Case studies
Statistical and Financial Model for Growth Strategies- Growth Strategy
- Banking & Finance
- Statistics
- Startups
Finance Expert in New York, NY, United States
Member since November 10, 2017
A data scientist and Harvard MBA with distinction, Erik co-founded a global venture capital fund and has invested in 50 tech startups that have collectively raised over $250 million. He previously led analyses for cases including restructurings of $3 billion in global subsidiaries and M&A deals worth over $10 billion. Erik speaks four languages and serves as Chief Economist of Toptal, leading research and analysis of the global talent economy.
Erik is now available for hire
Career Highlights
- Firstrock Capital
- NERA Economic Consulting
- Amaranth
Education
- Harvard University
- Pomona College
Industry Expertise
- Financial Markets
Other Expertise
- Business Models
- Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
- Real Options Reasoning
- Seed Fundraising
- Statistics
- Valuation
Employment
Founding Partner
2013 - PRESENTFirstrock Capital- Invested in 50 global tech companies that have raised over $250 million in capital; realized four exits.
- Invested early into eventual Y Combinator standouts Arthena (raised $1.2 million), Authy (raised $3.1 million, acquired by Twilio), Bluesmart (raised $25.6 million), Cambly (raised $7 million), and Streem (acquired by Box). Also invested early into Meural (raised $9.3 million), Snappr (raised $2.4 million), and Studio (raised $1.3 million).
- Worked with portfolio companies in product, business development, fundraising, and financial strategy.
- Built a statistical platform for portfolio companies to analyze data sets such as growth trends across cohorts, profiles of strongest clients, client actions most associated with long-term engagement, the impact of product updates on growth and engagement, and returns on investment based on capital structure and funding needs.
- Closed a group of global business leaders as initial limited partners (LPs) and worked with several of them to strengthen the data and financial strategies of their own multinational financial and industrial companies.
Focus areas: Financial Technology, M&A, Investment Thesis, Financial Modeling, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Business Plan DevelopmentFinancial Analyst | Project Leader
2005 - 2011NERA Economic Consulting- Conducted statistical and financial analyses and led project teams directly under the chairman of the global securities practice to help US and European clients including financial institutions and consumer product and technology companies with challenges including M&A transactions worth over $10 billion and restructuring of over $3 billion in global subsidiaries.
- Conducted analyses in derivatives modeling, econometrics, valuation, and client population evolution.
- Led senior business development strategy sessions and firm-wide R&D projects on the implications of market events such as the subprime collapse, reporting to the firm's clients.
- Created expert reports and presentations to communicate results of analyses to clients' senior management, attorneys, and the courts if the case occurred in the context of legal actions.
Focus areas: Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), ValuationFinancial Analyst
2000 - 2002Amaranth- Analyzed pricing and risk parameters for options and convertible bonds alongside fund portfolio managers.
- Modeled macro-arbitrage opportunities, high-frequency volatility, derivatives payoff, and restructuring.
Focus areas: Derivative Pricing, Risk Models, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
Other Experience
- Applications of Statistics for Measuring Company Growth (Publication)Eyeballing the top-line figures of company growth is unlikely to uncover anything particular radical. To understand the trends that lead to user growth, retention, and/or engagement, statistical tools should be employed to test the underlying drivers behind performance.
- Mastering Sustainable Startup Growth and Finding Your Relevant KPIs (Publication)To unlock growth in a company, you must first find the KPI that is core towards increasing company value. More effective knowledge of growth comes from a deeper understanding of the characteristics of a "perfect client," the trends between user cohorts, and finding the tipping point that solidifies retention and engagement.
Education
- Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in General Management2011 - 2013Harvard University - Boston, MA, USA
- Bachelor's degree in Economics2000 - 2003Pomona College - Claremont, CA, USA
