Bobby Hashemi founded Union Ventures in 2012.
Bobby is a different type of dealmaker - with over 20 years’ experience in the consumer sector across three key aspects - as an entrepreneur who has built a leisure business from scratch into a well-known national brand, as an investor partner in an established private equity investment fund, and as an advisor in a major US investment bank.
Investor: | From 2007 – 2012, Bobby was a partner and shareholder at an established private equity investment firm with a £75 million fund investing in growth companies across the UK, where he participated in originating, appraising, executing, and monitoring deals across the consumer sector. |
Entrepreneur: | Prior to his investing career, he co-founded and led Coffee Republic Plc from its inception to position as one of the best-known coffee bar brands in the UK, a London Stock Exchange quoted company with annual sales of £30 million and 100 stores across the UK. As CEO and then Executive Chairman, he was involved in all aspects of growing and running the business - including strategy, branding, operations, finance and fundraising. The business was founded in late 1995, floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1997, raised £20 million equity over the following 3 years, and by 2001 when Bobby exited the business, the share price had risen by 5x since flotation. |
Advisor: | Bobby started his career advising US consumer businesses as an investment banker in mergers & acquisitions at Lehman Brothers in New York. |
Other activities:
Author: | Bobby has co-authored “Anyone Can Do It”, a UK No. 1 best-selling business book about entrepreneurship and building a business, translated into 6 languages and distributed internationally. |
Speaker: | Bobby is regularly invited to speak about entrepreneurship, building a business, fundraising, private equity investing and the consumer sector, and has presented to a variety of audiences and at a number of national events. Please email details of your event to Bobby in the Speaking or Contact sections. |
Bobby has an MBA from Amos Tuck School of Dartmouth College in the U.S., and a BSc in Computer Engineering.