Meet the VC: Saban Ventures

OCTANe's Meet the VC series brings entrepreneurs and VCs together.

Join us as we meet Craig Cooper and Richard Yen from Saban Ventures. Craig and Richard will tell us about their firm, their experience in the digital media, mobile, and consumer internet space, and their investment strategy. Together, they have experience at six leading VC firms from across the country so attendees will also get insight into the VC community in Silicon Valley, Southern California, and New York.

This program is for entrepreneurs only.

About Craig Cooper: 

Craig is a Managing Director and Head of Saban Ventures. He was previously a Partner at VantagePoint Venture Partners and a founding Partner in the SoftBank Capital Technology Fund where he led that firm's West Coast Digital Media and Wireless Practice.

Prior to joining SoftBank, Craig was the co-founder of Boost Mobile USA, a wireless joint venture with Nextel Communications. Boost was one of the first Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) to develop a successful business model based on branded wireless services and content. Boost was sold to Nextel in August 2003.

About Richard Yen:

Richard is a Director at Saban Ventures. Richard’s current investment interests include consumer analytics, mobile applications, and digital media infrastructure.

Prior to joining Saban Ventures, Richard was a Principal at Blueprint Ventures in San Francisco where he established the firm's digital media and Internet investing practice. He led early-stage investments and was an active Board member at several leading digital media start-ups. Prior to that, Richard was at Rustic Canyon Partners, an early-stage technology venture capital firm in Southern California where he focused on software infrastructure and wireless investments.

About Saban Ventures:

Saban Ventures is the venture capital investment arm of Saban Capital Group, Inc. (SCG), a private investment firm founded by Haim Saban in 2001 and specializing in the media, entertainment, and communications industries. Saban Ventures was formed by SCG in 2008 to invest in early-stage to mid-stage start-ups in digital media, mobile, and consumer Internet with an emphasis on companies that can add value to SCG’s global media investments.

The Saban Ventures team brings significant investment, operations, and industry experience in the digital media, mobile, and consumer Internet spaces. The firm seeks to partner with ambitious, market-changing entrepreneurs and invest in companies where the Principals can add value through their expertise and strategic network. The firm actively partners and collaborates with its portfolio companies to help them achieve breakout success.