Alexsis de Raadt St James is an investment professional with diverse expertise in M&A, finance, venture investing and philanthropy. She has held leadership roles in a Fortune 500 energy company, board roles in companies she funded or founded and has overseen multiple acquisitions, divestments and IPOs globally. Alexsis is Founder and Managing Partner of Merian Ventures, a venture firm focused on investing in women-founded and co-founded companies in the US and UK. She is a frequent speaker, author and thought leader on emerging technology, philanthropy and venture investing with a focus on consumer tech and female-led companies emerging from universities. Her articles have appeared in The Financial Times, The Telegraph and The Guardian.
In addition to her professional roles, she is founder of The Althea Foundation which funds technology-driven initiatives in mental health, social science and education. In 2005 she was the recipient of a Commendation from Scotland Yard for software and social impact. She is on the advisory board of The MIT Press, Oxford Internet Institute and Oxford Artificial Intelligence Society. She was a US-UK Fulbright Commissioner 2017-2022. Alexsis has a MS from MIT, Sloan School, MBA Erasmus University and a BA from University of Texas, Austin.
