The current world we live in presents countless financial hurdles for individuals from different walks of life. In a world of financial uncertainty, it is critical to find a pillar to lean on when faced with monumental decisions about your finances. Whether you have worked hard all your life and are looking to have your hard earned money work for you, or if you inherited a large amount from the death of a family member, it is of paramount importance to be able to trust someone to protect these assets. Kris Bort, also known as Kris Bortnovsky in the financial world, is someone you can trust when facing this decision. Bort is the founding partner of Sakal Ventures, and has been thriving in the financial space for almost two decades.
Bort knew that in order to be a stalwart in the financial world, he needed a team that was as committed to excellence as he was. He brought in a technology growth professional and NYU graduate, Ajay Arora, as well as MIT graduate and master analyst, George Ebner. Head of capital development, and Wall Street colossus, Anthony DeBenedicts is critical to the team. Bort also brought on Taylor Barling from New York, Barling comes from a wealth management background, and previously worked at a hedge fund executing trades, now Barling helps source stock in companies that Sakal wants to invest in. With a team of virtuosos, Sakal Ventures is the premier fund of choice for those looking to grow their money.
Sakal specializes in pre-IPO, late stage investments, a strategy that is normally not attainable by an individual investor. Usually, these investments were only available to large institutions, private firms, investment banks, etc. Sakal looks to partner with high-net worth, accredited individual investors to take advantage of the opportunities in this private sector. Sakal aims to partner with 200-300 new limited partners that have the same focus and investment strategy, and are set to take advantage of this private sector. Sakal has a goal of raising 100-150 million in the next 18 months. Sakal’s expertise is finding hidden gems in the late stage pre-IPO sectors, the private companies that are disrupting their space, and that can add tremendous value to the portfolio of the affluent and astute investor.
An example of such an opportunity is Ginkgo Bioworks, a synthetic biology company that has attained a 5 billion dollar valuation, very few out there have access to be a part of something so groundbreaking, Sakal is one of the few that does. The founders of this company believe that what they do will be as life-changing as computers, an easy call from an investment perspective. This company was created by MIT graduates, and DARPA and Bill Gates are noteworthy investors. With such individuals backing a company, the question is only the size of the gains that can be attained, striking out is not even an option.
Sakal focuses on industries that have the ability to change the world, artificial intelligence is the future of our society, and Sakal has access to these ground-breaking companies that many funds don’t even know exist. One such company is chipmaker, Graphcore. They have a number of top tier backers like Microsoft, BMW, and Samsung. Cybersecurity is a sector that is moving to the forefront in our society, as many things go digital, there is a large need for protection. From digital assets like bitcoin, to influential platforms like Twitter, hackers can swing the financial pendulum with a simple tweet, or hacking digital assets for millions of dollars. Sakal recognizes the importance of cybersecurity, and has identified companies that will have tremendous influence on the future with their innovations. Snyk is one of the companies, and it is growing very quickly in the cybersecurity space. These are the types of companies that Sakal goes after for their portfolio and for their limited partners, as Sakal is always looking for the next disruptive sector. When investments into such companies come into fruition, the gains are tremendous.
Sakal Ventures is a forward-thinking and visionary fund, as it primarily invests in sectors like: artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, technology, plant based foods, and biotech. These sectors have a substantial impact on innovation and society, and Sakal has a pulse on which companies are able to execute such revolutionary achievements. Sakal has all the elements needed for limited partners or affluent retail investors to have an avenue to achieve sustainable and exponential financial growth. Sakal is always looking for the multi-billion dollar company, and has a process in place to take that educated risk. Even though Sakal goes after companies of this nature, they make the investment at a later stage, with a sweet spot of 1 to 10 billion, and this late stage aspect of the investment proves to mitigate risk as much as possible.
Sakal Ventures has attained sustained success because they are able to source great ideas through a diverse approach. A series of proprietary screens are run on a weekly basis to scout for interesting opportunities based on valuations, industry trends, and shifts in the macro environment. Screens are employed to find companies that are capturing growth, employing revolutionary technology or processes, and redefining their respective business.
Armed with a team that is committed to sustained financial prosperity, cutting-edge and in-depth analysis, as well as access to sectors at the forefront of creating life-altering solutions- Sakal Ventures is one of the best funds in the late stage venture capital industry.