Indian American finance and growth technology expert Ashutosh Vats has joined the North Carolina Innovation Council which helps innovative ideas get tested safely while shaping smart regulation in the state.
Vats brings more than 15 years of finance and growth technology experience, advising leading management teams, boards, and financial sponsors on strategic capital markets activities, the council said announcing his appointment.
His investment banking career, spanning New York and North Carolina, includes supporting transactions for companies such as Uber, Pinterest, CrowdStrike, MongoDB, Toast, and Enfusion.
Vats also serves on NC State University’s College of Management Advisory Board and on the board of the Wake County Sheriff’s Charitable Foundation.
He holds a B.S. in Business Management with concentrations in Finance and Marketing from NC State University.
The council announced Vats’ appointment in Raleigh with another new member, Jonathan Greene, an expert in corporate and securities law with a strong focus on financial institutions.
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“The Innovation Council is fortunate to welcome two accomplished professionals whose expertise spans finance, technology, and corporate law,” said Doug Hague, Chair of the NC Innovation Council.
“Jonathan and Ashutosh’s insights will strengthen our mission to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and responsible growth across North Carolina’s emerging technology sectors.”
The NC Innovation Council continues to advance the state’s Regulatory Sandbox Program, which helps innovators test emerging technologies under tailored regulatory guidance.
Stakeholders including startups, financial institutions, insurers, academic researchers, and technology developers are encouraged to engage with the Sandbox Program, explore partnership opportunities, and bring forward innovative concepts for potential participation.
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Currently, Vats is a Managing Director at ICR Capital guiding Boards and Senior Management through the IPO process in addition to other strategic capital markets activity.
He is also a Legacy board member for New York Cares’ Rising Leader Council and the Executive Board for William J. Clinton’s American India Foundation Young Professionals.
He joined ICR Capital from tZERO Group Inc., a digital security and crypto focused FinTech startup. During his time with tZERO, Vats helped lead business development and capital markets efforts and played a key role in onboarding the company’s first third-party asset.
Prior to joining tZERO, Vats was a member of Barclays’ Equity Capital Markets team. In addition to his capital markets experience, Vats has an extensive background in operations and risk management from his time at Goldman Sachs and Bank of America.
