Silicon Valley tech exec to lead investments at Tampa firm

Tampa-based SCP & CO, a private investment and fund management firm focused on emerging technology platforms, has appointed Chris Rivera as its next president. He will lead the company’s future investments in the artificial intelligence and web3 space. 

Rivera, a former lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, most recently served as president and general manager of the enterprise messaging SaaS (software as a service) business operations at the Tampa-based Syniverse tech firm. Rivera helped double the business’s revenue growth to nearly $400 million while expanding profit margins to 25% and landing some of the largest financial, health care and consumer goods companies in the Americas and Europe.

“After serving in the Navy, I went to Silicon Valley, where I spent years working with Fortune 500 companies. Being in tech in Silicon Valley is like being in finance in Wall Street,” Rivera said. He relocated to Tampa in 2016 when the Carlyle Group Inc.-backed Syniverse company recruited Rivera, among other industry veterans, to leverage their network and expertise. 

Rivera led and completed Syniverse’s $1.09 billion investment and minority ownership stake sale to Twilio in 2022. 

Through business dealings, Rivera connected with now former SCP & CO President Bryan Crino and others. 

“I wanted to continue to stay in the region and invest in technology. SCP & CO was successful in investing in companies for 20 years and wanted to take advantage of my experience in leading companies globally. They knew I wanted to stay in Tampa,” Rivera said. 

In the new role with SCP & CO, Rivera will oversee the firm’s next phase of global expansion with an enhanced focus on investments in technology platforms, software and digital transformation.  Crino, who co-founded the firm and served for 22 years as its president, is transitioning to the new role of executive chairman, where he will oversee the firm’s global strategy. 

“His [Rivera’s] expertise will play a key role in the firm’s evolution to a more technology-focused and global-oriented investment strategy. The dramatic pace of technological change, from AI and automation to web3, will not only redefine major industries, but promises to fundamentally change the human experience,” Crino said in a prepared statement. “Our investment strategy is focused on both the positive and negative potentials of these technologies, and we are particularly interested in supporting new startups with innovative solutions as well as companies building enduring platforms to address both the risks and opportunities afforded by these major technology transitions.” 

SCP & CO has two main business lines – fund management and direct investment. 

“We differentiate ourselves as we want to work with a fixed number of founders and provide good resources for a capital raise,” Rivera said. “Web3 is a distribution of the web from these centralized web-based companies to provide more power to individuals and enterprises that want to work directly with their customer and provide data privacy and also exchange digital finance. When that happens, it opens opportunities for startups to build both the application and cybersecurity side.”

The group, which previously invested in Tampa-based managed IT company Concertium, is looking to launch a second fund that will deploy “tens of millions of dollars” to AI and web3-based companies. 

“Tampa, St. Pete and Orlando are great places where we can further support and develop the strong startup culture. We will pour more gas on that flame,” Rivera said, crediting incubators such as Embarc Collective and Tampa Bay Wave in playing significant roles in Tampa’s paradigm shift. 

SCP & CO will be announcing additional executive appointments and more details about the technology-focused direct investments and managed funds over the coming months. Scott Feuer, who also co-founded the firm, will continue to serve as CEO.