Meet The UTF I – University Technology (A) Partnership I Team
Meet The UTF I – University Technology (A) Partnership I Team
Simoné is a highly accomplished legal and finance professional, holding a Legum Baccalaureus (LLB) degree from the University of the Western Cape, where she graduated with distinction, achieving the highest mark in her Tax Law class in 2012. Admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa in 2015, she has developed extensive expertise across legal practice, compliance, customer service, and finance, with a particular focus on the dynamic digital gaming sector.
Her broad experience enables her to ensure regulatory compliance, drive operational efficiency, and uphold the highest standards of accuracy in all processes. Simoné’s strategic insight and meticulous approach enable her to deliver accurate analysis, ensure regulatory compliance, and support informed decision making across the UTF’s investment portfolio.
Akash is a financial services professional with over 25 years of experience and has worked with major multinational banks and auditing firms in equities, equity derivatives, and corporate finance. He started his career at Investec, where he managed the Emerging Companies business, investing in high-growth technology companies in South Africa. Akash recently relocated to Amsterdam with his family and is interested in exploring new opportunities in technology and investing.
Eugene, with over 15 years of experience in science and technology investment, is a seasoned director and advisor to numerous entrepreneurial ventures. He has played a pivotal role in guiding startups to success. With a decade-long tenure on the board of Acorn Private Equity, Eugene possesses a deep understanding of navigating high-risk, early-stage technology investments. His current passion lies in value-based healthcare and transformative navigation and communications technologies for the maritime sector.
Dr Sibusiso Sibisi is a physicist and mathematician with a PhD from Cambridge University. He was appointed Executive Director at Plessey in 1997 and later Deputy Vice-Chancellor for research and innovation at the University of Cape Town. He served as President and CEO of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research from 2002 to 2016. Dr Sibisi is an independent consultant, director of several companies, and a Trustee of the FirstRand Empowerment Trust. He was awarded the Order of Mapungubwe in 2007.
Tom is a leading figure in university technology transfer and university-business interactions with over 30 years of experience. He founded Oxford Science Enterprises in 2015, launching a £600m Successor Fund to invest in spinout companies. Since leaving Oxford University Innovation, Tom has focused on university-business interactions, technology transfer, and fund management. He has served on investment committees in Spain and Italy and is an adviser to a US-based fund investing in university technologies.
Sive Raliwedzha is an Associate at the University Technology Fund, where she has been part of the team since 2020. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Cape Town, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration, and is a certified Financial Modelling and Valuation Analyst (FMVA).
At UTF, Sive supports the investment team in sourcing, evaluating, and executing opportunities that drive the commercialization of university-developed technologies. She also contributes to portfolio monitoring and value creation, applying her strong analytical expertise to advance the fund’s mission of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship within the higher education sector and the broader South African venture capital ecosystem.
Carla holds an honors degree in Bcom Financial Accounting from North-West University and is a registered SAIPA Professional Accountant and Independent Reviewer, recognized as a top 10 performer in the December 2020 SAIPA professional evaluation. She has two years of experience as a Compliance & Financial Analyst with the Stocks and Strauss Fund Manager team, after which she was promoted to Associate.
Thato Tabane is a Senior Associate and Chartered Accountant (SA) with experience spanning audit, investment banking, and venture capital. He began his career in audit before moving into investment banking, and later venture capital, where he built a strong track record in analysing complex businesses, financial modelling, and supporting the structuring of investment opportunities. At UTF, Thato applies this expertise to guide founders through scaling and governance, while driving rigorous portfolio monitoring. Passionate about Africa’s innovation ecosystem, he is committed to identifying and backing transformative businesses with global potential.
Daniel is a Private Equity and Venture Capital entrepreneur and holds a B.Eng. Industrial Engineering) and MBA from the University of Stellenbosch. He serves as a co-founder & partner of Stocks and Strauss Fund Manager the Fund Manager of the University Technology Fund (UTF).
Through constant interaction with various businesses as a shareholder and director, Daniel was able to gain insights into the various methods and mindsets employed by entrepreneurs, investors and consultants to ensure maximum growth to all stakeholders involved.
Wayne believes empathy is the most important attribute an investor can have. Being an entrepreneur and founder himself provides him with a more balanced and effective perspective—one that understands and respects the founder’s journey.
Wayne is a registered Chartered Accountant and has been a founder or on the founding team of several businesses. He has been an active technology investor for over 15 years.
As the former CFO and Director of Operations at Smile ID, and former Managing Director at JUMO World, Wayne has built teams, launched and scaled products, secured partnerships, raised funding, and implemented operations across several African countries in Southern, West, and East Africa.
He has also held senior and executive finance and commercial positions in South Africa, the USA, Dubai, and the United Kingdom. These include roles with BHP Billiton in London and Houston, as well as serving as the Financial Director for one of the Middle East’s master developers based in Dubai, managing a property development portfolio of approximately $5 billion. Wayne has also worked independently with Sun International on prospective developments and served as an independent non-executive director of a JSE-listed company.
He believes in building legacy and in continuing the Stocks family reputation for integrity and impact.