Partech promotes André François-Poncet to Partner and hires Elena Moneta as Principal

Paris, France – April 7, 2022 – Partech is delighted to announce the promotion of André François-Poncet to Partner and the hiring of Elena Moneta as Principal in the Venture team. 

Based in Paris, André has been a major contributor over his seven years with the firm. He has been instrumental in the investments of Partech Growth including Made.com (IPO in June 2021), Brandwatch (acquired by Cision in 2021), EcoVadis, M-Files, Sendinblue and more recently Skello and Weglot.  

 

Over the years, André has demonstrated remarkable ability in identifying emerging leaders across various categories, notably in software. Stemming from his passion for investment and technology businesses, André has, and continues to develop new angles to help the firm recognize winners before they emerge into the spotlight. He has also been mobilizing those views to support founders in their capital & resources allocation decision making.  

“André has grown into a genuine leader and has played a major role in growing and coaching the team alongside us,” said Bruno Crémel, General Partner at Partech. “His natural ability to take charge, his business sense and invaluable support make him an appreciated and recognized partner of the founders backed by Partech Growth. We are delighted to welcome him to the partnership”.  

“From his early days and over the past seven years with the team, André has behaved like an owner of the firm, always thinking about the broader picture and considering the fund and team interests first,” added Omri Benayoun, General Partner at Partech. “His business judgement is second to none. It is only natural to welcome him into our partnership”. 

“I joined Partech because I believed in the opportunity the firm spotted in the growth equity space in Europe, at a time when this market was still in its infancy.” continued André François-Poncet. “We have supported ambitious entrepreneurial journeys with efficient growth capital, resulting in the emergence of global category leaders. I am very grateful to the entrepreneurs who chose to trust us. In this new role, I look forward to further partnering with Europe’s category-defining founders. Together with the team we’re growing, we aim to establish Partech as the partner of choice for founders and LPs alike in the growth equity space.”  

André started his career as an analyst in the M&A group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in London in 2012 where he focused on large cap. M&A transactions across various sectors and geographies. 

André holds a MSc. in Finance from University Bocconi (Summa Cum Laude) and a Master’s Degree in Applied Mathematics from Télécom ParisTech. 

André’s promotion is another key milestone for Partech, as it strengthens the leadership of its Growth team. It comes shortly after the closing of its second fund in November 2021. Partech Growth II – which reached €650M (c.$750M) in commitments - has already invested in 7 companies: Billogram, Channable, Rohlik, Rouje, Skello, Studocu, and Weglot. 

Elena Moneta’s 6 years’ experience spans across investment banking, venture investing and start-up operations. 

Prior to joining Partech, Elena was a venture capital investor in London at early-stage VC firm Hambro Perks, where she focused on investments in fintech, digital health and SaaS. In 2020, Elena gained operational experience as Head of Growth at VC-backed digital health start-up Peppy Health.   

She started her career in investment banking at Morgan Stanley in London, where she completed 20+ IPOs and capital markets transactions over three years.   

“We are very pleased to welcome Elena to Partech as she brings significant enthusiasm and pan-European expertise to the team,” said Réza Malekzadeh, General Partner at Partech. “She brings tremendous complementary international experience and insights and further helps us align top talent with the growth and ambitions of the firm.” 

“I am excited to have joined an incredibly strong team of experienced venture capitalists, former operators and entrepreneurs with a wealth of global tech experience - one that in my opinion can truly support founders through their journey in a meaningful way.” commented Elena Moneta. “In my new role, I look forward to backing exceptional entrepreneurs who aspire to leave an indelible mark in the markets they create or transform, and to supporting them as they tackle some of the most pressing challenges and exciting opportunities of today's world, while further establishing the Partech platform across Europe and beyond.”  

Elena holds a Master’s in Management from ESCP Europe and an MBA from Insead. She is fluent in Italian, English, German and French. 

André and Elena are contributing to a diverse and international team of 70 operators, spanning across 20+ nationalities. They will be key players in the continued transformation and growth of the team. 

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Born in San Francisco and Paris, Partech is one of the most active tech investors in the world, bringing together capital, operational experience, and strategic support for entrepreneurs at seed, venture and growth stages.  

The current portfolio includes 200+ companies in more than 30 countries, of which 13 are valued at more than $1B: Alan, Bolt, Cazoo, Jellysmack, ManoMano, Merama, People.ai, Rohlik, Sorare, Toss, Wave, WorldRemit, Xendit.  

Isabelle Tresson: itresson@partechpartners.com  +33 7 86 08 85 85 

RLYL Agency: partech@rlyl.com