Jim Lussier (pictured), managing director and head of corporate venturing unit Dell Ventures, has left to run his own advisory and venture capital firm ahead of computer maker Dell’s merger with EMC.
Coast Ridge Group, the firm Lussier set up in early 2011, is an adviser to entrepreneurs and corporations setting up a corporate venturing program, and is expected to raise its own venture fund, according to a source close to Lussier.
Lussier left Dell Ventures last month ahead of the closing of the parent company’s merger with database provider EMC, after nearly five years running the $300m Strategic Innovation Venture Fund.
The fund focuses on investments strategically relevant to Dell in areas including storage, data centre technology, cloud computing, big data and analytics, security, mobile and the internet of things.
At Dell Ventures, Lussier oversaw investments in companies including: Cylance, Docusign, Exablox, Invincea, Lastline, Mirantis, Nexenta and Nutanix. He joined Dell Ventures in November 2011 after more than a decade as a partner at Norwest Venture Partners, the VC firm funded by bank Wells Fargo.