Storm Ventures has named two new partners to its advisory board. Pascale Diaine and Frederik Groce, who have worked with the company for many years, are now partners in the firm, according to TechCrunch.
Groce’s new appointment at Storm Ventures follows his previous successes in venture capital. He’s the founder of BLCK VC and has also created the Black Venture Institute, which specializes in creating a network of Black venture capitalists for potential startups.
And, according to Groce, his appointment is just a sign of things to come in the diversification of the venture capital world.
“If you think about the way our team works, that’s the way I think venture teams will need to work to be able to be successful in the next 40 years. And so the hope is that over time everyone does this and we’re just early to it,” Groce told TechCrunch.
Previously, Storm Ventures invested in startups in the robotics as service, marketing, engineering, and vertical SAAS fields. Companies such as Blueshift, Honeycomb, and SalesLoft have all received funding from the firm, according to its website. Groce says that Storm Ventures will continue to invest in diverse companies now that he’s a partner.
“In a business that’s predicated on networks if you don’t have diversity in the network, or the teams that are driving those networks, you just can’t make sure you’re seeing great talent across all ecosystems,” he said.
