Accelerating success for early stage companies
Mooring Ventures is a boutique investment firm dedicated to accelerating success for early stage companies. With decades of entrepreneurial leadership behind us, our mission is to help today’s most promising technology innovators achieve their business goals – faster.
What People Are Saying About Us
What Sets Us Apart
Most venture capitalists make a lot of bets with the hope that one of them will pay off. At Mooring Ventures, our aim is to make a few selective investments each year and ensure a successful outcome for most, if not all of them. Our team is made up of operators, not financiers. Hands-on operational guidance – across technology, sales, marketing and other disciplines – is what sets us apart and fuels a faster time to goal.
We hand pick each early stage company based on the technical insight of the founders and their ability to demonstrate market demand. With fewer investments, we can provide greater focus along with the highest levels of operational service.
Business partners Shayne Skaff and Scott Herron established Mooring Ventures in 2016 following the successful sale of MaintenanceNet, Inc. to networking giant Cisco Systems for $139 million. Today, their intention is to give back by helping others navigate their own entrepreneurial journeys across the early stages of business growth.
Minimize Start-Up Challenges
Start-up life is filled with challenges. At Mooring, we know from experience that hiring misfires, strategic miscalculations and ineffective decision making can mean months or even years of lost time, along with lost money. As hands-on operators, we can guide entrepreneurs to pivot around these obstacles and avoid costly mistakes.
Leverage Our Extensive Network
After more than 20 years of building our own businesses, we’ve established an extensive network of connections, and we know how to align the right people, with the right process, at the right time. The companies we invest in can take advantage of our network to expand into new markets, hire smarter and even secure additional funding.
The Mooring Ventures Team
Led by Proven High-Tech Entrepreneurs
Backed by more than 40 years of combined high-tech entrepreneurial success, the Mooring Ventures executive team is best known for forming MaintenanceNet, Inc. in 2004. MaintenanceNet’s core technology is currently used globally in 200-plus currencies and languages, automating more than $2 billion of recurring service sales annually. The company was acquired by Cisco in 2015 for $139 million.
Shayne Skaff
Co-Founder
As a successful entrepreneur with a background in strategic business development, Shayne Skaff is dedicated to guiding emerging technology companies to expedite growth and achieve their goals. From productizing and commercializing business offerings, to providing marketing, sales and overall operational counsel, Shayne brings nearly two decades of experience to Mooring Ventures. In 2004, he co-founded MaintenanceNet, Inc., using the business challenges he saw taking place in the market as the inspiration behind the company’s technology platform. As MaintenanceNet’s president, Shayne led global sales, business expansion strategies, finance and operations until the company was acquired by Cisco Systems in 2015. Prior to MaintenanceNet, Shayne held senior sales roles with various technology companies including Avnet Enterprise Solutions, Supercom and Globel.
Scott Herron
Co-Founder
A force in the San Diego high-tech sector and beyond for the past three decades, Scott Herron began his technology career in 1983 at Rady Children’s Hospital. From there, he transitioned to become an entrepreneur in 1994, and now, after multiple successful technology start-ups and exits, Scott has proven he knows how to build businesses and value that is rewarded by the market. He established Mooring Ventures to mentor and help other entrepreneurs effectively grow their own businesses. Prior to Mooring, he co-founded MaintenanceNet, Inc. in 2004, serving as CEO and overseeing marketing, product management and technology through August 2015, when the company's acquisition by Cisco Systems was finalized. In launching MaintenanceNet, he pioneered the use of big data, data intelligence and supply chain automation to create recurring revenue streams and valuable touch points across a complex IT channel and customer relationship lifecycles. Following the sale of MaintenanceNet, Scott served as chief enablement officer for Cisco Systems. During Scott’s entire carrier he has been a consultant, mentor and active early stage investor in a variety of businesses.