Akbar Poonawala, CFA

## PROSPECT INFORMATION: Name: Akbar Poonawala, CFA Title: Principal/Partner (implied) Fund: Pivot Investment Partners Background: Akbar Poonawala is the Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Pivot Investment Partners and a Kauffman Fellow. He is based in Houston, Texas and was previously in New York, NY. He has actively engaged on LinkedIn, sharing company news and congratulating his network. **Key Activities & Achievements Mentioned in Posts:** * **October 20, 2025:** Re-shared a post from Pivot Investment Partners about their Annual Investor Meeting with 100+ LPs and 6 CEOs from B2B FinTech. Akbar noted, "Driving innovation, together. What an extraordinary day at Pivot Investment Partners' Annual Investor Meeting! Bringing together 100+ investors and 6 visionary CEOs who are defining the future of B2B FinTech was a reminder of the creativity, courage, and collaboration it takes to build category-defining companies. A profound thank you to our investors for your continued partnership and trust, and to our founders, thank you for sharing the real journey." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7386140550317555713/) * **October 16, 2025:** Re-shared a post from Pivot Investment Partners about their Annual Investor Meeting, where Akbar stated, "Feeling inspired after Pivot Investment Partners’ Annual Investor Meeting! 🚀 100+ investors, portfolio leaders, and executives joined us in NYC for a day of big ideas, bold conversations, and FinTech innovation — from AI-powered bookkeeping to next-gen payments. Thank you for your trust and collaboration. Together, we’re building more than companies — we’re shaping the future of financial services." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7384424965711781888/) * **August 27, 2025:** Re-shared a post from Traydstream securing $11 million in interim funding. Akbar commented, "Excited to share that Pivot Investment Partners had the privilege of leading Traydstream’s latest capital raise, alongside e& capital. Congratulations to the incredible Traydstream team on this important milestone. It’s inspiring to see the progress you’ve made in digitizing and automating trade processes across the globe. We are confident the journey ahead will be even more impactful, and we are proud to be part of it." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7366541386780721153/) * **August 07, 2025:** Shared news about Pivot Investment Partners' portfolio company, Docyt, launching High Precision Accounting Intelligence (HpAI). Akbar said, "Exciting news from one of Pivot Investment Partners portfolio companies, Docyt! Congratulations to Sidharth Saxena, Sugam Pandey, and the entire Team Docyt on the launch of High Precision Accounting Intelligence (HpAI) — a purpose-built AI framework for accounting automation... At Pivot Investment Partners, we take pride in backing visionary founders creating vertical AI solutions with tangible real-world impacts." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7359061793824002048/) * **July 12, 2025:** Re-shared news from Droit about their new Explore Mode and patent approval. Akbar remarked, "Thrilled to see Pivot Investment Partners’ portfolio company Droit launch Explore Mode on the Adept platform — and secure approval for their latest patent! Since investing back in 2016, we’ve watched the team redefine regulatory intelligence. Explore Mode now makes it possible to run “what-if” scenarios and see all compliant paths, even without full transaction details — a real game-changer for financial institutions navigating complex rules." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7349884115359322112/) * **June 08, 2025:** Shared a hiring alert for an Account Executive at Docyt, a Pivot Investment Partners portfolio company. (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7337571224073531392/) * **April 26, 2025:** Re-shared an interview with Brock Arnason and Somerset Pheasant from Droit. Akbar highlighted, "A great conversation from Brock Arnason, Somerset Pheasant, and the Droit team on the value they bring to global financial institutions navigating complex, evolving regulatory requirements. Droit, a Pivot Investment Partners' portfolio company, plays a key role in advancing regulatory clarity and operational integrity." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7321757318952423424/) * **April 26, 2025:** Re-shared a post from Jack Kudale about Cowbell being ranked #3 on Financial Times' 2025 list of Fastest Growing Companies. Akbar commented, "👏 Congratulations to Jack Kudale and the entire Cowbell team on being ranked #3 on the Financial Times 2025 Fastest Growing Companies list! As a proud Pivot Investment Partners portfolio company, Cowbell is redefining cyber insurance with bold innovation and rapid growth. This recognition is well-earned — and just the beginning." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7321755405234176000/) * **March 16, 2025:** Re-shared a spotlight on Farid Virani, commenting, "Congratulations Farid Virani, on this well-deserved recognition! Your leadership and generosity—whether through contributions to Rice University or The Faris Foundation—are exemplary and truly inspiring. It’s incredible to see the success of Prime Communications and your ongoing commitment to giving back to the community. Wishing you continued success and even greater impact ahead!" (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7307132641705635840/) * **February 19, 2025:** Re-shared a post about Shajahan Merchant and ThreatVision.ai securing a patent for AI-driven threat assessment. Akbar said, "Congratulations to Shajahan Merchant and the amizenlabs.com | threatvision.ai team on their latest patent! This groundbreaking innovation in AI-driven threat assessment enhances public safety by enabling weapon detection and threat posture identification... Excited to see the impact of this technology!" (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7297861858839994368/) * **January 29, 2025:** Re-shared news about OneVest securing $20M Series B funding. Akbar noted, "Exciting news from OneVest! We at Pivot Investment Partners have been proud early and repeat investors in OneVest... Today, we’re thrilled to celebrate their $20M Series B funding—a major milestone in reshaping wealth management technology." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7290381045256884224/) * **January 28, 2025:** Re-shared news about CAPE Analytics being acquired by Moody's. Akbar stated, "We’re excited to share that Pivot Investment Partners' portfolio company, CAPE Analytics, is now officially part of the Moody's family! This partnership represents a significant leap in advancing property risk management and underwriting, powered by CAPE’s cutting-edge AI and geospatial analytics." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7289868570119827456/) * **January 19, 2025:** Re-shared news about Traydstream being ranked 39th in The Sunday Times 100 Tech 2025. Akbar commented, "We are delighted to see Traydstream, a portfolio company of Pivot Investment Partners, recognized as 39th in The Sunday Times 100 Tech 2025!" (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7286799127315718144/) * **January 18, 2025:** Re-shared news about iCapital acquiring Parallel Markets. Akbar remarked, "Pivot Investment Partners is proud to share that our portfolio company, iCapital, has taken another major step in its journey to transform alternative investments with the acquisition of Parallel Markets, a leader in reusable financial identity solutions." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7286515251473272832/) * **January 17, 2025:** Re-shared news about Droit appointing Somerset Pheasant as Chief Strategy Officer. Akbar said, "Pivot Investment Partners is excited to share that our portfolio company, Droit, has appointed Somerset Pheasant as Chief Strategy Officer." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7285840779736924160/) * **January 14, 2025:** Re-shared news about CAPE Analytics signing an agreement to be acquired by Moody's Corporation. Akbar commented, "We’re thrilled to share that CAPE Analytics, a Pivot Investment Partners portfolio company, has signed an agreement to be acquired by Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO)." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7285053386364743681/) * **December 11, 2024:** Re-shared news about Droit being named Best Solution for CFTC Reporting. Akbar stated, "Outstanding accomplishment! Congratulations to Brock Arnason and the entire Droit team on this well-deserved recognition... Pivot Investment Partners is proud to have been an early investor in Droit..." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7272438639807111168/) * **December 09, 2024:** Re-shared news about Amizenlabs.com | ThreatVision.ai winning awards at The Anthem Awards. Akbar said, "Congratulations to Shajahan Merchant and the amizenlabs.com | threatvision.ai team on this remarkable recognition!" (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7271961055893827585/) * **November 29, 2024:** Re-shared a post about CAPE Analytics enhancing accuracy in insurance. Akbar commented, "Advancing Accuracy in Insurance. Kudos to CAPE Analytics, one of Pivot Investment Partners' portfolio companies, for addressing a critical challenge in the insurance industry: pervasive underinsurance." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7268309620253732864/) * **November 29, 2024:** Re-shared a spotlight on Mansoor Saleh. Akbar remarked, "Congratulations, Mansoor Saleh, on this well-deserved recognition! It’s been an honor to work with you on an institutional not-for-profit board, witness your compassionate patient care in the U.S., and see your impactful efforts in Nairobi to expand vital cancer care." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7268307325407363072/) * **November 21, 2024:** Re-shared a post from Jack Kudale about Cowbell ranking 10th on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™. Akbar commented, "🚀 Exciting Milestone for Cowbell! 🚀 As an early investor in Cowbell, Pivot Investment Partners is incredibly proud to see the company rank 10th on the prestigious Deloitte Technology Fast 500™!" (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7265408240950083586/) * **September 15, 2024:** Shared a post regarding Jubilee Holdings Board. (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7241116982400405504/) * **July 30, 2024:** Re-shared news about Traydstream being awarded Leading Provider of Innovative Trade Finance Solutions Company UK 2024. Akbar commented, "Congratulations to Pivot Investment Partners' portfolio company Traydstream on receiving yet another well-deserved recognition!" (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7224132555178958848/) * **June 23, 2024:** Re-shared a post about Mazy Dar discussing the Here Enterprise Browser. Akbar highlighted, "Exciting developments from Pivot Investment Partners' portfolio company HERE™! CEO Mazy Dar discusses the game-changing #HereEnterpriseBrowser at CCW 2024, promising a 20% boost in contact center productivity." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7210719406425849856/) * **June 18, 2024:** Re-shared a post about CAPE Analytics' partnership with Vexcel Data Program. Akbar said, "Congratulations to Pivot Investment Partners' portfolio company CAPE Analytics on the transformative partnership with Vexcel Data Program!" (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7208946999713296384/) * **June 03, 2024:** Re-shared news about OneVest's collaboration with BlackRock. Akbar noted, "Pivot Investment Partners is excited to announce its portfolio company, OneVest’s strategic collaboration with BlackRock! 🎉" (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7203436378678857729/) * **May 03, 2024:** Re-shared news about Stephan Hufnagl joining Traydstream as CTO. Akbar commented, "Pivot Investment Partners is delighted to welcome Stephan Hufnagl to its portfolio company Traydstream as CTO!" (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7192181532524998658/) * **April 11, 2024:** Re-shared a post about Jakob Pizzera discussing the Future of Wealth Management. Akbar wrote, "Pivot Investment Partners' portfolio company OneVest's co-founder Jakob Pizzera discussing the Future of Wealth management CFA Society Toronto." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7184207504397017088/) * **March 26, 2024:** Re-shared a post about A-MAX Auto Insurance being a finalist in the US Customer Experience Awards. Akbar congratulated the team. (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7178373366037245954/) * **January 21, 2024:** Re-shared a post from Jack Kudale about Cowbell securing patents for their Cyber Risk Assessment and Cybersecurity Insurance Platform. Akbar commented, "Congratulations from Pivot Investment Partners to the Team at Cowbell and Jack Kudale on the continued innovation and progress." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7154671145714110464/) * **January 13, 2024:** Re-shared a post about OneVest ranking 12th on Forbes' list of Canada's Best Startup Employers. Akbar commented, "Thrilled to share the exciting news that OneVest, one of Pivot Investment Partners' portfolio companies, has secured the impressive 12th spot on Forbes' list of Canada's Best Startup Employers..." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7151814717882163200/) * **January 09, 2024:** Re-shared a post from Mazy Dar about OpenFin launching 'Interop Anywhere'. Akbar commented, "Congratulations to Pivot Investment Partners' portfolio company OpenFin for elevating 'Anywhere' capabilities to new heights!" (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7150634589802110976/) * **January 08, 2024:** Shared news about Cowbell Cyber's 'Prime One' program now covering UK businesses. Akbar noted, "Pivot Investment Partners is pleased to share that Prime One by Cowbell Cyber now covers UK businesses with up to $1B turnover." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7150257487567314944/) * **December 08, 2023:** Re-shared a post about Traydstream's partnership with Citi. Akbar commented, "Exciting Partnership Alert! Breaking through the cobwebs of traditional trade finance, Traydstream, a cutting-edge portfolio company of Pivot Investment Partners, is revolutionizing the industry with a groundbreaking fix..." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7138734550347616256/) * **December 08, 2023:** Re-shared a podcast featuring Brad Weisberg, CEO of Snapsheet Inc. Akbar highlighted, "Dive into the world of insurance innovation with Brad Weisberg, CEO of Snapsheet Inc., a stellar portfolio company of Pivot Investment Partners." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7138729891138568192/) * **November 21, 2023:** Re-shared news about Sue Sell, CFO of Snapsheet Inc, being named Chicago CFO. Akbar commented, "Pivot Investment Partners’ portfolio company Snapsheet Inc’s CFO Sue Sell named Chicago CFO! Congratulations to Sue Sell and the amazing team at Snapsheet Inc. On this very well deserved award!" (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7132795530753056768/) * **October 19, 2023:** Re-shared news about Droit's Endoxa consortium. Akbar noted, "Congratulations to Brock Arnason and Team Droit on this monumental leap in Regulatory Compliance, facilitated by the collaboration of five global financial powerhouses..." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7120836420717465600/) * **September 24, 2023:** Re-shared news about Traydstream raising $21 million in Series B funding. Akbar commented, "Pivot Investment Partners is proud to announce our lead Series B investment in Traydstream, in collaboration with e& capital!" (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7111751151762489344/) * **September 15, 2023:** Re-shared posts about the Kauffman Fellows Africa VC Summit. Akbar noted, "An amazing Global Summit of Kauffman Fellows in Nairobi, Kenya." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7108517983991341057/) * **September 07, 2023:** Re-shared news about Cowbell launching 'Prime One' in the UK. Akbar stated, "Congrats to Jack Kudale and the team at Cowbell. Cowbell launched its first international product today, Cowbell Prime One..." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7105359452731572224/) * **June 15, 2023:** Re-shared news about OneVest's $17M Series A financing. Akbar commented, "Pivot Investment Partners is excited to be joining OMERS Ventures, Luge Capital, Fin Capital, Panache Ventures, AAF Management Ltd., FJ Labs, and Deloitte Ventures Canada in the C$17M Series A financing round of OneVest." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7075184832825188352/) * **May 24, 2023:** Re-shared news about OpenFin's Series D funding round. Akbar noted, "Pivot Investment Partners is delighted to extend its 8+ year partnership with OpenFin on another investment round alongside Bank of America and other investors..." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7067173747811590145/) * **May 19, 2023:** Re-shared a post about Cowbell being nominated for Zywave Cyber Risk Awards. Akbar commented, "It is impressive to see the formidable platform and AI capabilities that have been built at Cowbell..." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7065371723121991680/) * **April 14, 2023:** Re-shared a post about OpenFin being honored as a Financial Markets Innovator. Akbar commented, "Congratulations Mazy Dar, Chuck Doerr, Adam Toms, and the Team @ OpenFin!" (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7052753069180112896/) * **April 13, 2023:** Re-shared a post from Sabeen Dhanani about her trip to India. Akbar commented, "Congratulations Sabeen Dhanani." (Post URL: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7052398251341201408/) Fund details: - Description: Pivot Investment Partners is a private investment firm based in New York that focuses on identifying high-potential early growth equity stage companies across financial services and financial technology. Founded in January 2014, Pivot is led by former senior-level operating executives, each of whom built distinguished careers growing and scaling retail and wholesale businesses within large financial institutions, such as Deutsche Bank, Citibank, Capital One, and JPMorgan. Since its inception, Pivot has made investments in 27 technology-enabled companies in six verticals: alternative credit, payments and transaction processing, risk and compliance, wealth management, capital markets, and insurance. Some of our portfolio companies include iCapital Network, BoldPenguin, dv01, Cape Analytics, Cowbell Cyber, and Snapsheet, among others. Visit https://www.pivotinvestment.com/ to learn more. - Website: https://www.pivotinvestment.com/ - Location: New York, New York, United States - Lead qualification: 75/100 - Immediate priority: Growth-equity fintech specialist (~$550M AUM) with recent portfolio activity but a very small internal team — high fit for automated, contact-level deal sourcing. Use case: Deliver 40 qualified B2B FinTech/financial-services software companies monthly (U.S./North America, $5–50M revenue or growth-stage) with owner/CEO and head-of-BD contact info and outreach-ready introductions. Pain points: • Partners managing portfolio instead of sourcing new deals • Limited proprietary sourcing reach across non-core fintech sub-sectors and geographies • Lack of contact-level owner/decision-maker data and outreach-ready introductions decision_maker: Larry Klane (Partner), Akbar Poonawala (Partner), Dinkar Jetley (Partner) portfolio_count: 32 companies - Recent deals: • Tangible Markets (Aug 2025) - Pivot investment (PitchBook); Amount: Not found • iCapital — to acquire Citi Wealth’s Alternative Investments Feeder Platform (2025) - portfolio company acquisition; Amount: Not found • iCapital — to acquire Mirador (2024) - portfolio company acquisition (pivotinvestment.com); Amount: Not found • Trovata — acquires ATOM (2025) - portfolio company transaction/partnership (pivotinvestment.com); Amount: Not found Research: - Query: Pivot Investment Partners (web (Akbar Poonawala, CFA) recent investments? fund focus / thesis? - Answer: Pivot Investment Partners focuses on transformative financial technology, particularly in fintech, payments, and insurance technology. Akbar Poonawala is a key partner with extensive financial services experience. Recent investments include Moody’s acquisition of CAPE Analytics.