Max Shkvaruk

Founder and Managing Director at Atlas Ventures

Speaker

Max is the Founder and Managing Director of Atlas Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund backing ambitious founders across Southeast Asia and the Middle East. With over 14 years of experience in venture capital, he focuses on identifying high-growth opportunities in fast-growing, largely overlooked industries with massive trapped value potential, bringing both General Partner and Limited Partner perspectives to his investment approach.

Max’s interest in venture capital began in 2009 in Silicon Valley, following his participation in a keynote led by Don Valentine, the founder of Sequoia Capital. This experience sparked a long-term focus on the intersection of tech and investing. He later deepened this interest academically, dedicating his bachelor’s thesis to venture capital and conducting extensive research through interviews with general partners across Eastern Europe.

He began his career at Frontier Ventures, a $50M early-stage US VC fund, where he spent five years as an investor. During that time, he contributed to investments and exits across multiple geographies and sectors, including companies such as ivi.ru, Profi, Chope.com, Expert360.com, and Frontier Car Group – category leaders in digital media, online services marketplaces, and mobility platforms across Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and other emerging markets.

At Atlas Ventures, Max has led investments in more than 30 companies, including Group-IB, HealthifyMe, Sunflower Labs, Wearemighty, and Right-Hand Cybersecurity – early-stage startups with a strong emphasis on scalable business models and global potential. As of March 2026, Atlas Ventures Fund I has achieved an approximate TVPI of 2.5x (a top quartile results globally for the funds of the same vintage). Beyond capital, Max works closely with portfolio companies' top management via board participation, business development, market expansion, fundraising and exit support.

Max holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Burgundy School of Business. He is actively engaged in the global tech ecosystem as a mentor at Pollinate Incubator and ICE71, and as a guest lecturer at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

He is a frequent speaker and moderator at international industry events, including AIM Summit Dubai 2025 and Global AI Show Abu Dhabi 2025, and has served as a judge for The Expand North Star 2025 and The Ventures UAE 2026. He has also been featured on The Masters of Cashflow podcast.

Areas of Expertise:

• Venture capital & early-stage investing

• Emerging markets (Southeast Asia, Middle East)

• Scaling startups & go-to-market strategy

• Fundraising & exit strategy

• Cross-border expansion