Richard Black is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of First Ascent Ventures, a firm focused on investing in early stage, growth-oriented enterprise software companies within the information technology sector. With extensive experience, Richard has held various investment roles at companies such as Sportlogiq, Upchain, Assent Compliance Inc, ALPHA MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED, and Aquam, contributing to advancements in AI-powered analytics, cloud PLM solutions, and biomedical technology. As General Partner at Walsingham Growth Partners, Richard has fostered significant investments in technology, while previous leadership roles at Helix Investment Ltd and RBC Capital Markets highlight a strong background in managing venture capital funds. Richard holds an HBA from Ivey Business School at Western University.
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Upchain
Upchain is a provider of instant-on, cloud-based product lifecycle management (PLM) and product data management (PDM) solutions. Upchain started in 2015 with the goal of changing what Product Lifecycle Management means for users across the supply chain. Existing solutions were built for multi-national companies, and suppliers down the chain wereleft out in the cold. They knew there was a better way. Their vision is a completely interconnected supply chain from the first nut to the final bolt, where collaboration is the default setting, and where mission-critical data is simultaneously accessible and secure. They think the process doesn’t have to be as hard as it is, and they intend to make it a whole lot easier for everyone.