Bob Davoli

'''Robert "Bob" Davoli''' is an American venture capitalist at Gutbrain Ventures in Boston, Massachusetts.<ref name="sigma">{{cite web|title=Entrepreneur Bob Davoli, 72, releases first album|url=https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/entertainment/2021/03/05/cape-cod-entrepreneur-bob-davoli-72-releases-first-album-proceeds-go-to-food-not-bombs/6866329002/|url-status=live|website=Cape Cod Times|publisher=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310012537/https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/entertainment/2021/03/05/cape-cod-entrepreneur-bob-davoli-72-releases-first-album-proceeds-go-to-food-not-bombs/6866329002/ |archive-date=2021-03-10 }}</ref>

==Education== Davoli obtained a history degree from Ricker College. As he considered his career options, Davoli began to study computer software by taking courses at Northeastern University.<ref name="sigma"/>

==Career== In 1981, Davoli started working for Stone and Webster Engineering Corporation as a systems analyst. In 1986 he founded a database tools and consulting firm, D & N Systems, subsequently changed to SQL Solutions, with Dave Newsom. In January 1990, in Davoli's first successful high-tech exit, SQL Solutions was acquired by Sybase 18 months before they went public.<ref>(03.30.2011) [https://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/officerProfile?symbol=VRTU.O&officerId=984490 "Davoli, Robert Reuters Biography"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304104919/http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/officerProfile?symbol=VRTU.O&officerId=984490 |date=2016-03-04 }} Reuters.com, Retrieved 2011-09-26</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=History of Sybase, Inc. – FundingUniverse|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/sybase-inc-history/|access-date=2021-08-11|website=www.fundinguniverse.com}}</ref> Davoli stayed on to run it as a separate operating subsidiary for a year.<ref name="sigma"/>

In 1992, Davoli was recruited to become CEO of Epoch Systems, a [https://www.sigmapartners.com/ Sigma Partners] portfolio company with a hierarchical storage management product.<ref>(07.24.2000) [http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_30/b3691001.htm How a VC Does It] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060509013148/http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_30/b3691001.htm |date=2006-05-09 }} BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE, Retrieved 2011-09-26</ref> In 1993 Davoli sold Epoch Systems to EMC Corporation for $141 million.<ref name="personallife">{{cite news|url=https://www.bostonmagazine.com/2008/09/15/it-s-about-time/|title=It's About Time|work=Boston|author=Rachel Levitt|date=2008-09-05|accessdate=2020-05-13}}</ref> Davoli left Epoch / EMC about a year after the acquisition and began angel investing and advising local startups.

At about this time, Charles Ferguson had founded Vermeer Technologies which was in the process of creating FrontPage, new and innovative software for creating web pages. Ferguson was seeking out the best advisors he could find in the area and was recommended to Davoli, who joined the Vermeer board as an independent director. Vermeer was purchased by Microsoft in January 1996 for $130 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.microsoft.com/1996/01/16/microsoft-acquires-vermeer-technologies-inc/|title=Microsoft Acquires Vermeer Technologies Inc|publisher=Microsoft|date=1996-01-16|accessdate=2020-05-14}}</ref>

In 1995, Davoli was recruited to join Sigma Partners, where he became a full partner in the firm.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Calnan |first=Christopher |date=June 16, 2006 |title=Five Sigma firms in the running for E&Y award |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass-high-tech/2006/06/five-sigma-firms-in-the-running-for-ey-award.html |access-date=2021-08-19 |website=www.bizjournals.com}}</ref> Davoli funded some of the most successful technology companies in the mid to late 1990s. Many of these were founded by entrepreneurs from SQL Solutions and Epoch Systems. Since D & N Systems / SQL Solutions was an early strong player in the relational database field and Epoch Systems was in a similar position in hierarchical storage management, they were both natural breeding grounds from which strong startups would emerge.

In 2000, Davoli was featured as the cover story of BusinessWeek magazine for their July 24, 2000 issue, titled “How a Venture Capitalist Does It… Even in Tough Times”.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bob Davoli|url=https://www.gutbrainventures.com/s/Davoli-BusinessWeek-article-copy.pdf|access-date=2021-08-11|website=Gutbrain Ventures|language=en-US}}</ref> The profile detailed Davoli’s investment strategy and successes, highlighting that between 1995 – 2000, Davoli-led investments of $45.5 million generated more than $2 billion in returns to Sigma Partners investors.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bob Davoli|url=https://www.gutbrainventures.com/about|access-date=2021-08-11|website=Gutbrain Ventures|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2018, Davoli founded his own investment fund [https://www.gutbrainventures.com Gutbrain Ventures], headquartered in Boston, MA, which currently comprises over forty investments.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Portfolio|url=https://www.gutbrainventures.com/portfolio|access-date=2021-08-11|website=Gutbrain Ventures|language=en-US}}</ref>

Davoli has been listed five times on ''Forbes'' magazine's exclusive "Midas" list and is seen as one of the top early-stage IT venture capitalists in the United States.<ref name="sigma" /> Past successful company exits include Dyax Corporation, Epoch Systems, LogicWorks, Dazel, Vermeer Technologies, Vignette, eDocs, Tradex, webMethods, Aprimo, Virtusa, Initiate Systems, Vlingo, Paydiant, Mobiquity, OnDot Systems, CloudHealth Technologies, Internet Security Systems, m-Qube, StorageNetworks, Octane Software, and TRADEX.

==Personal life==

Davoli is married to Eileen McDonagh, a political science professor at Northeastern University, and they have 2 sons. They reside in the Boston, MA area. Aside from business ventures, Davoli is a singer songwriter, releasing his debut albums ''Wistfully Yours'' and ''Wistfully Yours: Deluxe Edition'' in January 2021 and March 2021, respectively.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S2RNDwAAQBAJ&q=bob+davoli+music+guitar&pg=PA2|page=2|title=Stride Guitar|author=Guy Van Duser|publisher=Mel Bay Publications|date=2018-02-18|isbn=9781619117846|accessdate=2020-05-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Wistfully Yours, by Bob Davoli|url=https://bobdavoli.bandcamp.com/album/wistfully-yours|access-date=2021-08-11|website=Bob Davoli}}</ref> The albums comprise 36 original tunes. Since 2018, Davoli’s original music has received fourteen awards from national and international songwriting contests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bob Davoli - Awards|url=https://bobdavoli.com/awards|access-date=2021-08-11|website=bobdavoli.com}}</ref> Davoli's music can be heard at [https://www.bobdavoli.com www.bobdavoli.com].

== Philanthropy == Bob Davoli, with his wife Eileen McDonagh, founded the Red Elm Tree Foundation in 1994.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Roberts|first=Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Andrea Suozzo, Brandon|title=The Red Elm Tree Foundation - Nonprofit Explorer|url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/43210639|access-date=2021-08-11|website=ProPublica|date=9 May 2013 |language=en}}</ref> The foundation makes donations to projects involved in the arts, music education, the environment, animal welfare, health care, and public radio. Davoli served as a Trustee at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston from 1999 to 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Annual Report {{!}} icaboston.org|url=https://www.icaboston.org/about/annual-report|access-date=2021-08-11|website=www.icaboston.org}}</ref> Davoli and McDonagh were founding partners of the Berklee American Roots Music Program, at the Berklee College of Music, which began in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Soundbreaking: A Decade of Roots House Concerts {{!}} Berklee|url=https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-today/berklee-today-fall-2018/soundbreaking-decade-roots-house-concerts|access-date=2021-08-11|website=www.berklee.edu|language=en}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist|30em}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20060504034238/http://www.sigmapartners.com/davoli.php Davoli's biography on the Sigma Partners website] *[http://archive.boston.com/business/articles/2010/07/18/legendary_hub_venture_investor_musician_works_on_his_next_hit/ Legendary Hub venture investor, musician works on his next hit.] Column in Boston Globe July 18, 2010 by Scott Kirsner (see also, [https://web.archive.org/web/20100721021154/http://www.boston.com/business/technology/innoeco/2010/07/the_davoli_file_venture_capita.html Kirsner blog post on this article]) *[https://web.archive.org/web/20060509013148/http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_30/b3691001.htm Business Week cover story on Davoli from July 2000] *[https://bobdavoli.com/ Bob Davoli official website] *[https://www.gutbrainventures.com/ Gutbrain Ventures official website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davoli, Bob}} Category:American businesspeople in the computer industry Category:American venture capitalists Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Ricker College alumni Category:Northeastern University alumni