Eze Vidra is leaving corporate venturing unit Google Ventures, where he was an investment partner, as well as its larger corporate owner Alphabet, at the end of 2015 to explore other opportunities.
Vidra joined Google in 2010, and as strategic partnerships development manager was responsible for launching Google Shopping in Spain and Google’s Local Shopping service in the UK.
After stints heading Google’s Campus London and the European branch of Google for Entrepreneurs, Vidra was among the founders of Google Ventures Europe in July 2014, taking on a general partner role when the unit began operations in London.
However, despite being granted $125m of capital from its parent company, the fund did not invest heavily and reportedly had trouble convincing Google Ventures CEO Bill Maris about many of its investment targets.
Earlier this month, Maris announced Google Ventures Europe would be unified back into the general Google Ventures set up in 2016, and the move appears to have precipitated Vidra’s departure. Another of the fund’s GPs, Peter Read, left Google Ventures in July this year.
Vidra announced the decision in a blog post on Medium, and hinted that he may move from London, citing the distance between his and his wife’s families.
– Photo of Eze Vidra courtesy of Twitter