Telescope Partners

Nicole Naidoo focuses on growth-stage B2B software and financial technology companies at Telescope Partners. She previously served as Chief of Staff at Nexus, an accounts payable automation and payments company for the multi-family and commercial real estate markets, and before that invested in bootstrapped B2B software companies at Mainsail Partners. She began her career at Raymond James in its Technology & Services Group working on M&A and equity transactions, and holds a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Michigan.

Chris Gaertner invests in B2B software and AI companies at the early growth stage for Telescope Partners. He previously worked at OpenView, where he helped lead AI investing, and earlier held roles at Omega Venture Partners and GI Partners. He holds a BA and an MBA from Stanford, where he played football as a defensive back.

Zack Bahm is a member of Telescope Partners with prior experience in the technology sector. Before joining the firm, he worked at HSBC, where he executed transactions and invested growth capital in B2B software companies. He holds a B.S. in Sustainable Development from Columbia University, where he also played on the baseball team.

Bhargav Mallidi is an investor at Telescope Partners who works with founders of software businesses. He previously worked at Denali Growth Partners and Susquehanna Growth Equity, where he invested in healthcare technology and B2B SaaS companies. He holds a B.B.A. in Finance from The College of William & Mary.

Calvin Koo is an investor at Telescope Partners who came to the firm with a background in growth equity. He previously worked at Sunstone Partners on software and tech-enabled services investments, and before that at AlphaSights supporting private equity firms with diligence and thematic research. He holds a B.A. in Economics and Asian Studies from Claremont McKenna College.

Claire Owens is an investor at Telescope Partners focused on early-stage software. She previously worked at Five Elms Capital and Golden Section Venture Capital, supporting SaaS, marketplace, and AI investments. She holds a degree from Baylor University, where she studied Finance, Political Science, Philosophy, and Great Texts.

Emily Spradlin is the Administrative Assistant and Office Coordinator at Telescope Partners. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and previously held administrative and support roles, most recently assisting with operations on the Berkeley campus. She grew up in California's Central Valley.

Erin Cruz is VP of Finance at Telescope Partners, having built her career in finance roles at venture capital and private equity firms. She was previously VP of Finance at Slow Ventures, overseeing financial management and reporting, and earlier held finance positions at Fall Line Capital, Bertram Capital, and Gryphon Investors. She holds a B.S. in Managerial Economics from UC Davis.

Harrison Doyle is a finance and operations leader with over ten years in B2B technology, having built and led finance and accounting teams at Procore and Engine. He joined Procore as its second finance hire and was part of the team that took the company public in 2021, and has also overseen legal, people, recruiting, and data analytics functions. He began his career at Goldman Sachs, later worked at Pacific Crest Securities (acquired by KeyBank), and holds a BA in Economics and Accounting from Claremont McKenna College.

James Winter is a marketing leader with over a decade of experience in B2B SaaS, having been the first marketing hire or leader at companies including Dialpad, Nexmo, Brandfolder, and Spekit. Most recently he served as the first VP of Marketing at Brandfolder and Spekit, where he built the initial teams and shaped go-to-market strategy. He holds a marketing degree from the University of Colorado.

Katy Mansoor is an Executive Assistant at Telescope with over a decade of experience supporting senior leadership. She previously worked as Executive Assistant to the CEO and Chairman at Kilroy Realty Corporation, a publicly traded real estate investment trust, and before that held a similar role at Gigya, a customer identity management company later acquired by SAP. She holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of San Diego.

Mike Ihbe is Head of Product at Telescope Partners, with roughly two decades of experience as a founder and engineering leader in B2B software. He previously led product and engineering teams at the software observability platform Sentry, co-founded Fireside, headed product and engineering at Lyric, and ran a technology consultancy. Earlier he worked as an engineer at Yammer, Apple, and Amazon, and holds a B.S.E. in Computer Science from the University of Michigan.