Ping has been with Accel Partners since 2004. He focuses on early stage and growth software and digital media investments, with specific interest in cloud computing, big data, storage, mobile, and gaming. He is also responsible for Accel's Big Data Fund.
Within software, Ping is currently a board member of Cloudera, Code 42, Lookout, Nimble Storage, Nimbula, and ScaleXtreme. Within digital media, he currently serves on the boards of BitTorrent, Blue Jeans Network, Raptr, and YuMe. Ping was also responsible for several Accel investments which have had successful exits including Fusion-io (NASDAQ: FIO), Renren (NASDAQ: RENN), Ludic Labs (Groupon), Mochi Media (Shanda), Reactivity (Cisco), and Versly (Cisco).
Ping has over 16 years of experience as a technology investor and operating executive in helping build market leading technology companies and product lines. Prior to Accel, Ping worked at Juniper Networks as a Senior Product Line Manager for their flagship M-series router products, as well as Director of Corporate Development. He also served as a strategy consultant for McKinsey & Company, advising technology clients in their growth strategies.
Ping has extensive international experience as well. At Singapore Telecom, he served directly for the executive management team in operating and investing in Asian growth opportunities. Prior to SingTel, Ping worked at Goldman Sachs Asia, transacting technology IPOs and M&A.
Ping has appeared on CNBC’s Investing in the Cloud and Tech Titans vs. Start-ups, as well as Bloomberg TV. He has contributed to All Things Digital and GigaOM. Read Ping’s presentations: Renaissance of Business Software: A “Sales-less” Era and Cloud Computing: Big Data is the Future of IT.
Ping holds an AB from Harvard University, with honors, and an MBA from Stanford University.
Frank joined Ignition as a Partner in 2011. He was most recently Group Vice President, Business Development at Citrix Systems. He has over 26 years of experience in the software industry and was responsible for all aspects of Citrix’s business development with software and hardware technology partners.
Frank joined Citrix from XenSource where he was responsible for strategic marketing and business development. Prior to XenSource, Artale was a founder and CEO of Consera Software, a management software company, which was acquired by HP in 2004. Before founding Consera, Frank was Vice President of the Windows Solutions Group for VERITAS Software, where he oversaw overall product strategy of the Windows targeted solutions. He also held the position of General Manager In the Windows 2000 Group at Microsoft Corporation, one of the many and varied product management and sales positions he held during his nine-year career with the company. Before joining Microsoft, he held positions as a software engineer and engineering manager building trader workstation and retail brokerage delivery systems first at an IBM/Merrill Lynch joint venture (IMNET), then at FD Consulting.
Frank attended Polytechnic Institute of New York as a Board of Trustees Scholar where he studied Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
His investments include AppFog, Apprenda, BlueStacks, Bromium, Cloudera, Couchbase, ScaleXtreme, ServiceMesh and Skytap. He is also an advisor to Cloudera and Couchbase
Founded in 1983, Accel Partners has a long history of excellence and innovation in the global venture and growth equity business. It is dedicated to partnering with outstanding entrepreneurs and management teams to build world-class companies, from inception through growth.
Accel today invests globally using dedicated teams and market-specific strategies for local geographies, with offices in Palo Alto, California; London, UK; and Bangalore, India; as well as in China via the IDG-Accel Partnership.
With over $6 billion under management, Accel has helped entrepreneurs build over 300 successful category-defining companies including: Admob, Alfresco, Arrowpoint, Baidu, BBN, Brightcove, ComScore, Etsy, Facebook, Focus Media, Gameforge, GlamMedia, Imperva, Infinera, Interwoven, JBoss, Kayak, Macromedia, metroPCS, Portal Software, QlikTech, Raptr, Real Networks, Redback Networks, Riverbed, ScaleXtreme, Sohu.com, SunRun, UUNet, Veritas, Walmart.com, Webroot, XenSource, and Zimbra and others. For more information, visit the Accel Partners web site at www.accel.com
Ignition is a venture capital firm dedicated to helping the best entrepreneurs seize opportunity. From turning their early idea into a business, to hiring the right team, providing the right industry and functional insight and connections, to growing the business strategically, globally, financially, to realizing the best ultimate outcome, Ignition is ready to go the distance.
Ignition invests in emerging and future leaders in communications, internet, software, and services across business and consumer targets.
Ignition brings together an unparalleled combination of domain focus, technical expertise, and global operational experience. Ignition's partners are proven business leaders who have built some of the world's most successful businesses of the last two decades, including Microsoft Windows and Office, McCaw Cellular Communications, AT&T Wireless and Starbucks.
