Ali Partovi

Ali Partovi. An Iranian-American technology investor and entrepreneur, he is recognized as a pioneering figure in the Silicon Valley startup ecosystem. He co-founded the early web advertising network LinkExchange and later became a highly influential angel investor and advisor to seminal companies including Facebook, Dropbox, and Airbnb. Partovi is also a co-founder of the non-profit Code.org, where he advocates for expanding access to computer science education.

Early life and education

Born in Tehran, Iran, Partovi and his family emigrated following the Iranian Revolution, eventually settling in the San Francisco Bay Area. He demonstrated an early aptitude for computer programming, winning a gold medal at the International Olympiad in Informatics while attending Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California. Partovi subsequently earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in computer science from Harvard University, where he was classmates with future collaborators like Hadi Partovi, his twin brother.

Career

Partovi's career began at Microsoft, where he worked as a program manager on the Internet Explorer team during the Browser wars. In 1996, he left to co-found LinkExchange with his brother Hadi and Tony Hsieh, who later led Zappos; the company was an early pioneer in online advertising and was acquired by Microsoft in 1998 for approximately $265 million. Following the acquisition, Partovi served as a director at Microsoft before co-founding the music recommendation service iLike in 2006, which was later acquired by MySpace.

Investments and entrepreneurship

As an angel investor and advisor, Partovi has been a pivotal early-stage backer of numerous transformative technology companies. His notable investments include Facebook, Dropbox, Airbnb, Uber, MongoDB, and Parse. In 2010, he co-founded the venture capital firm SV Angel with his brother Hadi, further institutionalizing their investment activities. He later co-founded and served as CEO of Neo, a startup accelerator and venture firm focused on mentoring exceptional founders, with portfolio companies like Airtable and Brex.

Philanthropy and advocacy

A leading advocate for computer science education, Partovi co-founded the non-profit Code.org in 2013 with his brother Hadi. The organization, supported by prominent figures like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, campaigns to increase participation in computer science, particularly among women and underrepresented minorities, and was instrumental in promoting the Hour of Code initiative. He also serves on the board of the environmental advocacy group The Nature Conservancy and has supported educational initiatives through donations to institutions like Harvard University and the University of Washington.

Personal life

Partovi is married to Michele Partovi, a former product manager at Google; the couple has two children and resides in San Francisco. An avid supporter of the arts and education, he has been involved with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and maintains a focus on philanthropic endeavors alongside his investment activities. His twin brother, Hadi Partovi, remains a close professional partner in both their investment and advocacy work.

Category:American technology investors Category:American people of Iranian descent Category:Harvard University alumni Category:Code.org