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Fintech Investor Frank Rotman to Transition from QED Investors, Eyes Music Industry Startup
Veteran financial technology investor Frank Rotman, a co-founder of QED Investors, announced on Friday his plans to transition into a partner emeritus position by the close of the year. This move will enable him to dedicate his efforts to establishing his own startups.
Venturing Beyond Fintech
Interestingly, these new ventures will not be confined to the fintech space. Rotman, who was instrumental in launching QED in 2007, revealed via a post on X that his “first business” endeavor will be within the music industry.
In his X post, Rotman acknowledged potential skepticism regarding this career shift. He stated, “It’s easy to call me crazy for all the obvious reasons, but it’s worth reserving judgment until you learn more about the business that’s evolved in my head and sat on the shelf for years. It will be fun to build and could actually make a huge difference to an industry that none of us could imagine living without.”
QED Investors: A Legacy of Fintech Investment
Rotman co-founded QED Investors, based in Alexandria, Virginia, nearly two decades ago alongside Nigel Morris and Caribou Honig. The venture capital firm currently manages $4 billion in assets. He spearheaded QED’s investment in Credit Karma and contributed to investments in other successful companies including GreenSky, Flywire, and SoFi. Notably, QED was the first institutional investor in Credit Karma. The firm’s portfolio also includes Creditas, Nubank, AvidXchange, and Bitso.
QED Investors focuses exclusively on financial technology companies, providing investment from the pre-seed to Series A stages.
Partner Emeritus Role and Future Endeavors
Rotman, known as “The Fintech Junkie” on X, indicated that his transition will be effective January 1, 2026. He will remain connected with QED Investors in a part-time advisory capacity in the coming years.
Book on Startups and Venture Capital
In addition to his music industry startup ambitions, Rotman expressed intentions to author a book. The book will explore his “observations and frameworks for the startup and venture capital worlds.”
In his X announcement, he humorously remarked on his passion for writing: “This shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows me – writing is my oxygen. I can’t imagine a life without it even though ChatGPT and Claude are better writers than I am.”
Nigel Morris Applauds Rotman’s Entrepreneurial Spirit
Nigel Morris, Managing Partner at QED Investors, acknowledged in a statement his long-standing professional relationship with Rotman, spanning over 30 years, including their time together at Capital One.
“Frank, at his core, is an entrepreneur and I have no doubt he will excel in his next chapter,” Morris affirmed.
Leadership Transition at QED Investors
Concurrently, QED Investors announced the promotion of partner Amias Gerety to lead the firm’s U.S. investment team.