Al Schuele
Al, a high-tech industry veteran of over 30 years, joined Sevin Rosen Funds in 2000 and now heads up the firm's ventures in Austin's dynamic entrepreneurial community. He has held executive and sales positions in several semiconductor companies including Benchmarq, Crystal, Cypress, and Mostek. Al has played key roles in major mergers and acquisitions and has worked extensively in Asian markets. Before joining SRF, Al was CEO of Benchmarq Microelectronics, managing the company through the turbulent Asian financial crisis before negotiating a merger with Unitrode Corporation, where he then served as president and COO.
"I love the challenges associated with building teams, solving complex problems, dealing with dynamic situations, taking measured risks, overcoming obstacles, and, of course, winning."
At SRF, he focuses on opportunities in the semiconductor, telecommunications, energy related technologies, and nanotechnology arenas, working with companies such as Javelin Semiconductor, InfoNow, and InnovaLight.
Despite an impressive track record in high-tech sales and management, Al says the experience most valuable to his role as venture capitalist came while he was a U.S. Marine Corps attack pilot. "Being shot at and missed is one of the most character-building experiences you can imagine," he says. "Combat taught me a lot about how to succeed in tough environments. These military experiences, coupled with 32 years of corporate experiences, have served as an excellent foundation for advising entrepreneurs on how to turn their emerging technologies into winning companies."