Our Story

Wall Street Veteran Gary Shields founded Avtech Ventures in 2001 to direct and manage the private investments of multi-billionaire Ted Waitt, Founder of Gateway Computers, and Ted's family office Avalon Capital. Avtech quickly emerged as one of San Diego's largest VC/PE firms, investing in more than 50 companies, holding lead board seats on more than 20 companies, and achieving outstanding returns among all US based venture capital firms.  Leveraging Gary Shields' senior investment banking experiences with major firms including LF Rothschild, Robertson Stephens, The Chicago Corporation and Credit Lyonnais, Avtech's direct investing and advisory businesses having included hundreds of transactions totaling billions of dollars at every stage from seed to exit. Gary Shields today focuses his formal investment banking activity as Chairman and Managing Partner at Nassau Street Partners, one of the most innovative and fastest growing investment banks on Wall Street. Nassau Street Partners provides world class M&A and institutional capital formation to companies around the world.