Jim Simmons Email & Phone Number

Menlo Park, California, Us

Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of this virtual global network of Caltech alumni angel investors seeking to invest in early-stage startups founded by fellow alumni.

CEO for patent-pending fashion technology platform which is Shazam for Fashion. Primary author for company's provisional patent application filed with multiple claims.

Simmons Goodspeed Ventures invests in early-stage startups through Simmons Goodspeed Investment Management, LLC, its fund management company. Although our venture capital firm generally focuses on highly differentiated enterprise hardware spaces (often involving physics and chemistry) including energy, water, materials, industrial systems, IoT, wireless, semiconductors, batteries, quantum computing, and next-generation AI, our most fundamental investment criteria are:1. Market opportunity large enough to compensate for the risks of early-stage investing;2. Value proposition compellingly addressing a problem painful enough that customers will remain interested through the inevitable difficulties that startups encounter;3. Sustainable competitive advantage and barriers to entry providing clear differentiation;4. Strong competitive positioning, the sign of a potential market leader;5. World-class teams with the passion needed to succeed; and6. Traction with customer prospects validating the above criteria.Among the major venture capital firms with whom Simmons Goodspeed has co-invested are Draper Richards, Alloy Ventures, US Venture Partners, CMEA Capital, and RWI Ventures.

The Caltech Alumni Entrepreneurship Group is designed to provide Caltech alumni trusted, interdisciplinary input for phases of technical idea development including idea formation, IP management, and early stage funding. We meet monthly with speakers such as angel and venture capital investors who are alumni.

Pasadena, Ca, Us

Was fortunate to have opportunity to learn from Bill Draper, one of first west coast venture capitalists.• Identified early stage investment opportunities and represented Draper Richards interests.• Interim COO for Draper Richards portfolio company.• Interim CEO and board member of stealth firm. Expanded penetration with two of most advanced chipmakers in world. Obtained bridge financing term sheet.

Built worldwide marketing, product management, sales, and applications groups to team of fifteen including eight direct reports and seven consultants/ representatives for this publicly held (Nasdaq: CDTS) superconducting wireless systems firm backed by Alloy Ventures and other investors. Assisted CEO in investor presentations and strategic alliances.• Achieved corporate qualification at two of four largest wireless carriers in North America, including Verizon Wireless.• Successfully drove integration of all marketing and applications engineering activities in merger with largest competitor. Combined company (Nasdaq: SCON) 2003 revenues were $49 million, up from $22 million in 2002 for competitor separately. SCON market capitalization at end of 2003 was $380 million.• Obtained nationwide deployment order from one of top ten cellular carriers in US.• Repositioned company’s flagship product family from having little wireless presence to leadership role in 2G and 3G urban applications. • Conducted and announced dramatic field trials which documented serious degradation of 2G and 3G cell sites caused by interference and showed Conductus product to be solution. Conductus market capitalization exceeded $1.3 billion in 2000.

Recruited and directed team of 24 including ten direct reports and fourteen independent representatives, with responsibility for worldwide sales, marketing, product management, applications engineering, and service activities for this publicly held (Nasdaq: SCON) venture capital-backed wireless systems firm. Assisted CEO and CFO in presentations to financial analysts.• Received letter of intent for nationwide deployment from one of ten largest US cellular operators. • Conducted trials with nine of ten largest US carriers and 26 others, demonstrating revenue increases of 33% to 101% due to SCON systems.• Obtained orders from three of five largest wireless base station manufacturers in world.• Recommended consolidation of markets to be addressed from twenty to two: wireless and cooled computing applications. Board of Directors accepted this recommendation.

Recruited and directed staff of six with responsibility for applications development, product management, and marketing of major product at this venture-capital backed semiconductor measurement systems manufacturer. Launched, presented, and demonstrated product to major U.S., European, and Asian prospects.• Took Opti-Probe, Therma-Wave’s first competitive product, from 0 to $45 Million in bookings and $37 million in revenues in four years despite competing with well-managed, innovative market leader. Two years later Opti-Probe had revenues of $80 million annually and greater than 30% market share. • Obtained world qualification from two of the three largest IC manufacturers in the U.S. • Developed and implemented marketing plan including advertising, brochure, and technical paper.

Bs, Applied Physics

Mba