MENTOR

Viqar Shariff

Areas of Expertise

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Software/IT/E-com
Viqar Shariff headshot

Biography

Drawing on 25-years’ experience in law and business, Viq helps entrepreneurs and investors finance and grow early and later-stage companies.

A veteran of New York City’s startup and tech scene, Viq served as a partner at an international law firm, counseling on venture capital, private equity and M&A deals during the Internet 1.0 and 2.0 eras. He later joined investment firm Rizvi Traverse as a Managing Partner, leading the firm’s emerging growth technology strategy and directing investments in companies such as Twitter, Square, Flipboard, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Viq subsequently served as an advisor, board member, and later Chief Strategy Officer at a predictive AI startup and also founded his own investment vehicle focused on growth-stage technology companies.

More than “just a lawyer,“ Viq offers a rare combination of legal skills, deep industry knowledge, and business savvy.