Senior Irish technology investor Brian Long has left investment group Atlantic Bridge, a company he cofounded in 2004 and also led, to set up his own tech fund in the United States.
In a statement to The Irish Times, Long said: “My time with Atlantic Bridge has been some of the most rewarding and satisfying of my career. I want to acknowledge especially the many investors who trusted us to manage their funds and the investee companies with whom I have worked so closely over so many years, some of which I will continue to serve as an adviser and board representative into the future.
“In particular, I will continue as a director of Navitas Semiconductor which realised a $4 billion [€3.6 billion] valuation at IPO stage, and as a member of the advisory board to SambaNova, whose Series F round recently reached an $11 billion valuation and is planning a Nasdaq IPO next year.”
Long, who previously founded and led Parthus Technologies (now Ceva), an Irish semiconductor IP company that listed in London and New York, said he was also “pleased” to have led the investment into Elisity, which recently announced its sale to IonQ in an all-stock transaction valued at up to $1.3 billion.
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On his plans, he said: “I am looking forward to devoting my efforts to a new fund focused on US-based technology investment opportunities and sharing details of this new venture in due course. In the meantime, I wish my colleagues in Atlantic Bridge continued success.”
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Atlantic Bridge describes itself as a “growth equity firm” that invests in “deep technology” companies in Europe, the UK and the US.
It says it helps its 120 portfolio companies expand and grow internationally, with offices in Dublin, London, Munich, Paris and Palo Alto.
It has $1.4 billion in assets under management, with 35 realisations achieved from portfolio companies, according to its website.
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Commenting on Long’s decision to leave Atlantic Bridge, cofounder Kevin Dillon said: “Since founding Atlantic Bridge in 2004, Brian has achieved very significant investment success and has created meaningful opportunities for Atlantic Bridge investors and partners alike. We extend our best wishes to him as he moves on from Atlantic Bridge.”
A graduate of Trinity College Dublin, Long began his career as a design engineer at Bell Labs AT&T and later held a senior role with Digital Equipment Corporation. He was chosen as the EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2000.
