U.S. Venture Partners (USVP), a leading early-stage venture capital firm, today announced that Rick Lewis has been promoted to General Partner, effective immediately. This new role recognizes Rick’s development into an emerging leader in enterprise software and security, mobile, and consumer internet investing. Rick led USVP’s successful investments in myYearbook.com (acquired by Quepasa,QPSA) and Intermolecular (IPO,IMI). Rick currently leads USVP’s investments in Act-On Software, ScoreBig, ThreatMetrix, Trunk Club, Wayin, and Yammer. Rick also has contributed to USVP's investing activities in energy-efficiency technology, including Redwood Systems and Xicato. Rick joins six other General Partners leading USVP.

“As USVP proceeds into its fourth decade, transition has become part of its life,” said Irwin Federman, General Partner at USVP. “It is self-evident that shifting technology emphasis, accompanied by dramatic market redefinitions, demands fresh perspectives and the constant grooming of new leadership. However, the successful construct of an enduring firm depends upon a constancy of values, not only appropriate talent. It is thus a thrill for me to welcome Rick Lewis as a General Partner of our firm. To all who know him, and to the many more who will in the decades ahead, Rick’s accession to the role of General Partner speaks loudly to the quality of our firm’s future.”

“Rick has delivered for ThreatMetrix,” said Reed Taussig, CEO of ThreatMetrix. “As a board member, Rick has brought to the table insightful practical judgment combined with solid technical expertise. He also has made valuable business introductions that have resulted in significant revenue for the company. Working with Rick has been, and continues to be, a great experience.”

"Rick has been a steady hand on the wheel since his joining the Board of myYearbook in 2006," said Geoff Cook, co-founder of myYearbook. "Rick brought a product sense, a command of social and mobile, and a level of rigor to the Board that played a major role in achieving our success. Rick has an abiding respect for the role of the entrepreneur and a rare clarity on the role of the Board member that makes him a pleasure to work with, especially in those moments of strategic uncertainty that most measure the mettle of a company. I congratulate him on his role and look forward to continuing to work with him in this next chapter of his career."

U.S. Venture Partners (USVP) has helped entrepreneurs build world-class companies for more than thirty years, yielding 79 IPOs and many more successful acquisitions. The USVP team consists of experienced investing and operating professionals, with considerable domain and management expertise. USVP focuses on early stage opportunities in business and consumer services, enterprise software and security, infrastructure, biopharmaceuticals, and medical devices. Recent successes include Adify, Dotomi, Guidewire, Imperva, Intellikine, Intermolecular, Lutonix, MaxLinear, myYearbook, Optichron, Proteolix, and Revolution Money. Examples of promising companies in USVP’s portfolio include Act-On Software, Box, GoPro, HeartFlow, Intersect ENT, LivingSocial, ON24, OncoMed, Redwood Systems, ScoreBig, SentreHEART, Smartling, ThreatMetrix, Total Beauty, Trunk Club, Trusteer, Xicato, and Yammer.