Dovi Frances
Dovi Frances (Hebrew; דובי פרנסס) is an Israeli-American businessman and venture capitalist. Frances is the founder of Group 11, a Los Angeles-based venture capital firm with investments in Financial Technology companies such as Addepar, SoFi, HomeLight, TripActions, Tipalti, Sunbit, Next Insurance, and Papaya Global. Frances is also one of the main "shark" investors on the Keshet Media Group version of the reality television series, Shark Tank (Krishim).
Dovi Frances | |
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Dovi Frances, 2016 | |
Born | Holon, Israel | 20 November 1978
Alma mater | Ben Gurion University, UCLA Anderson School of Management |
Occupation | Businessman, venture capitalist, entrepreneur, angel investor, and managing partner of Group 11. |
Spouse(s) | Roni Eshel |
Early life
Dovi Frances was born in Holon, Israel to an eastern European family of Holocaust survivors. Frances served as a Company Commander (Captain) in Bahad I, Israeli Defense Forces' Officers Academy stationed in the Negev Desert. After his military service in 2000, he was the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Mitsubishi Motors and Hyundai Motor Company's largest subsidiaries in Israel. In 2005, Frances earned his dual BA from the Ben Gurion University in Business Administration and Psychology. He graduated in June 2008 with a Masters of Business Administration in Finance and Marketing from UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Venture investing – Group 11
In January 2012, Frances formed Group 11, a FinTech dedicated Venture Capital fund aiming to capitalize upon the vast changes reshaping the traditional financial services industry.
Since its formation, Group 11 has invested over $200 million into some of Silicon Valley's most prominent and disruptive financial technology companies.[1]
Frances currently serves on the boards of Tipalti,[2] SunBit, HomeLight,[3] Papaya Global, Lili Bank, EquityBee, and Reali. He is also an Advisor to Addepar and TripActions, is a member of the Advisory Council of Bank Leumi U.S. and the Steering Committee of Israel Collaboration Network.
Shark Tank
Frances has been a "shark" investor on the Keshet Media Group reality program Shark Tank Season 1 and Season 2, which were recorded in 2017. The show's first episode aired 20 February 2018 on primetime Israeli national television.[4]
Personal life
Frances is married to Roni Eshel, former Israeli Surf Champion.[5] The couple resides in Venice Beach, California. The couple had their first child, a son, in 2019.
References
- "SGVC reels in $50m for Fund II". AltAssets Private Equity News.
- "Tipalti nets $14 mln from SGVC-led round". The PE Hub Network.
- "HomeLight Raises $40M in Series B Funding To Help You Find A Listing Agent". Forbes.
- "Meet Dovi Frances". Mako.
- "Surf's up with Israeli surfing champ's crowdsourced reports". The Times of Israel.