Michael Romano

About Michael Romano

Michael orchestrates Lightspeed’s global capital formation, investor relations, capital markets and new product strategy, having raised more than $30 billion for the firm by cultivating relationships and strategic partnerships with leading institutional investors worldwide. Michael brings over 20 years leading global capital formation in private markets as Chief Business Officer at Lightspeed Venture Partners, a premier global venture capital firm focusing on Enterprise and AI infrastructure. Michael founded the firm\'s co-investment practice, mobilizing an additional $5 billion to support extraordinary founders—including Anthropic, Rubrik, Netskope, Abridge, Cato Networks, and Wiz—through partnerships with long-term capital providers and LPs. He also established Lightspeed\'s Capital Markets practice, developing innovative liquidity solutions in secondaries for limited partners while contributing to the firm\'s marketing and brand strategy.As a senior operating Partner, Michaels expertise lies at the intersection of institutional capital formation and venture innovation, driving sustainable growth and value creation for both limited partners and portfolio companies globally.

Experience

1. Chief Business Officer

   Lightspeed

   Feb 2022 — Present · San Francisco, CA, US

   Michael brings over 20 years of strategic leadership in investment management as Chief Business Officer at Lightspeed Venture Partners, a premier global venture capital firm focusing on Enterprise and AI infrastructure. As a senior operator, he orchestrates the firm\'s global capital formation strategy and execution, having raised more than $30 billion for Lightspeed by cultivating relationships and strategic partnerships with leading institutional investors worldwide. In addition to running investor relations and fundraising for the firm globally, Michael founded the firm\'s co-investment practice, mobilizing an additional $5 billion to support extraordinary founders—including Anthropic, Rubrik, Netskope, Abridge, Cato Networks, and Wiz—through partnerships with long-term capital providers and LPs. He also founded the firms bespoke Lightspeed Early Access Program (LEAP) to provide early visibility and access to breakout companies and introducing them to leading institutional investors before financing events manifest. Michael founded and built Lightspeed\'s Capital Markets practice, developing innovative liquidity solutions for limited partners while contributing to the firm\'s marketing and brand strategy. This included leading Lightspeed continuation vehicle, one of the largest successfully executed in venture capital. Michael\'s expertise lies at the intersection of institutional capital formation and venture innovation, driving sustainable growth and value creation for both limited partners and portfolio companies globally.

Education

• The Chinese University of Hong Kong

  International Business & Entrepreneurship

  2003 — 2004

• Northeastern University

  BA, International Business & Finance

  2001 — 2006

Skills

• Investment Management
• Investment Banking
• Asset Managment
• Business Development
• M&a Experience
• Emerging Markets
• Valuation
• Asset Allocation
• Funding
• Investments
• Due Diligence
• Hedge Funds
• Bloomberg
• Joint Ventures
• Strategy
• Corporate Development
• Fund of Funds
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Investor Relations
• Entrepreneurship
• Portfolio Management
• Start-Ups
• Executive Management
• Capital Markets
• Equities
• Corporate Finance
• Venture Capital
• Securities
• Institutional Investments
• Lbo
• Asset Management
• Financial Modeling
• Capital
• Investment Strategies
• Alternative Investments
• Private Equity