We are honored to have a fantastic LDV team and a tight-knit community of deep domain experts who help us filter, review and advise portfolio founders building valuable businesses powered by visual technologies and AI across sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, materials science, nanotech, entertainment, mobility, neuroscience, construction, optics, life sciences and biotech, security and more.

Since 2017, we have welcomed summer associates and analysts who have grown within our team. Ash Cleary, who joined as an analyst, is now an associate – check out his insights on investing with LDV Capital for 3+ years. Other past analysts have since founded startups or continue investing at other stages. Last year, alongside announcing our fourth fund, we expanded our team with investment analyst Max Blacker through our two-year program.

We are thrilled to announce the addition of Ross Cooke to our LDV team. We were impressed by his communication style, problem-solving skills and expertise in nanoscience, physics, chemistry of advanced materials and materials science.

Prior to LDV, Ross was a strategy consultant at LEK Consulting and Alvarez & Marsal, leading value creation and operational improvement projects across industries including consumer goods, retail, cybersecurity, automotive, telecom and financial services. Earlier in his career, he was the first hire at Narrate, a social commerce startup, where he helped build engineering, marketing and operations functions to take the product from concept to launch. He holds a master’s in technology entrepreneurship from the University of Notre Dame and an undergraduate degree in nanoscience from Trinity College Dublin. Outside of work, Ross is a competitive kickboxer, Chicago sports fan and enjoys discovering new restaurants.

**Ross after winning the Grand Champion title at a kickboxing tournament in Milan, Italy.**

When asked what company inspires him most, Ross pointed to our portfolio company Ezra: “Ezra inspires me because they’re using visual technology and AI to elevate early disease detection, make it more accessible, and ultimately save lives. It’s a great example of how visual tech can transform healthcare. I think Ezra is just the beginning, and it makes me excited to find more companies pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in health systems.” We couldn’t agree more! Earlier this year, Ezra was acquired by Function Health – one of TIME’s Top 100 Most Influential Companies in 2025 and the fastest-growing startup in healthcare. This milestone reinforces Ezra’s crucial role in affordable, innovative healthcare solutions that save lives for millions worldwide.

On why he joined our team, Ross shared: “I joined LDV Capital because we invest at the forefront of innovation, partnering with brilliant people pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and building significant value. Our focus on visual technology also aligns perfectly with my background in materials science/nanoscience, making it an exciting and natural fit.”

Ross is particularly interested in how visual technologies and AI can transform long-established industries where innovation can have an outsized impact, such as healthcare, energy and mining. “I’m also excited about opportunities in materials science and supply chain, having worked in both fields through academic research and consulting,” he added.