Frank Desvignes
Director at True Global Ventures
Frank Desvignes
Director at True Global Ventures
Palo Alto, California
Overview
Work Experience
Founding Partner and Director
2018 - Current
True Global Ventures 4 Plus (TGV) has invested in 4 global market leaders namely Ledger, Animoca Brands, The Sandbox, Forge Global. TGV GPs are investing their own money between 20%-35% of the total AUM. TGV is licensed under Monetary Authorities of Singapore and is actively deploying out of 2 funds dedicated to Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Blockchain companies: - TGV Opportunity Fund (TGV 5), launched in June 2022, a 146M USD fund investing in external opportunities mainly in late stage AI companies, as well as selected portfolio companies of TGV 4 Plus Base Fund, investing from Series B onwards. - TGV 4 Plus Base Fund (TGV4), a 113M USD fund has deployed into 16 portfolio companies to date including: Ledger: Global market leader in self-custody, cold storage hardware wallet solution with 20% of the world’s crypto assets secured, services supporting trading, buying, spending, earning, staking, etc. The Sandbox: Global market leader in gaming metaverse empowering artists, creators, players to play, build, own, monetise virtual experiences on blockchain Animoca Brands: Unicorn global market leader leveraging gamification & blockchain to develop and publish a portfolio of games Forge Global (NYSE: FRGE): Global market leader in secondary private market shares transactions, with over 12 B USD transaction volume, in > 500 companies Chromaway: Creator of relational blockchain protocol Chromia ($CHR), powering Metaverse game My Neighbor Alice ($ALICE), Mines of Dalarnia ($DAR), etc Coinhouse: Leading French regulated digital assets platform for individuals, companies & institutions GCEX: Regulated digital brokerage & end-to-end trading platform bringing Tier 1 liquidity for Institutional clients bridging gap between traditional finance & digital assets SATO Technologies Corp (TSXV: SATO): Bitcoin mining company based in Quebec utilising 100% renewable energy Others: Chronicled, Quantumrock, Enjinstarter, Printler, Bookit N Go, Forza Football, Iomob, Dedoco
Board Member
2021
Senior Executive Council
2019
Global Head of Open Innovation AXA Next
2020 - 2024
Connect with Startups, Scale-ups, Tech and Internet players in #Fintech #Insurtech #Healthtech #Blockchain #AI #Web3 #Spacetech Partner with key players. Identify, Implement, Scale innovative solutions and strategic business models.
Global Head of AXA Next Labs
2018 - 2020
Detect & Connect with Startups, Tech and Internet players in #Fintech #Insurtech #Healthtech #Blockchain #AI. Partner with key players. Identify, Implement, Scale strategic innovative business models.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer AXA Lab Asia
2016 - 2018
Detect & Connect with Startups, Tech and Internet players in #Fintech & #Insurtech sectors. Partner with key actors on M-Commerce, M-Payment, Social Networks, IOT, Connected Car, Smart Home, Heath. Identify and Implement strategic innovative business models.
Founder of the AXA Lab Asia - Global Digital Transformation Director for Asia
2015 - 2016
Define Digital Transformation Strategies for Group, Region and entities. Challenge and prioritize overall and local Digital action plans and roadmaps. Scan, Detect, Connect with key startups and Internet players in #Insurtech and #Fintech sectors. Partner with key actors on E-business, Mobile servicing innovation, connected car, home and Health. Identify and conduct innovative pilots for new business opportunities. Attract and recruit local talents and impulse cultural changes.
Group Digital Transformation Director for Mediterranean and Latin America Region
2012 - 2015
Define Digital Transformation Strategies for Group, Region and entities. Challenge and prioritize overall and local Digital action plans and roadmaps. Provide support on demand expertise notably on E-business, Mobile servicing, social networks, innovation. Co-Pilot Digital transformation of the P&C Global line of Business and support connected objects initiatives.
Partner
2017 - 2024
Innovator Founders’ Capital 3 (F.K.A. True Global Ventures 3) Investment vehicles set up by serial entrepreneurs investing in serial entrepreneurs in Bay Area, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, Berlin, Paris within mainly B2B Fintech & Fintech related companies: Investments: Forge Global NYSE: FRGE (US - SF) Initial investment SharesPost, Pre-IPO online secondaries marketplace for late stage VC-backed private companies. Board Observer. Merged with Forge Global. IPOed on New York Stock Exchange in 2022. Animoca Brands (Hong Kong) Initial investment Stryking (Berlin). Free-to-play sports games, teamed up with Sports Media Partners providing innovative monetizing combining real & virtual worlds. Sold to Animoca Brands in 2019. The Blockchain Group (EURONEXT: ALTBG) Initial investment Bountysource (US-SF) bounties marketplace with 100,000+ open source developers. Clients: IBM, Ripple, Facebook. Board Member. Sold to the Blockchain Group in 2020. Aptiv.io (US-NYC) Revenue AI enterprise SaaS for salespeople. Translates data into smart decisions based on cognitive computing, AI & ML. Bluerider Software (Bialystok) AI workflow process software house. Formerly technology team of Opentopic (US-NYC), platform for content discovery & distribution for marketers. Key partnership with IBM Watson 2015. Exited: Goswiff (Singapore) payments company present in 26 emerging markets offering MPOS, authentication, wallet & payment processing solutions. Sold to PaySwiff in 2017. PaySwiff was then sold to CHOLA Group in 2022. Bluzelle (Singapore) offers a fully integrated stack of blockchain applications, middleware, data services - payment network, smart insurance & KYC-Identity. Key clients: Maybank, AIA, MSIG; Partners: Microsoft, British Telecom & Temenos. Board Member. Exited 2022. 4GSecure (Paris) payment solution for mobile apps with authentication system using 2D bar codes, NFC, OTP enabling mobile payments with vouchers. Sold to SCCP Group in Singapore June 2012.
Non Profit - Board Advisor
2021 - 2023
Columbia University Talent Development Advisory Board
2017 - 2020
The Columbia University Talent Development Advisory Board (Inaugural Board) has been created to identify and address the most complex and important issues in global human performance. A second purpose is to create a global learning community that actively helps members. A group of 13 top executives from every industry and from North America, South America, Europe, and Asia is being formed as global hub. The Board is chaired by Prof. Victoria Marsick and Prof. Lyle Yorks of Columbia with Walter McFarland as Board Convener.
Angel Investor & Tech Advisor
2005 - 2015
Investment Lead on 4 portfolio companies, investment thesis Web 2.0, from Deal sourcing, DD, Advisory Board, Business Development and Exit, including: Jedessine, entertainment website for kids, Sold to Horizon Media Yoolink, corporate social network solution sold to Jamespot in 2013 No CRM, Sales tools & CRM for professionals sold to Groupe Positive in 2023 (Email Marketing solutions) MBrand spin off from Nokia in 2009, Mobile Marketing Agency (advertising for Shazam) sold to Mobile Network Group, became Madvertise exit through IPO on Euronext ALMNG.PA Ad4screen, Mobile Marketing, sold to Dzeta Group in 2018 Accengage, Mobile Marketing, sold to Urban AirShip in 2019
Internet & Mobile Managing Director, Founder of La NET agence / French Retail Banking
2009 - 2012
Define Internet & Mobile Strategy for Digital Banking Department. Design, plan and deliver all development projects notably on transactional e-services and Mobile Apps. Create and Manage e-business, accountable of on line sales. Manage Off and On-line media buying. Development of End-to-End Performance dashboards and tracking tools. Monitor and Animate Customer Support on Social Networks. Team Management: Digital Marketing, On-line Sales, Project Managers, On-line Advisors (60 people).
Head of Internet Banking Marketing
2000 - 2008
Define On-line Marketing strategy on e-services and websites : www.bnpparibas.net & www.lemoneymag.fr Team Management: Marketing, Product Content and e-communication (15 people). Elaborate on-line activities tracking and reporting tools. Promote usage of On-line Banking website with Off and On-line campaigns management. Develop Key Strategic Partnerships (Microsoft, Orange, AOL…). Animate Sales Force Networks, Change Management and roadshows. Define and Implement Multichannel CRM tool and coordinate on line sales contacts.
Internet Business Angel
1999 - 2006
Business Angel, new Internet Players in the field of Internet Maketing including: Board member of IAB (Internet Advertising Bureau France) 1999 to 2006 Weborama, audience Measurement, ad-serving, IPO in 2006 on Alternext Directinet, internet Marketing and direct Marketing solutions, sold in 2006 to Interactive Prospect Targeting (IPT) listed on London Stock Exchange. 1000mercis, CRM, PRM and Relational Marketing solutions, IPO Alternext in 2006.
Education
Professional Development
2021 - 2022
Master's degree
1990 - 1994