C5 Capital Welcomes Three Venture Partners to Drive Growth within the Portfolio   

At C5 Capital, we recognize that breakthrough technologies require exceptional leadership. Today, we are announcing the addition of three distinguished Venture Partners who will bring expertise to our investment ecosystem, expanding our ability to identify, support, and accelerate groundbreaking companies in cybersecurity, space, nuclear energy and AI.  

Robert Penfold, Co-Founder of Abundant Solutions AI, brings transformative leadership experience from roles at technology firms Flexport and Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing Operations and Director of Worldwide Public Sector Shared Services and Business Operations, respectively. With deep expertise in developing sophisticated sales and marketing tools, Penfold has consistently demonstrated an ability to optimize sales strategies and drive business growth across technological landscapes. His proven track record of creating scalable operational solutions has positioned him as a strategic leader in the tech industry, particularly in cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Now joining C5 as a Venture Partner, Penfold will leverage his commercial experience to support our portfolio companies, focusing on strategic business development and partnerships.  

Somer Jefferiss is a seasoned legal and business executive with over two decades of strategic technology leadership, distinguished by her transformative work as General Counsel at Datamatics Management Services, where she guided the company’s evolution into a successful SaaS provider and facilitated its ultimate acquisition. With a Juris Doctorate from Willamette University College of Law and a proven track record of leadership roles at UKG spanning customer success, business transformation, and renewals, Jefferiss brings a blend of legal expertise and strategic business insight to her work. As a Venture Partner at C5 Capital, she leverages her understanding of technology integration, regulatory compliance, and strategic growth, to provide guidance to our portfolio companies.  

Yonatan “Yoni” Alemu is an investment professional with extensive experience in venture capital, growth equity, structured equity, and investment banking, specializing in energy technology, power, and sustainable infrastructure sectors. With a proven track record of achieving 2.5x multiple on invested capital (MOIC), he brings significant expertise to C5’s investment team, where he will focus on energy security investments. Most recently, Alemu has held positions at Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital and Leaf Capital Management, where he focused on developing and executing investment strategies. Alemu will support the investment team in sourcing new opportunities, conducting due diligence, and assisting with portfolio strategy.  

“We are confident that Robert, Somer, and Yonatan will significantly elevate our capabilities,” says André Pienaar, Founder and CEO of C5 Capital. “Their collective expertise will be instrumental in supporting the next generation of technology leaders addressing global challenges.”  

As we enter 2025, these strategic appointments reinforce our commitment to providing unparalleled support to our portfolio companies and investors. 

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