Executive Team

Dr. Kidwai is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and operator with a deep passion for innovation and emerging technologies. As a co-founder, he has served as President, CEO, and Director of the company since its inception, helping shape its strategic vision from the ground up.

He brings a rich track record of building and backing transformative ventures. From 2021 to 2022, Dr. Kidwai served as Chairman and Director of Crypto 1 Acquisition Corp, a SPAC focused on digital assets, blockchain, and crypto infrastructure, where he led a successful $230 million raise. He is also a Venture Partner and Investment Committee Member at Frontier Ventures, an early-stage venture fund investing in next-gen tech and blockchain startups.

Since 2017, Dr. Kidwai has been a co-founder and Executive Committee member of EQUIAM, a leading venture capital fund focused on private markets. Through EQUIAM and other platforms, he has invested in a wide range of pioneering companies, including TransFi, Klickl, Forge Global, and Destiny XYZ, among others. He continues to actively back and advise startups operating at the intersection of technology and finance.

An early believer in digital assets, Dr. Kidwai has been investing in crypto and blockchain since 2016. His operating experience includes founding Real Time Content, a dynamic media personalization platform that was acquired by NASDAQ-listed Pitney Bowes.

Earlier in his career, he held investment roles at Edge Venture Capital and AtomicTangerine, a venture consultancy spun out of SRI International.

Dr. Kidwai holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Technology Management from Staffordshire University and honorary doctorates from both Lincoln University and Staffordshire University.

Mr. Han is an accomplished investment executive with deep expertise at the intersection of technology, finance, and digital assets. He brings global experience across both traditional and frontier markets. As Chief Investment Officer of C1 Advisors LLC and a member of the firm’s Sponsor, he also serves on the Investment Committee, driving strategy and execution across key verticals.

Since September 2023, he has been a Partner at PGP Capital, a boutique investment and merchant bank focused on financial technology and digital assets. Mr. Han also serves as an Independent Director of Phunware Inc. (NASDAQ: PHUN), a leading provider of enterprise AI cloud solutions for mobile platforms.

Previously, Mr. Han was a Managing Director at Cantor Fitzgerald, where he led FinTech, Blockchain, and Digital Assets Investment Banking, and headed Technology Equity Capital Markets. Prior to that, he was Head of FinTech and Consumer Tech Capital Markets at the NYSE and held senior investment banking roles at Goldman Sachs, overseeing technology sector coverage across the UK and Emerging Markets.

He was part of the management team at the Argon Group, a pioneering blockchain technology and advisory firm. Earlier in his career, Mr. Han was a corporate lawyer at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and began his career at Credit Suisse/CSFB.

Since 2018, he has been a Managing Partner at Sunkist ARC Partners, an investment firm focused on high-growth technology and digital asset opportunities.

Mr. Han holds a B.A. in Biological Sciences and Classics from Columbia University, a Master’s in Classics from Oxford University, and a B.A. (Honours) and M.A. in Law from Cambridge University, where he was a Cambridge Overseas Trust Scholar.

David Hytha is a financial and strategic executive with over four decades of global leadership across telecommunications, technology, and venture-backed innovation. A co-founder of the company, David has served as Chief Financial Officer, Secretary, and Treasurer since inception. From 2021 to 2022, David was the CFO of Crypto 1 Acquisition Corp, a NASDAQ-listed SPAC focused on blockchain, crypto, and digital assets. He continues to advise ventures across the U.S., Europe, and Asia through New Wave Partners Inc., the firm he founded in 2008 to provide high-impact financial and strategic guidance to both startups and global corporations.

David has held senior leadership roles across a range of innovation-driven companies including Leading product, strategy and as CFO. From 2006 to 2011, he served in multiple roles in Venture capital at Sofinnova Partners and Sofinnova Ventures, including strategic roles within their portfolio companies.

Earlier in his career, David served as Executive Vice President of Terminals at T-Mobile, based in London and Bonn, and held leadership roles at AT&T, McCaw Cellular, and Motorola, driving growth and operational transformation across the U.S. and Asia.

David has also published on blockchain and AI applications, and served as an advisor on entrepreneurship to Stanford Research Institute (SRI) International, Columbia University, and Cambridge University. David holds an MBA in Finance and Operations Management from Columbia University, and a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross.

Cheriyl Lakshmy is a is a strategy and execution specialist with over 15 years of experience driving growth, operational excellence, and catalyzing business transformation through innovative growth initiatives across the telecom, media, and technology sectors. As a co-founder and Director of Operations, she has been at the heart of the company since its inception, shaping its narrative, internal systems, research processes, and execution capabilities.

Cheriyl brings a rare blend of analytical rigor and hands-on execution. From 2021 to 2022, she served as Chief of Staff and Head of Research & Operations at Crypto 1 Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ: DAOO), a SPAC focused on digital assets, blockchain, and crypto innovation. Her work was central to guiding the organization through in-depth research, due diligence, and operational planning, and she played a key role in crafting the investor materials that supported the company’s successful public listing.

Earlier in her career, Cheriyl held strategy and consulting roles that spanned global markets. At GfK (now NIQ), she partnered with leading telecom operators in the Middle East to deliver actionable market intelligence. As part of the Growth & Strategy team within Accenture’s Telecom, Media & Technology (TMT) practice, she focused on competitive analysis and business transformation for emerging and established players in the sector alike. Prior to that, she played a pivotal role at TATA Elxsi Ltd in crafting the company’s international expansion and M&A strategy.

Cheriyl holds an MBA in International Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science Engineering. She is currently based in Dubai, where she takes ownership of translating vision into action and helps shape the firm’s future by driving investor and marketing strategy, with active involvement in portfolio strategy and due diligence alongside the investment team.

Alex Morgan is a seasoned compliance executive with over a decade of experience building and leading registered fund compliance programs across asset managers, mutual funds, and ETFs. A recognized leader in the fund compliance space, Alex currently serves as Chief Compliance Officer through a Services Agreement with SS&C, where he brings strategic oversight and regulatory expertise to the Registered Fund Services Group.

Alex rejoined SS&C in 2024 after serving as a deputy to the Fund Chief Compliance Officer at Northern Trust Asset Management, supporting compliance for Northern Funds and Northern Institutional Funds with over $200 billion in assets under management. In this role, he led the redevelopment of the funds’ testing and monitoring program, redesigned CCO board reporting, and created the firm’s first global compliance resource website. He regularly presented to fund boards on 38a-1 requirements, regulatory developments, and policy enhancements.

Earlier in his career, Alex held compliance leadership roles at Transamerica Asset Management, where he oversaw compliance for a broad suite of mutual funds and ETFs and coordinated oversight of more than 20 sub-advisers. He also previously served as a Compliance Manager at SS&C, supporting CCOs across diverse fund types, strategies, and governance structures.

Alex earned his B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.