Christou pulls into YFM Equity Partners

Victor Christou, former CEO of Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC), has emerged after a brief hiatus to join private equity firm YFM Equity Partners.
Christou will operate as partner and head of growth at YFM’s London office with a focus on sourcing growth-stage investments in tech companies.
He has seemingly been taking time off since leaving CIC in April 2019, having been promoted to CEO from senior investment director in late-2013.
Christou was a venture partner at Wellington Partners from 2011 until 2014, after a spell at Oxford Capital Partners – a fund manager with no formal affiliation to the university – as senior investment manager from 2005 until 2009.
His connection to University of Oxford started with three research fellowships at the institution from 1993 until 1999, and he was made a college lecturer for inorganic chemistry from 1996 until 2004.
While at Oxford, Christou founded an OLED display technology spinout called Opsys, selling his stake in 2002 before forming another business, Aborescent, for which further details could not be confirmed.
David Hall, managing director of YFM, said: “Victor’s breadth, depth and wealth of experience through investing in and managing businesses across all stages of their growth journeys, coupled with a deep insight of investors’ needs, is a rare combination of skills.
“His ethos and approach are also a great fit with the YFM culture.”
Christou added: “I was attracted to the role by YFM’s great reputation and its commitment to regional support. I believe there are exciting opportunities to take YFM’s offering to rapidly growing tech businesses across all regions of the UK.
“In this new role as head of growth and with my background in deep technology investing, this is a fantastic opportunity to use my experience to broaden the capabilities of the YFM team and really make a difference.”