Meet the Team

Yves is one of the early cases of a successful Contech entrepreneur, having founded Fielwire in 2014, a site-management software, that was acquired by Hilti in 2020 for more than $300m. Yves experience in launching and scaling SaaS products in the industry, with a multinational focus, is supporting Zacua and our portfolio companies as an advisor.

After an initial career at McKinsey & Company, Gonzalo joined Cemex and brings over 35 years of experience in construction and building materials. At CEMEX he worked in several roles, from leading acquisitions and integrations in Asia, Europe and the Middle East to running operations in the UK and the eastern US.In 2017 he founded CEMEX Ventures, the group’s corporate venture capital and open innovation arm. He led it until 2025, building a portfolio of 20+ ConTech startups and overseeing CEMEX’s broader innovation agenda.

Pablo is a chemical engineer turned investor. He started in hands-on engineering roles spanning industrial projects, nuclear power plant instrumentation, and then moved to the Octopus Energy team while they were expanding into the Spanish market. He joined Plug and Play Ventures and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area while advising corporate partners across oil and gas, utilities, EPC, and chemicals. There, he was involved in investments in areas such as green ammonia, carbon capture, sustainable fuels, nuclear, industrial decarbonization, and critical minerals.

As Zacua Ventures' first Head of Platform, Courtney oversees the firm's corporate LP relationships, portfolio value-creation initiatives, and Platform operations. She began her career at Nova Talent, a global professional network, where she scaled a platform of more than 25,000 members and built a strong command of how high-value networks are built and managed. Originally from Chicago, Courtney brings this expertise to venture capital, aligning Zacua's corporate partners with its portfolio companies to create strategic value for founders and LPs alike.

Cem is a venture capital investor with deep experience across sectors and technologies. As Managing Partner of Scout Allocation at Zacua Ventures, he focuses on identifying and investing in pre-seed startups. His approach draws on experience as a global startup founder with exits, a US-centric career in financial & retail services, and board roles in several thematic corporate VC programs, including a Proptech one. He holds an MBA from Columbia U and a double degree from Carnegie Mellon U. He is fluent in French and Turkish.

Varad is an engineer by training, with a background spanning deep tech research, venture building, startup operations, and early-stage investing. He began his career researching machine learning for physical systems, translating that work into a robotics venture that was subsequently acquired. He went on to work across early-stage startups, progressing from technical roles into product and strategy before transitioning into venture capital. Prior to joining Zacua, Varad worked at a New York-based family office focused on the built world and later at Plug and Play, where he supported early-stage investing across physical industries and deep tech. He brings a technical and operator-oriented perspective to investing, with a particular interest in frontier technologies shaping the physical world. Varad holds a Master's in Engineering from Northeastern University.

Jun brings over 20 years of experience in open innovation, deep tech commercialization, and corporate strategy across global markets. She has held senior roles at Cisco and GE, where she led cross-border initiatives bridging technology and industry. Based in between Tokyo and the Bay Area, Jun provides deep expertise in Japan’s construction and innovation ecosystems, helping Zacua support founders and partners across the region.

Philip Sondhu is an experienced startup investor and Founder in the Australian market in construction and agriculture industries. Starting his career at Caterpillar, Philip went on to found Australia’s largest farm marketplace, http://farmbuy.com. Over the past 7 years Philip has focused on construction technology investment as Managing Partner of CVC Superseed Ventures.

Dr. Anas Bataw is a seasoned ConTech leader, investor and ecosystem builder. Playing a role is propelling techs within the MENA construction industry. His unique ability to build robust business cases, develop ecosystems and value realizations has set him apart in the industry. Beyond his corporate endeavors, Dr. Anas participates in non-profit taks groups such as the UN and WEF driving innovations, technology and sustainability.

Caecilia, originally from Germany, brings a global perspective shaped by her studies in international business and finance, and a career that spans consulting, operational roles in tech startups, and venture investing at a deeptech VC fund. She brings strong expertise in scaling businesses, strategy, and innovation. Now based in Madrid, Caecilia supports Zacua’s efforts across Europe, and Asia, leveraging her cross-border experience and network to identify and back exceptional founders.

Margarita started her career practicing law at an international M&A lawfirm. Moved into the tech space where she joined startups across several roles in product and strategy and geographies. Following her passion for technology and investment, Margarita joined Zacua Ventures and leads the fund's investment efforts for both North America and Latin America. With a diverse background, she is dedicated to supporting first-class founders grow and expand their companies throughout the Americas. Margarita holds an MBA from IESE Business School and a double degree in Law and International Relations.

Juan is a civil engineer and investor passionate about helping entrepreneurs transform the built environment. His experience across Europe, Asia and the US, including leading CEMEX Ventures’ Asia Pacific investment strategy and establishing its Shanghai office, shaped his global perspective on the industry. He enjoys connecting ambitious founders with industrial partners to turn promising technologies into solutions that make a difference on the ground.

Mauricio works closely with entrepreneurs to help them succeed, achieve high ESG standards and drive the industry forward to respond to the main climate and productivity challenges. His background working in the jobsite first and at Cemex Ventures later taught him what is needed for a successful implementation of technology and the right approach for startups engaging large corporates.

Vivin is a construction enthusiast who is deeply passionate about the problems that the industry faces. He has worked as an operator and investor for the last 20 years and served as an advisor and board member to multiple firms. He’s had the privilege of leading and building teams across 4 continents and enjoys the challenge of solving difficult problems by partnering with exceptional minds.