Meet the team
Wayne Stocks
FOUNDER
Wayne is a co-founder and partner of Stocks and Strauss Fund Manager the fund manager of the University Technology Fund (UTF). Wayne is the co-founder of Stocks and Strauss, a permanent capital investment holding company, which has been a founder, angel and growth investor for almost a decade. Wayne serves as the CFO of Smile Identity, a US-based Know Your Customer “KYC” platform that combines government ID validation with face recognition to provide the most robust digital KYC solution in Africa.
Wayne was an MD of JUMO and served since inception for a three-year period. Wayne is a registered chartered accountant and has held various senior and executive finance and commercial positions in South Africa, USA, Dubai and the UK.
Daniel Strauss
FOUNDER
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.
Tom Hockaday
INDEPENDENT IC CHAIRPERSON
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.
Dr Sibusiso Sibisi
INDEPENDENT IC MEMBER
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.
Akash Maharaj
INDEPENDENT IC MEMBER
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 Jansen
INDEPENDENT IC MEMBER
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.
Sive Raliwedzha
ASSOCIATE
Sive holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Cape Town and a CFI certification in Financial Modelling and Valuation Analyst. She has experience in Internal Auditing and the Financial services industry.
Carla Pieterse
ASSOCIATE
Carla holds an Honours degree in Accounting from NWU and has completed her SAIPA articles. She has recently joined Stocks and Strauss Fund Manager from IGrow Wealth Investments.
Key UTF Stakeholders
The SA SME Fund, Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), SEFA (Small Enterprise Finance Agency) & Tamela
Current investors of The UTF
Investors
Future investors of The UTF
Stocks and Strauss Fund Manager
Fund Manager of The UTF
Inventors, scientists, researchers, founders
University entrepreneurs
University Technology Transfer Offices
The UTF Investment Committee
The Investment Committee makes investment and divestment decisions in respect of the Series Seed and Series A investments
The UTF Stakeholder Board
The Stakeholder Board comprises of key stakeholders of the UTF: The Fund Manager, the SA SME Fund, TIA, other investors and TTO’s from SU, UCT, NWU, Wits, UWC & UP. The Stakeholder Board serves as a forum for the stakeholders to collaborate as well as to discuss operational issues that need streamlining.
The UTF Advisory Board
The Advisory Board includes representation from the SA SME Fund, TIA and significant Investors and provides key guidance for Fund decisions