Pierluigi Zappacosta
Encyclopedia
Pierluigi Zappacosta is a Venture Partner with Noventi
and Vice President of Business Development at Sierra Sciences
.
In 1981, he co-founded Logitech
(Nasdaq: LOGI) together with Daniel Borel
and Giacomo Marini
, which went on to become the world's largest manufacturer of computer mice
and other personal interface products. Zappacosta served at Logitech for sixteen years, first as President and CEO and later as Vice-Chairman. He was instrumental in taking the company public in Switzerland in 1988 and on NASDAQ in 1997, raising over $60 million. By the time Mr. Zappacosta left in 1998, sales of Logitech had risen to over $400 million per year.
Zappacosta is also Chairman of Digital Persona, Inc., a company dedicated to mass market solutions for identification based on biometrics. He also sits on the Board of Trustees of the Reason Foundation
and of the Bruno Leoni Institute
,
He received his bachelor's degree
(laurea
in Electrical Engineering
) from the University of Rome
in Italy
, graduating cum laude. He earned his master's degree
in Computer Science from Stanford in 1978.
Noventi
Noventi Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2002 by Giacomo Marini and it was previously known as CIR Ventures.The Noventi team includes: Giacomo Marini, Masa Ishii, Pierluigi Zappacosta.-Portfolio:...
and Vice President of Business Development at Sierra Sciences
Sierra Sciences
Sierra Sciences, LLC is a biotechnology company founded by William H. Andrews, former director of molecular biology at Geron Corporation. Andrews founded Sierra Sciences in 1999 in Reno, Nevada with the goal of preventing and/or reversing cellular senescence, and ultimately curing diseases...
.
In 1981, he co-founded Logitech
Logitech
Logitech International S.A. is a global provider of personal peripherals for computers and other digital platforms headquartered in Romanel-sur-Morges, Switzerland. The company develops and markets products like peripheral devices for PCs, including keyboards, mice, microphones, game controllers...
(Nasdaq: LOGI) together with Daniel Borel
Daniel Borel
Daniel Borel is a Swiss businessman and co-founder of Logitech.In 1973 Daniel Borel earned an engineering degree in Physics from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland, and in 1977 received a Master of Science degree in Computer Science in 1977 from Stanford University.Borel...
and Giacomo Marini
Giacomo Marini
Giacomo Marini is founder and Managing Director at Noventi, an early-stage technology venture capital firm, based in Silicon Valley....
, which went on to become the world's largest manufacturer of computer mice
Mouse (computing)
In computing, a mouse is a pointing device that functions by detecting two-dimensional motion relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse consists of an object held under one of the user's hands, with one or more buttons...
and other personal interface products. Zappacosta served at Logitech for sixteen years, first as President and CEO and later as Vice-Chairman. He was instrumental in taking the company public in Switzerland in 1988 and on NASDAQ in 1997, raising over $60 million. By the time Mr. Zappacosta left in 1998, sales of Logitech had risen to over $400 million per year.
Zappacosta is also Chairman of Digital Persona, Inc., a company dedicated to mass market solutions for identification based on biometrics. He also sits on the Board of Trustees of the Reason Foundation
Reason Foundation
The Reason Foundation is an American nonprofit think tank founded in 1978 that also publishes Reason magazine. Based in Los Angeles, Reason is self-described as nonpartisan and publishes a statement of values that can best be described as libertarian...
and of the Bruno Leoni Institute
Bruno Leoni Institute
The Bruno Leoni Institute , named after Bruno Leoni, is an Italian libertarian non-profit organization promoting classical liberal ideas in Italy and in Europe.IBL was founded in 2003 by Carlo Lottieri, Alberto Mingardi and Carlo Stagnaro...
,
He received his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
(laurea
Laurea
In Italy, the laurea is the main post-secondary academic degree.-Reforms due to the Bologna process:Spurred by the Bologna process, a major reform was instituted in 1999 to introduce easier university degrees comparable to the bachelors...
in Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
) from the University of Rome
University of Rome La Sapienza
The Sapienza University of Rome, officially Sapienza – Università di Roma, formerly known as Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a coeducational, autonomous state university in Rome, Italy...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, graduating cum laude. He earned his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Computer Science from Stanford in 1978.