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Our Culture

What you believe and what you value as an organization matters. Discover the DNA of our firm.

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Our People

Get to know our teams and the stories of select staff members who share why they choose to work at Sands Capital.

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News & Events

Read about some of the latest events, partnerships, and business highlights from Sands Capital.

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Careers

At Sands Capital, we strive to hire exceptional talent who will live our values and support our efforts to deliver on our mission.

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Uncovering Long-term Opportunity

Changing market and geopolitical environments are part of the equation for long-term investors.  As active investors, we are prepared to manage through trying times.

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Making the World's Video Content Global

Papercup’s proprietary AI dubbing solutions provide high-quality, inexpensive voiceover and video localization.

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Fostering Long-term Thinking

Executive Managing Director and Sr. Portfolio Manager Brian Christiansen discusses the importance of candor and collaboration in a culture that promotes long-term thinking.

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Transparent Work Cultures and Inclusive Opportunities

Recruit Holdings is transforming the world of work through wage transparency and providing life-changing opportunities for immigrants and refugees.

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Philosophy & Approach

Our philosophy is rooted in the belief that, over time, stock prices will reflect the earnings power and growth of the underlying businesses.

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Stewardship

Our second annual stewardship report reflects our commitment to provide clients and other key stakeholders with transparency into our initiatives, actions, and the progress we made in 2022.

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Public Equity

Our newest strategy takes an unconstrained approach to seeking the best growth businesses outside of the U.S.

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Venture & Growth Equity

Sands Capital invests in innovative businesses across all stages of the growth spectrum

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a man with gray hair wearing a black jacket and striped shirt smiles at the camera

Ian Ratcliffe

Executive Managing Partner
Executive Managing Director

Joined Sands Capital

2016

Work Experience

Sands Capital (2016 - 2022)
Arlington, VA | Managing Partner

Enzymatics Inc. (2013 - 2015)
Beverly, MA | CEO

Stemgent Inc. (2008 - 2013)
Cambridge, MA | Founder, CEO

Upstate Inc. (2002 - 2004)
Charlottesville, VA | President

Education

University of Virginia
MBA | Darden School

University of Surrey
Chemical Engineering

Ian is a serial entrepreneur and has 20 years of experience starting and investing in life sciences technology businesses as an angel, venture and private equity investor. Ian has served in many roles as a founder, CEO, CFO, COO, chairman, director, and advisor to a number of privately-held Life Science product and service businesses. He has focused on the cell signaling, drug screening, genomics and sequencing, and cell culture and modification segments, at all stages of business development from initiation through profitability to trade sell. Prior to joining Sands Capital, Ian was the Chairman and CEO of Enzymatics Inc., founder and CEO of Stemgent, Inc., a stem and iPS cell life sciences tool, and President of Upstate Inc., a leading provider of cell signaling research products and services. Ian was also a founding investor in Firefly Bioworks and Genometry, both SCV investments. Ian has a degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Surrey and has a MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia.

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Sands Capital
1000 Wilson Blvd, Suite 3000
Arlington, VA 22209, USA 1.703.562.4000
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Disclosures and Definitions
Sands Capital is an active, long-term investor in leading innovative growth businesses, globally. Our approach combines analytical rigor and creative thinking to identify high-quality growth businesses that are creating the future. Through an integrated investment platform spanning venture capital, growth equity and public equity, we provide growth capital solutions to institutions and fund sponsors in more than 40 countries.

An independent, staff-owned firm founded in 1992 and headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area with offices in London and Singapore, Sands Capital managed more than $54 billion in client assets as of March 31, 2024.

For institutional and professional investors only. Investment advisory fees are described in Part II of the adviser’s Form ADV.
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