Jan Koum

Overview

Jan Koum is a prominent American billionaire businessman and computer programmer, best known as the co-founder and former CEO of WhatsApp, a leading mobile messaging application. In 2014, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19.3 billion, marking one of the largest technology acquisitions at the time. Following the acquisition, Koum served on Facebook's board of directors until his departure in 2018. Prior to founding WhatsApp, he worked at Yahoo for nearly nine years, where he met his future business partner, Brian Acton. After leaving Facebook, Koum established Newlands, his family office, which manages a diverse portfolio across various asset classes, including private equity, venture capital, public equities, and cryptocurrencies. The firm focuses on technology-enabled growth opportunities, deploying patient capital to support innovative startups and established companies. Newlands has invested in a range of sectors, such as software, internet services, e-commerce, fintech, healthcare, artificial intelligence, blockchain, media, telecommunications, consumer electronics, automotive, energy, education, and real estate. Koum's investment strategy emphasizes long-term value creation, leveraging his extensive experience in the technology industry to identify and support high-potential ventures. His firm has a global investment approach, with a geographical focus that includes the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Canada, Australia, Mexico, South Africa, Russia, Israel, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Argentina, and Chile. This broad focus reflects Koum's commitment to fostering innovation and growth across diverse markets and industries.

Investment Focus

• Innovative technology solutions
• Scalable business models
• Strong management teams
• Clear path to profitability
• Alignment with Newlands' strategic interests

Portfolio Companies