The firm
R3i was built on the premise that frontier markets require more than venture capital. They require technical judgment, transaction discipline, institutional relationships and an ability to work across legal, regulatory and capital systems.
01 · Capabilities
R3i is a frontier-technology private-markets firm. Everything below serves one of these three.
The DealDesk originates, evaluates and structures complex private transactions in frontier technology and strategic assets. How the desk works →
Selective deployment and connection of capital where structural scarcity and credible institutional pathways converge. The capital lens →
Clearance, and the research that supports allocation and execution. Clearance →
02 · Philosophy
We do not treat complexity as a reason to avoid a transaction. Nor do we treat enthusiasm as a reason to complete one.
Our work is to identify the facts that matter, surface constraints early and establish a defensible pathway from opportunity to execution.
03 · Founders' journey
R3i's origin sits at the intersection of two independent tracks: wide-area networking, data-centre infrastructure and cybersecurity on one side; computer-science research in databases and security on the other.
| 2000–2008 | Data centre, wide area networking, cybersecurity systems, geospatial satellite solutions, smart homes, cloud computing on demand, compute and data storage. |
|---|---|
| 2008–2014 | Built the firm's global network in ESG via public markets with over 200+ asset managers, foundations and asset owners. |
| 1980–1987 | Mathematics, Harvard; Bell Labs; Ph.D. in computer science, Stanford. |
|---|---|
| 1987–2008 | Professor of Computer Science, University of Illinois — databases and security. Named ACM Fellow, 2006. |
| 2009–2013 | Director, Advanced Digital Sciences Center, Singapore — data analytics, security and health-monitoring research at national scale. |
04 · Convergence
Both paths ran through Singapore before either knew it: Leesa building the firm's network there from 2008, Marianne directing a national research centre there from 2009. The two founders met on a flight in 2013.
| 2014–2018 | Responsible investment and Lab spinouts. |
|---|---|
| 2019–2023 | Venture investing and acceleration. |
| 2023–2025 | Built early-stage deeptech portfolio, Future Intelligence Lab, intellectual property and data platforms. |
| 2026 | Concentrated the firm around transaction execution, capital and decision intelligence. |
The record of that evolution — entities, programmes, filings and the reconstruction itself — is documented and available to counterparties in diligence.
05 · Governance
| Investment decisions | Taken by the R3i Investment Committee. Members recuse themselves from any decision in which they hold a personal or related-party interest. |
|---|---|
| Mandate documentation | Mandate terms, counterparties and execution pathway are documented before a transaction advances. Mandate documentation is held by counsel and released to qualified counterparties under non-disclosure agreement, following KYC and compliance clearance. |
| Risk and compliance | Fund operations and compliance oversight, including the chaperoned execution workflow, sit with Fund Operations & Compliance. A risk-based AML/KYC policy applies across all entities. |
| Conflicts | Disclosed by mandate wherever R3i, an affiliate or a related party holds a principal or economic interest. Fee arrangements are disclosed in priority order. |
| Regulated activity | Conducted through appropriately authorised entities and providers. Securities transactions with U.S. persons are effected under the chaperoning of Finalis Securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. |
| Client capital | R3i does not accept client transaction capital into its operating-company accounts. |
Investment Committee composition, delegated authorities, valuation policy and the conflicts register are set out in the governance memorandum, available to qualified counterparties and investors under confidentiality. Legal & regulatory architecture →
06 · Leadership
Roles carrying institutional accountability for capital, science, risk and execution. Specialist advisers, analysts and operating experts are engaged by mandate.
Founding GP & Managing Partner
Deal origination, structuring and LP relationships across the platform.
Chief Scientific Officer
Professor of Computer Science, University of Illinois. Technical and IP diligence.
Fund Operations & Compliance
Compliance oversight and the chaperoned execution workflow.
Head of International Affairs & IR
Investor relations, risk and EU regulatory affairs.
Financial Analyst
Deal modelling, fee-waterfall structuring and counterparty diligence.
Financial Analyst
Analysis, capital calls and audit liaison.
Graphic Designer
Brand and product design across the platform.
Full biographies are available to qualified investors and counterparties on request.
07 · In the founders’ words
“R3i have been one of the driving forces behind our success. The team’s unwavering commitment, vast expertise and extensive network have not only opened doors but also tailored support to meet our unique needs.”
Rhona Togher · Co-founder, Lios Group
“Professionally, R3i is the most driven team I’ve ever met, with unparalleled enthusiasm and an ability to make connections — backed up by their deep knowledge of the global startup investment landscape, a keen mind for commercial strategy and an amazing willingness to help.”
Alexander Post · Co-founder & CIO, MGA Thermal
“R3i has helped us raise capital, secure advanced reimbursement from the world’s largest insurance network, and accelerate our expansion into Latin America and the USA. I have not seen someone as willing to roll up their sleeves to help local deeptech startups as R3i.”
Dr. Anthony Chua · CEO & Co-founder, StratifiCare
“R3i has been instrumental in helping us articulate our market entry strategy and expand our access to the European market. True to their mission of founders first, the direction they have provided focused on adding value by achieving critical milestones.”
Rachel Hong · CTO & Co-founder, Meracle Health
“Through the House of MedTech incubation program we have forged a working relationship with an esteemed PI at the Luxembourg Institute of Health. This puts us on a path to secure CE Mark regulatory approval and firmly positions our European HQ for international scale.”
Jeremy Ting · President, Naluri Life
Quotes given to R3i and Planet43 programmes, 2024, reproduced verbatim. Attribution reflects roles at the time of the quote.
08 · Specialist network
R3i works with a network of technical experts, industry operators, advisers, analysts and institutional partners selected according to mandate and sector. They advise; they do not hold decision authority.
| Prof. Ilesanmi Adesida | Computer science. Professor Emeritus of Engineering and former Provost, University of Illinois. |
|---|---|
| Dr James G. Shanahan | Artificial intelligence. Founder of four AI companies; professor at UC Berkeley; formerly AT&T Research. |
| Dr Charles Young | Biotech. Former Chief Editor, British Medical Journal; Wiley; Oxford University Press. |
| Mahmoud Dasser | Compute and telecommunications. Formerly VP Alliances, Etisalat Group; Chief Marketing & Partnership Officer, TM ONE, Telekom Malaysia. |
| Dr Melissa Butler | MedTech. Health economics and outcomes research; board member, Centennial Bermuda Foundation. |
| Steve Anderson | Human performance. |
| Jeremy Fournier | Project finance. |
| Dr Wolfgang Nedjl | Analytics. Hannover. |
| Ramon Andrade | Legal. |
| Simon Quirk | Legal. |
| Vivien Tsui | Impact investment. |
| Zeeshan Ali | Secondary investments. |
| Shing Pan | Secondary investments. XTVue. |
| Michael Lohmann | Data commercialization. |
| Peter Hlavnicka | IP & brand protection. |
| Robert Brears | Water economy. |
| Steve Monaghan | Fintech. |
Further advisers across data management and Asia are engaged by mandate. The full network is disclosed in diligence materials.
09 · Related platforms
R3i operates and sponsors platforms that sit alongside the transaction and capital business. They are stated at their actual stage and are not represented as operating capability of the firm.
| Future Intelligence Lab | Research and experimental tools. lab.r3i.vc ↗ |
|---|---|
| Planet43 | Holds R3i's ring-fenced intellectual property and venture-creation assets. |
| iProofD | IP valuation and commercialisation platform. |
| Vena | Critical-minerals open-innovation platform. vena.r3i.vc ↗ |
| R3i Impact Foundation | R3i's non-profit arm. Sponsors the human-capital programmes described on the home page. |
| R3iFutureFit | Skills, mentored internships and retraining — the delivery vehicle for the Foundation's programmes. r3ifuturefit.com ↗ |
10 · Offices
Correspondence runs on the r3iventures.com domain. Mail from any other domain is not R3i.
