C. Paul Slaby – Managing Director
I’m an entrepreneurial technology business specialist with deep expertise in building successful companies and business units, taking them from napkin sketch to revenue and investment exit. As a founder, hired-gun CEO and angel investor, I’ve experienced it all – in addition to my PHD in technology, I also claim an MBA from the School of Hard Knocks.
Based on decades of experience in raising multiple rounds of multi-million financing for a variety of tech companies, Yariba Tech provides specialized fundraising support and project management services that save you the time and energy you need to focus on your core business.
Think of me as your “CEO-Sidekick”; someone with practical experience who’s been there and done that, who’s pragmatic, loyal and available as needed to deliver the support to grow your business.
Successful fundraising experiences
- raising $300-500K angel seed funding for several startups,
- multiple IRAP projects varying from $50-500K
- OCE R&D grants
- CIIRDC $800K international R&D grant
- Multiple YEP employment grants
- Several EUREKA (EU-Canada) international collaboration $600K projects
- SR&ED claims with up to $1M cash refunds
- Export Market Access (EMA) grants
- CFDC $200K equity investment
- Debt based financing
- Venture Capital rounds ranging from $2-15M
- M&A transactions
Tech venture building experiences
- Nortel – R&D management of new technologies
- Atmos Corporation (semiconductor company) – founded, built it, sold it
- MicroSemiX (offshore engineering) – founded, ran it, sold it
- VoIPShield Systems (IT security) – co-founder
- Kaben Wireless – hired CEO; tripled revenue in 2 years
- Teslonix – privately funded; Founder & CEO
- Yariba Tech – consulting and supporting management services
Innovation & Commercialization
- Strategic Microelectronics Development for Industry Canada
- Technology Advisor to Paul Castrucci & Associates
- CMC LDW Evaluation
- Advisor to Carleton University Foundry Programme
- International R&D Facility Project for BNR
- Future Semi Fab Study for Fluor Daniel Inc
- New Technology Evaluation for Hewlett Packard
Let’s work together.
Insights
To Hang In or to Let Go? When to KILL your Startup
“When the horse is dead – dismount” is succinct practical advice sometimes attributed to the famous cavalry general Lord Mountbatten. No matter what its origin, the essence of it is clear: stop agonizing and procrastinating when something ends; the only thing left to do is to get off the horse and move on with your…
Read More To Hang In or to Let Go? When to KILL your Startup
Forming the Founders Team – Agony and Ecstasy
Years ago my very first startup had a Founders Team consisting of myself and three other colleagues who were fellow engineers with entrepreneurial ambitions. It failed miserably after 6 months of operation. One of the key reasons was that the founders were all very much alike: technical, with little business experience and big on personal…
Founders, Investors, and CEOs
Why do so many founders in high-tech startups fail to successfully go through the corporate transitions and come out as winners at the end? A good example is the story of SiGe Semiconductor. Founded by John Roberts with 2 other cofounders back in 1996 and ultimately acquired by Skyworks in 2011 for $210M, the company went through several reincarnations with three waves…
Early Exits – way to go!
“Today, the optimum financial strategy for most technology entrepreneurs is to raise money from angels and plan an early exit to a large company in just a few years for under $30 million.” That’s the essence of the message from Basil Peters’ book “Early Exits” which I have discovered for myself recently. Coming from the…
5 Leadership lessons from Argentine tango
Can managers learn anything from the old fashioned tango? Isn’t this musty stuff relegated to dustbins of the previous generation and of little interest to the modern crop of today’s MBAs? In the spirit of the carnival season this post is on a lighter note. In preparation for my upcoming vacation trip to Buenos Aires…
Eulogy for semiconductors in Canada
The last two nails were hammered into the semiconductor business in Canada recently with the acquisition of GENNUM by Semtech and ZARLINK by Microsemi (both out of California). This follows the recent acqusition of SiGe Semiconductor by Skyworks and earlier TUNDRA by IDT. For all practical purposes we are left with no significant size Canada-based…
Tech Ventures Leverage & Support 