder of Virgin Hyperloop One, Sherpa, Jam City (SGN), Webs, and WebOS. Through his companies, Shervin invested early on in startups like Uber and Airbnb. As an angel investor, Shervin has seeded over 60 companies. Additional companies that Shervin Pishevar has been involved in funding include Machine Zone, Ipsy, Dollar Shave, Wag, Pillpack, Warby Parker, and Postmates.

Experience

Virgin Hyperloop One

Co-Founder

June 2014 to December 2017

Virgin Hyperloop One was co-founded by Shervin Pishevar and Brogan BamBrogan. This Company uses an electromagentically levitated pod running thourh a low pressure tube to transport passengers and cargo. It is designed to be a more affordable way of travel than by airplane. The pod accelerates and decelerates using a linear electric motor. The idea for this Company began with a conversation between Shervin Pishevar and Elon Musk. They were on an airplane ride to Cuba for a humanitarian mission.


Sherpa Capital

Co-Founder

March 2013 to December 2017

Shervin Pishevar and Scott Stanford founded Sherpa Capital in March 2013. Sherpa Capital is a venture capital firm based in San Francisco that provides funding to emerging technology-enabled companies. During Shervin Pishevar's time at Sherpa, the Company invested in many well-known startups including Uber, Airbnb, PillPack, Muchery, Slack, Ipsy, and Hired. Sherpa Capital closed its first fund in July 2014 with $154 million. In Sherpa's next two subsequent funds, the Company raised another $470 million. Sherpa Capital is a privately held company. 



Menlo Ventures

Managing Director and Board Advisor

2011 to 2013

Menlo Ventures is a venture capital firm that managed over $4 billion in its venture capital fund during Shervin Pishevar's time there. While at Menlo Ventures, Shervin focused on markets such as mobile internet, social web, and consumer internet. He led the Series B Uber Investment Fund and was instrumental in the launch of a $25 million seed fund which Menlo used to invest in over 35 companies at the seed stage. Other investments Shervin Pishevar was involved with through Menlo included Fab, Machine Zone, Tumblr, and Warby Parker.

Social Gaming Network (SGN)

Co-Founder and Board Member

2008 to 2011

Social Gaming Network (SGN), now called Jam City, is a pioneer of social gaming and one of the biggest mobile social game developers. The Company is a spinoff of Webs. Shervin Pishevar was a founder/co-founder of both companies. Social Gaming Network provides a variety of casual and free games for end-users. The Company generates income by offering in-app purchases. MindJolt purchased the Company in 2011. 


Webs, Inc.

COO, Founding President, and Board Member

2005 to 2012

First known as Freewebs, Webs, Inc. was one of the largest social publishing communities in its heyday under the leadership of Shervin Pishevar. Webs, Inc. provides website builders and templates for users to create their own professional-looking websites. He raised $12 million in capital for the Company and served as its COO and Founding President for three years. In 2008 he transitioned over to his spinoff, Social Gaming Network. Vistaprint, an online printing service, acquired Webs, Inc. in December 2011 for $117.5 million. Shervin remained on the Board of Webs, Inc. until 2012.

Webs OS

Founder

1997 to 2005

After completing his undergraduate work at UC Berkeley, Shervin Pishevar opted to start his own company, Web OS, rather than pursue medical school. Web OS and Shervin Pishevar were labled "Bill Gates worst nightmare" by the Financial Times in 1999. Web OS used cross-browser interfaces that were similar to Windows for the internet.

Education

Univeristy of California, Berkeley

B.S. in Molecular Cellular Biology

1998

Shervin Pishevar earned a degree in molecular cellular biology at UC Berkeley before he began his first company. While still in high school, Shervin began researching Magainin peptides. He continued this project at Berkeley after receiving a Presidential Fellowship for his research. While at Berkeley, Shervin co-authored an article that was published in the Journal of the American Medicine Society. This article was a catalyst for the Istanbul Protocol which was the very first international set of guidelines on documenting torture.  Shervin Pishevar also founded and served as Editor-in-Chief of the Berkeley Scientific. Berkeley Scientific is a peer reviewed undergraduate journal, and the very first of its kind in America.

Skills

Angel Investing, Startups, Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital, Strategy, Business Development, Leadership, Strategic Partners, Corporate Development, Mobile Devices

Honors

Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award

National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO)

2016

Shervin Pishevar, like other Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients, was awarded this honor for his accomplishments in his field and for his service to the United States. This is a prestigious award that has been awarded to U.S. Presidents, world leaders and Nobel Prize winners as well as other Americans who have emphasized compassion, liberty and freedom as part of their work and service. 



J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Appointee

President Barack Obama

2015

Outstanding American by Choice Award

US Government

Shervin Pishevar was one of only 100 naturalized US citizens who has received this award since its inception. 

Acheivements

UN Foundations Global Entrepreneurs Council Member

Keynote Speaker at President Obama's Summit on Entrepreneurship in Algeria

Author of Several US Patents