SDV

>7%

average annual

portfolio performance

venture capital and

private equity funds

real estate properties

across the globe

+4%

average annual outperformance vs

benchmark for the public market portfolio

About Us

For over 10 years, Social Discovery Ventures (SDV) has been investing in multiple asset classes. We deliver consistent above-market returns while keeping our risk level reasonably low.

Our approach is based on a deep understanding of economic and technology cycles, rigorous discipline, and heuristic solutions. We utilize world-class talent and cutting-edge technology to identify asymmetrical investment opportunities.

In addition to generating high returns, we make impact investments in technology that foster social discovery, meaningful connections, mental well-being, and longevity.

Our Approach

Data-driven
decisions

We base our investment decisions on robust data analysis, ensuring a solid foundation for each choice.

Algorithms and scoring
models

We apply our own proprietary algorithms and scoring models, ensuring precision and accuracy in decisions.

Balanced risk and reward
investments

Striking the balance between risk and reward is our guiding principle, safeguarding investments while pursuing growth.

Professionals for each asset
class

We have a team of dedicated experts delivering specialized insights and strategies for each investment class.

SDV Investments

Private Equity and Venture
Capital Fund of Funds

SDV has strategically allocated investments in 27 venture
capital and 5 private equity funds, featuring renowned
entities such as Khosla Ventures, NEA, Bain, and TPG.

Publicly traded assets

We are managing a public investment portfolio under a balanced risk mandate:
60% allocation to risk assets and 40% to defensive assets. Every given year our
return was significantly above the risk benchmark.

Our investment process combines macroeconomic analysis and meticulous
research on the asset level. We identify strong emerging market trends and pick
equities, bonds or commodities which benefit the most. We also utilize tactical
derivative strategies to manage our risk exposure and generate additional alpha.

Our investment and advisory committees are composed of experienced
professionals with a deep understanding of the public markets.

Private Equity and Venture
Capital Deals

We invest in technology fostering social discovery, meaningful connections,
mental well-being, and longevity. By pioneering in the field of artificial
intelligence and digital reality, we strive to enable a future where humans
and artificial beings coexist and interact in harmony.

We actively engage with companies at different stages of development,
from seed to pre-IPO. Our venture portfolio includes well-known companies
such as Patreon, Flo, and Woebot.

Uncorrelated Strategies

We believe that absolute return assets can significantly enhance the risk/
return profile of an investment portfolio. Therefore, we allocate to high-
quality absolute return investments.

We invest in top-tier hedge funds with consistent returns and low beta. We
also back emerging managers with unconventional strategies, such as
litigation finance or life settlement.

Real Estate Portfolio

We are managing a global portfolio of commercial real estate in the
US and Europe, encompassing over 30 properties in these regions.

SDV US portfolio

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SDV US portfolio

Team

Alex Plesakov

Alexander Lis

Valentina Zakirova

Valentine Valdman

Oleg Sidorov

Chief Executive Officer

Alex is a highly qualified asset management and investments executive, contributing to SDV for more than a decade. He expertly navigates investments in various asset classes, including public and private equity, venture capital, real estate, fixed income, commodities, and more.

A mix of experience in legal litigations, international tax structuring, and wealth management allows him to have a broad balanced strategic vision and consistent execution.

Alex has a prominent educational background encompassing institutions such as Harvard Business School, Schack Institute of Real Estate at New York University, and Berkeley, University of California.

Chief Investment Officer

Alexander Lis has been working with investment banking companies and investment funds for more than 10 years.

Before joining SDV as a Deputy CIO, Alexander worked for an international private equity firm UCP Investment Group, as well as an early-stage global VC fund CM Ventures.

His academic foundation includes a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and a Master's degree in Economics, bolstered by a track record of scientific publications. Notably, Alexander is also a certified Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®).

Head of VC

Valentina has been managing venture and private equity at SDV since 2018, where she successfully led direct investments in companies such as Patreon, Flo, and Woebot.

Prior to SDV, Valentina served as a senior analyst at the Netherlands-based fund Waarde Capital, gaining experience in both VC and PE investments through LBO transactions.

Her academic background includes a VC Program at Berkeley and a Master's degree in Finance and Economics from the London School of Economics.

Valentina was named a Forbes 30 under 30.

Head of Real Estate

Valentine is a well-accomplished professional with more than 20 years of experience in property management, banking, and customer service fields. He got his B.A. in Economics from the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies and his MBA in Finance from Montclair State University.

Valentine holds certifications as a Manager of Community Associations (CMCA®), Association Management Specialist (AMS), and Apartment Manager (CAM). He currently volunteers for the Community Associations Institute Board of Directors and is a guest speaker at HOA events and seminars.

Chief Financial Officer

Oleg has more than 20 years of experience in finance with major multinational companies. Those comprise more than 15 years in audit and consulting with Big-4 professional services firms and 5 years of an in-house senior finance role in a major multinational diversified commodity trader.

Oleg participated in projects of private and public fundraising for mid-sized on-line businesses, the later of which resulted in a $0.5 bn NASDAQ deal.

Investors & Advisors

Dmitry Volkov

KJ Dhaliwal

Jerome Engel

Nick Davidov

Alex Milevsky

Keith Robinson

Anchor Investor

Dmitry Volkov is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and founder of Social Discovery Group — the 3rd largest social discovery company in the world.

Dmitry seeks to be a 21st-century Renaissance man and aspirational leader as he pursues his life goal to increase human longevity, improve mental well-being, enhance the quality of life, and fight loneliness by pioneering digital products in the fields of AI and Social Life 3.0.

Dmitry Volkov investments include technology that redefines the way people interact and connect.

Advisor

KJ Dhaliwal is an entrepreneur from Silicon Valley and Venture Partner at Tribe Capital. For the last few years, KJ has been contributing his expertise to SDV as an advisor.

Previously, KJ led the development of Union Metrics, managed private equity at SEI Investments, and was a partner at the Finantric Capital investment fund.

With such a professional background, KJ decided to venture into entrepreneurship and launched Dil Mil — a leading matchmaking platform in South Asia.

Advisor

Jerome Engel is a leader in entrepreneurship education, venture capital, corporate innovation, and regional economic development. A veteran of Silicon Valley, Engel joined the University of California at Berkeley in 1991 to found the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship.

Prof. Engel is a co‐founder and General Partner of Monitor Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage technology ventures. Jerome currently serves on the Boards of Directors of several high-potential venture capital‐backed and privately held firms.

Advisor

Nick Davidov is a co-founder and partner in DVC, an evergreen early-stage venture firm from Silicon Valley, based on a community of engineers, founders, and angel investors.

He is a VC and a repeat founder whose track record includes Cherry Labs, Gagarin Capital (MSQRD, Prisma, AIMATTER, IDRND), and iTech Capital (Ecwid, Trading View, Aviasales, Pult Group, Ticketland).

In addition to his roles at DVC, Nick serves as an advisor to several prominent companies including SDV. Furthermore, he acts as a trustee of the Propy Foundation and co-founded Mesto.co.

Advisor

Alex is a founder at Multiplier, a platform focused on investments in New Fintech, Gaming, and AI. With over 12 years of experience in the tech industry, Alex has successfully closed over 100 investment and M&A deals, totaling more than $1 billion.

In addition to his role at Multiplier, Alex is a co-founder of several ventures, a business angel, and a board member of multiple tech companies. Alex has been recognized by Forbes as one of the Top 30 Under 30 and was nominated for the Investor of the Year Award.

Advisor

Keith is an experienced investor, operator and advisory in the technology sector, having held numerous leadership roles in the US and the UK.

Previously, Keith was Chairman EMEA Technology Banking and Senior Advisor Principal Investments at Barclays, Chief Strategy Officer at Sage Group plc, Co-Founder at Lamond Capital (a Silicon Valley based hedge fund), and Managing Director at Arma Partners.

Over his career, Keith has deployed several billion dollars of investment capital as a principal and advised on several billion dollars of M&A and fund-raising transactions. He also is an active angel investor and advisor to numerous founders of high-growth technology companies.