Stephen Bernardez

Partner at Avanta Ventures

Speaker

Steve is a Partner at Avanta Ventures, CSAA Insurance Group’s venture capital arm. Avanta Ventures invests in disruptive startups reimagining the business of insurance, both core insurance processes and innovative adjacent services enabled by new technology. Steve’s investment areas of focus include Mobility, Insurtech, AI, Smart Home IOT and distributed ledger technology. Avanta Ventures invests in early stage companies where we can leverage CSAA’s unique assets to provide tangible value.

Prior to Avanta Ventures, Steve was a Partner at ONSET Ventures focusing on early stage B2B software in the enterprise SaaS application, AI/analytics, and cybersecurity spaces. Over his twelve years with ONSET, Steve provided board level support and guidance to entrepreneurs at over twenty startups, helping to refine and build lasting business models, build strategic partnerships, and profitably exit. Prior to venture capital, Steve focused on business development, corporate development and market strategy at both large technology companies and startups. Steve came to ONSET Ventures from Microsoft, where he built relationships with the venture capital community and go-to-market partnerships with venture-backed software startups. Before Microsoft, Steve led business development at early stage ecommerce search startup Mercado Software (acquired by Omniture). Early in his career, Steve was a strategy management consultant at Accenture, an asset management research analyst at Bailard, and a bond hedging desk clerk at Citibank London.

Steve has a Bachelor of Sciences degree from Stanford University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Stanford Graduate School of Business.