Shadow Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on investing in startups in the underserved AEC/CRE tech markets has appointed AEC-technology strategist and former managing partner of FiveBox Matt Ohlman as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). In its current position, Ohlman will be working with CEO K.P. Reddy to bring leadership coaching to the founders of Shadow Ventures' portfolio companies in sectors like architecture/engineering/construction and lead the firm's upcoming accelerator cohort.

On engaging with Shadow Ventures, Matt Ohlman professed, “I'm thrilled to be joining Shadow Ventures to work alongside K.P. Reddy and the team. This organization has a vision to fundamentally change the way startups can operate and be successful in underserved markets. Having had the opportunity to build technology for many years in the AEC industry, I am especially looking forward to working with this incredible team to drive transformative changes to technology in this industry and other vital markets traditionally underserved by strategic capital”.

A software engineer by profession, Ohlman armed with 15+ years of experience in wealth of AEC-specific technology wherein he also specialized in full stack software development and product design services focusing on well-designed UI/UX, high quality architecture and on-time delivery. He completed his BS in Computer Science with High Honors from Georgia Institute of Technology and has been a mentor at The Advanced Technology Development Center at Georgia Tech, where he guided companies/entrepreneurs on software architecture, development and product management. Ohlman has also been a noted conference speaker throughout the Atlanta region.

Prior joining Shadow Ventures, Matthew had worked with many well-known companies and AES startups including FiveBox, Sports Challenge Network Infotycoon, Kahua, Stellaro, and Compliance 360, Mayo Clinic, Cox Business and Hitachi Automotive. During his tenure in FiveBox, where he was heading in-house engineering, sales and operations teams to develop & execute his clients' software vision, Ohlman has bootstrapped company annual revenue to $2 million and became known in the AEC community for understanding software, how the industry can use and be innovated by technology due to his practical, inside knowledge and experience.

I'm thrilled to be joining Shadow Ventures to work alongside K.P. Reddy and the team. This organization has a vision to fundamentally change the way startups can operate and be successful in underserved markets

Besides this, he has also served as the software architect for Sports Challenge Network, Inc. where he directed a group of engineers to create a scalable software architecture that collects data from proprietary IoT devices deployed in seven countries. Under his guidance, the team also developed consumer facing mobile & web applications that rendered real-time virtual engagement for consumers participating in recreational sport experiences.

“Throughout his career, Matthew has been at the forefront of the rapid shift to cloud-based technology and the exponential possibilities that shift brings. Armed with over 15 years of experience & extensive software engineering knowledge, he is passionate about building engineering teams and products that push the boundaries of technology in order to transform an industry. Likewise, seed stage investing requires hands-on technical expertise to diligence and support our startups, and Matthew brings a wealth of domain specific technology experience, having created a variety of software solutions for the AEC industry,” concluded Reddy.