Tony Palcheck is the managing director of Zebra Ventures, the corporate venturing unit set up by mobile computing and tracking tech producer Zebra Technologies. His responsibilities include identifying and executing strategic, minority-equity investments in startup firms to accelerate access to new technologies, future markets and talent for all Zebra’s business units.
Zebra Ventures backs early-stage companies that extend Zebra’s vision of empowering enterprise customers with a performance edge. As well as providing venture capital, the unit brings deep domain expertise, unique access to the parent company’s engineering resources, and a vast distribution network to help portfolio companies meet and exceed their growth plans.
Its focus technologies include automation and robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), analytics, data capture, mobile computing and supply chain solutions. The unit works with startups in sectors such as retail, logistics, manufacturing and warehousing, healthcare, and field services.
Among Zebra’s recent investments are a role in the $66m series C raise for ecommerce fulfilment specialist RightHand Robotics as well as participation in a $25m round for Optoro, a reverse logistics and return management software company.
Palcheck joined Zebra in 2014 after spending a decade as managing director of Motorola Solutions Venture Capital, the corporate investment arm of US-based communications equipment producer Motorola Solutions. During this period, he closed investments in almost 30 startups. Motorola spun off its enterprise solutions business to Zebra in 2014 and Palcheck moved with it.
Palcheck is also the former chairman of the Illinois Venture Capital Association. He has an MBA with a concentration in marketing from DePaul University in Chicago.
