Roger Lang
"The two wings that make my bird fly:
1. Entrepreneurs/tech
2. Science/conservation."
I'm Roger Lang. Having grown up in San Francisco, an international bent has driven me since childhood. My professional career wing started growing while a student at Stanford, where I quickly embraced rapidly unfolding technology in the heart of the Silicon Valley. I founded analytical enterprise software companies and even invested in classmate entrepreneurs with break-through software ideas. The personal cost was extremely frugal living while raising a family. Every moment and every penny went into start-ups. The accomplishments then came: two of the companies I founded early in my career IPO’d on Nasdaq in the mid-1990’s.
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I was fortunate to be raised in the tech innovation center of the world at a time when personal computers came on the scene.
My own early ventures were in analytical software as desktop applications and enterprise software toolkits for global capital markets:
Swap Services International 1985-87
C-ATS - 1987-1989 (IPO 1994)
Infinity - 1989-1999 (IPO 1996)
Infinity acquired by Sungard Data Systems (1998)
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I continue to encourage entrepreneurs to start their innovations while young, in college or earlier. Today, AI and other fast-breaking technologies are more exciting than ever to carve out entrepreneurial lanes and build businesses.
Investments and Projects
Fast forward to the 2020’s, my focus now is fast-developing technologies applied to energy transformation. This includes technology to optimize or facilitate efforts in decarbonization. Current portfolio technologies include large-scale applications of batteries, solar, green hydrogen, electrification, reliable energy for developing regions, parallel clean grids, mobility and more.
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I am also involved with continent or multi-continent-level projects to achieve digitization and energy transformation: distributed electrification and other decarbonization projects for the Americas and EMEA have been my geographic priority while partnering with telecomm, governments, funders, systems integrators and technology innovators.
With my tech entrepreneurial experience, and having some discretionary funds at a young age, I began exercising my bird’s second wing so that my life could find greater meaning and really take off:
Sun Ranch 1998-2010, an eco-enterprise
Schroeder Ranch (now MPG Ranch) 2007-2009, patterned after Sun Ranch’s science-driven and data driven approach
Papoose Creek Ecolodge (and Lodge at Sun Ranch) 1999-2009
Conserving tens of thousands of acres for wildlife habitat in and around the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem became my mission for more than a decade.
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I created an eco-enterprise in ranching, education and lodging. Simultaneously I continued to invest in technology companies, and established myself in two worlds, my two wings: emerging tech combined with science-driven societal and environmental responsibility.
Science-based Conservation Ranching
owner, operator
Philanthropic Conservation & Education
My Life in
Lang Professor of Environmental Anthropology Stanford 2001-present
CREST - Center for Responsible Travel - board chair 2001-2010
Pollinator Partnership - board 2001-2012 (chair 2007-2012)
Catalina Island Conservancy - board 2011-2018
Mountain Journal - board 2018 to present (chair 2019-2021)
Sun Ranch - 18,000 deeded acres conservation easement Madison Valley, MT
Schroeder Ranch - 8,000 acres bought and sold to MPG Ranch for science and conservation, Bitterroot Valley, MT
Bringing entrepreneurs to a global stage - Pratexo and Separa - for a cleaner future
Over the last few years I have parlayed my entrepreneurial career into Smart Society Ventures (SSV), an investment firm dedicated to growing tech innovations into huge financial successes while achieving broad societal benefit. The building blocks of SSV are funds and special purpose vehicles. SSV’s technologies include AI, blockchain, immersive, and Web 3.0/edge software.
Our first fund is BCP Ventures (2022-2023), a $40+M fund, plus $10+M in SPVs. BCP’s priorities are Ag/Food Tech and Tech for Decarbonization. BCP is fully deployed in U.S. innovations for growth while doing some good along the way.
SSV II (Smart Society Ventures) 2024 is a $300M fund that includes 40% for reserve capital. SSV II’s dominant theme remains Tech for Decarbonization and Cleaner Energy, where the tech is AI, blockchain, immersive, and edge (all Web 3.0 decentralized expressions). SSV II will be deployed 2024-2028 across 12-15 investments, Series B and C, primarily centered on European innovations.
Europe leads the world in tech for decarbonization.
CurrenT Investments
If you wish to grow your tech-for-decarbonization start-up or invest to maximize returns and societal benefit, reach out to me and SSV. We are experienced go-to-market entrepreneurs ourselves who have seen and conquered the same challenges you are facing, and achieved your future successes. We look forward to hearing from you!
