Research Statement:
Robert Siegel researches strategy and innovation in both large and small companies, as well as the opportunities and challenges that technological change brings to these firms. Specifically, he explores how companies combine digital and physical solutions for their customers. Additionally, Robert teaches product management and product development best practices and methods, as well as entrepreneurial finance over the life-cycle of growing companies.
Research Interests:
- Strategy
- Corporate Innovation
- Product Management
- Venture Capital
- Entrepreneurship
Robert Siegel is a Lecturer in Management and has led primary research and written cases on Google, Charles Schwab, Daimler, AB InBev, Box, Stripe, Target, Tableau, PayPal, SurveyMonkey, Medium, Autodesk, Minted and Michelin, amongst others.
He is also a General Partner at XSeed Capital and a Venture Partner at Piva. He sits on the Board of Directors of Foxeye Robotics and Avochato. He led investments in Sparta Science, Zooz (acquired by PayU of Naspers – NPN), Hive, The League, Trove, Teapot (acquired by Stripe) and SIPX (acquired by ProQuest), to name a few. He also supports other companies such as Citrine Informatics.
Robert is a Member of the Supervisory Board of TTTech Auto AG, and is Chairman of the Strategic Advisory Board for TTTech Computertechnik AG in Vienna, Austria. He is a Member of the Industry Advisory Boards for HERE Technologies and Tulco, and is the Co-President Emeritus of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs, an alumni association that fosters relationships to strengthen the Stanford startup community. Robert was on the Board of SmartDrive Systems for 14 years (acquired by Omnitracs), has co-authored several articles for the Harvard Business Review, California Management Review, is a Wall Street Journal Startup Guru, and is a frequent contributor to Fortune, TechCrunch, VentureBeat and Forbes.
Robert was previously General Manager of the Video and Software Solutions division for GE Security, with annual revenues of $350 million. He was also Executive Vice President of Pixim, Inc., a fabless semiconductor firm specializing in image sensors and processors (acquired by Sony). Before Pixim, Robert was Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Weave Innovations Inc. (acquired by Kodak), a network services developer that invented the world’s first digital picture frame, and delivered photos and other digital media to PCs and internet / mobile devices.
Robert served in various management roles at Intel Corporation, including an executive position on their Corporate Business Development team, in which he invested capital in startups that were strategically aligned with Intel’s vision.
Robert is the co-inventor of four patents and served as lead researcher for Andy Grove’s best-selling book, Only the Paranoid Survive.
Robert holds a BA from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Stanford University. He is married with three children.
