Session Details
Date:
11:30 AM
Where:
VentureSource Stage
More Information
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Technology investing and scaling are being reshaped by shifting market conditions, new operating realities, and rising expectations around capital efficiency. This session brings together private equity and corporate investors, alongside operators who build and run these businesses, to explore how growth strategies are being redefined across the tech ecosystem.
The discussion will examine how different growth models identify, invest in, and scale opportunities, from disciplined value‑creation frameworks to strategic innovation bets. Panelists will unpack how deal selection, integration approaches, product and GTM acceleration, and talent alignment are evolving as both financial and strategic stakeholders pursue durable, profitable growth. Designed for investors and operators seeking practical, repeatable ways to deploy capital, build advantage, and create long‑term enterprise value in a rapidly changing tech landscape.
Speaker Bios
Adnan Raza, CFO at PDF Solutions
Adnan Raza joined PDF Solutions in Jan 2020 as EVP of Finance. From 2013 to 2019 Adnan was at Synaptics where most recently he was part of the executive leadership team as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development reporting to the CEO.
He previously worked in investment banking in the Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT) group at Goldman Sachs, and in the Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) group at UBS Investment Bank. Prior to Goldman, Adnan was a member of the technical staff at AT&T Bell Labs where he worked on designing high-speed communication systems.
Mr. Raza holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Valparaiso University, a Master of Electrical Engineering degree from Cornell University, and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Zsombor Vincze, CFO at Pruven Capital
Zsombor is a CFO at Pruven Capital. Prior to Pruven, he was an investor at Orion Resource Partners ($8B AUM firm focused on natural resource investments) for almost 6 years focusing on project finance and control equity positions. Before business school he worked at PwC and EY both in audit and transaction services in the SF Bay Area. He is a CPA (inactive).
Zsombor graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara and got his MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
James Woods, Managing Director at BayLink Capital
James is a Partner at BayLink Capital with broad investment experience spanning private equity and public markets across the US and emerging economies. Most recently, he focused on control investments in niche technology and business services companies in the US. Before that, he served as a Senior Equity Research Analyst and Assistant Portfolio Manager at Driehaus Capital Management, covering global Materials, Energy, Industrials, and Utilities equities as part of a seven‑person team managing over $4 billion in client assets and delivering sustained top‑quartile performance.
Earlier in his career, James was a private equity investment professional at IFC Asset Management Company, an affiliate of the World Bank Group, where he contributed to several investments and initiatives across Latin America and Asia.
He holds a BA in Anthropology from the University of Florida and an MS in Finance from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Business.
Farrukh Ashfaq, Managing Director, Transactional Advisory Services at CohnReznick (moderator)
Farrukh is a Managing Director in CohnReznick’s Transactional Advisory Services practice in Silicon Valley, bringing over a decade of M&A and public accounting experience and having led more than 300 buy‑ and sell‑side diligence engagements across technology sectors, with emphasis on SaaS, IT services, and consulting; his deal experience spans $25 million to over $5 billion. He advises public and private companies, private equity firms, and mid‑market strategic and financial buyers throughout the transaction lifecycle, with deep expertise in Quality of Earnings and Working Capital analysis to help clients understand how these factors shape operations, valuation, and deal structure while mitigating financial risks and navigating complex sale and asset purchase agreements.
Prior to CohnReznick, he was a leader at a leading mid‑market firm in the Silicon Valley. Farrukh began his career in the APAC and MENA regions, building cross‑border experience that informs his global perspective and his reputation for combining financial rigor with strategic insight to help clients unlock value and execute with precision.
