CENTERPOINT VENTURES ADDS TWO PARTNERS TO THE FIRM

Bill Bock and Eric Jones Strengthen Entrepreneurial and Venture Expertise

AUSTIN, Texas | April 29, 2022 CenterPoint Ventures, a Texas-based venture capital firm, today announced the addition of Bill Bock and Eric Jones as General Partners. Both will office at CenterPoint’s Austin location and will play an integral role in the firm’s investment activities. CenterPoint invests in early-stage technology companies where the partners can best leverage their operational experience in assisting entrepreneurs in building their businesses. Targeted market segments include business software technologies, communications infrastructure, semiconductor products and new industrial technologies.

"We are honored to have Bill and Eric join CenterPoint Ventures. Their careers have been marked by a series of business and venture successes," said Bob Paluck, Managing General Partner. "As we invest our third fund, it is imperative we continue to add expertise that further strengthens our investment team. The entrepreneurs with whom we work will be able to take full advantage of the experience and talent they bring to the firm."

Bill Bock has spent his career building Texas-based technology companies. As Chief Executive Officer of Dazel Corporation, Bock led the company from early growth through its sale to the Hewlett Packard Company (HP) where he remained as an HP Vice President overseeing both Dazel and HP’s Digital Workplace Services business. Before Dazel, Bock was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Tivoli Systems and was instrumental in the company’s initial public offering and subsequent merger with IBM. Bock’s move to Tivoli followed ten years at Convex Computer Corporation proceeded by the launch of his career at Texas Instruments. He currently serves on the boards of directors for Silicon Laboratories and the Austin Technology Council and is Chairman of the Board of the Austin Entrepreneur’s Foundation.

"I have worked with the members of this firm for nearly 25 years across a number of companies," noted Bock. "The depth of the relationships and the combined experience of this team can be extremely beneficial to entrepreneurs as they grow their companies."

Bock holds a B.S. in computer science from Iowa State University and received his M.S. in Industrial Administration from Carnegie Mellon University.

Eric Jones brings a wealth of invaluable entrepreneurial experience to CenterPoint. Spending 16 years building companies as an active Chairman/Director, his successes include Tivoli Systems, Inc., Active Power, Motive Communications, Dazel Corporation, VTEL Corporation, 360 Commerce, Fuego and NetBotz. Jones is a seasoned venture capitalist with an on-going partnership role in Memphis-based SSM Ventures’ Funds I and II, where he will continue his responsibilities to help maximize returns from its current portfolio of companies. He will also serve as an Advisor for Verity Ventures, a follow-on fund to SSM Ventures in Austin.

Previously, Jones served eight years as a Special Limited Partner with Sevin Rosen Funds. Prior to his venture capital career, Jones was a 26-year veteran of Texas Instruments heading various business units as a TI corporate vice president and serving as President of the Data Systems Group.

In describing his new role, Jones said, "In its first two funds, CenterPoint has established its place as a leading investor in technology ventures, bringing the partners terrific experience and aid to its investments. The current CenterPoint partners and I have worked together in business settings, and through SSM I & II, we’ve co-invested in several companies. I’m truly excited now to be a partner in CenterPoint III and look forward to helping our collective portfolio companies be successful."

Jones received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.

Bock and Jones join current CenterPoint Partners Bob Paluck, Terry Rock, Cam McMartin and Coyne Gibson.

About CenterPoint Ventures
Founded October 1996, CenterPoint Ventures has invested in over 35 companies including: Active Power, Silicon Laboratories, Applied Science Fiction, NetBotz, Medical Present Value, OraMetrix, Scale8, Chorum Technologies and Chiaro, among others. By leveraging its expertise and resources, the Firm guides entrepreneurs in building productive management teams, implementing effective business models and developing strategic technologies that can revolutionize major market areas. The firm recently closed its third fund bringing total capital under management to $450 million.

CenterPoint Ventures: Venture capital from people who have built successful ventures.

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