Managing Director High Peaks Venture Partners, LP
Bela L. Musits is a Managing Director of High Peaks Venture Partners, L.P. High Peaks is an early-stage technology venture fund that focuses on making investments in up-state New York. Prior to High Peaks, Bela was the Director of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Incubator Program. Where he was responsible for guiding this internationally recognized incubator program focused on identifying, creating, and growing new technology ventures and commercialize university-developed technology. He provided management assistance to over 40 companies in the areas capital acquisition, growth strategies, and general business principles.
Bela is experienced in new business creation, technology commercialization & licensing, business turnarounds, raising capital, and strategic business planning. He is the founder of two venture-backed companies and has held senior management and technical positions at the corporate research labs of IBM and GE.
Prior to joining the Incubator Program, he led the turnaround and eventual sale of a sporting goods manufacturer where he served as president and CEO.
Bela also managed the successful spin-off of technology from IBM Research, serving as co-founder and president of a computer-guided robotic surgery company. He raised over $17 million in capital and positioned the company for a successful IPO in 1997.
During his tenure at IBM Research he held various management positions, including Technical Assistant to the Vice-President of Research.
He has developed and taught courses at several colleges and is currently a member of the clinical faculty of the School of Management at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he teaches graduate & undergraduate courses in entrepreneurship and new venture creation.
Bela's current and former community and professional board positions include; the Board of Directors of the Center for Economic Growth, the Board of Directors of the Albany-Colonie Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Governors of the Glens Falls Hospital, the Board of Directors of the Upstate Venture Association of New York, and the Board of Trustees of Adirondack Community College.
Bela graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, earning bachelor and master's degrees in mechanical engineering and an MBA . He also holds three U.S. patents and has published over 25 technical and business articles.
High Peaks Venture Partners is an active, early-stage venture capital firm that partners with exceptional entrepreneurs to build world class technology companies. High Peaks is Upstate New York's largest early-stage venture fund, and predominantly focused on investing within New York State. The firm has a growing portfolio of companies in the new media, information technology, advanced materials, and telecommunications markets.
High Peaks' initial investments range in size from $100,000 to $2 million. While they most often will lead their investments, they are not religious about that. Through partnering with other firms, they can participate in financings as large as $8 to 10 million. And for every company High Peaks backs, they set aside capital in reserve, knowing that both they and their companies are better off if we ensure that, down the road, there is additional capital available.
Being regional early-stage investors, High Peaks looks for firms with novel business ideas. They want to be able to spend a lot of time with their companies, if necessary. And want to know and intimately understand the environments in which they are operating. Given that, High Peaks investments are located primarily in New York State, where their networks are strongest and where they can effectively cover the territory.