Venture Capital and how to find, approach and work with VC firms

Kevin Nethercott is one of the panelist at the 2006 University Private Equity Summit.

Kevin Nethercott is founder, President and COO of LignUp Corporation, a leading provider of software only, SIP-based Voice Applications and Infrastructure for enterprises. Kevin brings to LignUp more than 15 years of experience as an entrepreneur in international sales and business development, as well as over 8 years of experience in the Voice over IP (VoIP) industry. As founder and CTO of SkyWave, Inc., Kevin pioneered the deployment of VoIP technologies, established the first operational VoIP network in Japan and developed the first real-time VoIP billing engine. SkyWave has since assembled a broad portfolio of SIP standards-based products that enable voice communications via PCs, phones and PDAs over wired and wireless networks.

Kevin’s leadership at SkyWave has forged successful strategic relationships with leading IT systems integrators such as Net One Systems, NEC Systems Integration and Construction, NTT-ME, K Solutions (KDDI Group), Sun Telephone and Hitachi Information Technology Co. Under Kevin, SkyWave has also been named to the Pulver 100 list, which recognizes private companies that have substantial real-world deployments, enjoy significant growth rates, and represent the future ecosystem of Internet telephony companies.

As co-founder and Executive Vice President for iCall, Inc., Kevin spearheaded the company’s efforts through two rounds of private financing, directed the acquisition of strategic technology assets, and established strategic alliances with industry leaders Cisco and NEC. These acquisitions and alliances were central to the development of the company’s unique network and established iCall as one of the recognized leaders in the IP telephony industry.

Prior to SkyWave and iCall, Kevin worked with Tokyo-based Eight Star, Ltd. and AT&T to launch NCS Corporation, one of Japan’s first call back phone services.  At the Asian Sources Media Group, the largest trade media company in Asia, Kevin created new revenue opportunities for the company, developing relationships with the Communications Industry Association of Japan (CIAJ), the Japanese Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, and business networks in the telecommunications, IT, and securities industries.

As a recognized leader in the VoIP industry, Kevin was also responsible for the creation of the VoIP Forum of Japan and is a member of its board of directors.

Kevin is fluent in Japanese, is a regular speaker at VoIP conferences and holds a B.A. in Marketing from Utah State University in Logan, Utah.

Source