Comcast Ventures has announced the hiring of former Warburg Pincus executive Dinesh Moorjani, co-founder of popular mobile dating app Tinder, as managing director, who will open up shop for the MSO-backed venture capital arm in the “Silicon Beach” haven of Santa Monica, Calif.
Moorjani will oversee potential investments for the VC unit across data and business intelligence and social networks, among other sectors.
“We are building a team of smart, proven investors with knowledge and success across a variety of sectors,” said Amy Banse, managing director and head of funds at Comcast Ventures, in a statement. “Dinesh brings unique experience that bridges later stage private equity transactions with an accomplished track record of angel investments and will be an excellent addition to our team."
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Moorjani’s hiring builds presence for Comcast in the L.A. technology community, centered in the coastal Venice/Santa Monica areas. Michael Yang serves as managing director of the unit’s Silicon Valley operation.
Prior to joining Comcast Ventures, Moorjani served as executive-in-residence at Warburg Pincus, where he continues to serve as an advisor. He was the founder and CEO of Hatch Labs, where he and his team conceived of, built and ran mobile startups. It was at Hatch Labs where Moorjani co-founded Tinder.
Moorjani is also an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California and faculty advisor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. He serves on the board or as an advisor to numerous companies, including American Express OPEN and Assurant Solutions.
“I’m passionate about advancing innovation and working with stellar teams who I can learn from,” Moorjani added. “Comcast Ventures has built a unique investment platform, as evidenced by its strong portfolio and reputation. I’m looking forward to working with the team to invest in promising technologies and help entrepreneurs build successful companies.”