Tom Barnds is the Co-Managing Partner at Accel-KKR. Since Tom founded the firm in 2000, Accel-KKR has acquired or invested in over 350 software and technology-enabled service companies.
Tom’s current board seats include: Basware, FastSpring, imed, Kantata, Lemontech, NAVTOR, Recurly, Siigo, Smart Communications, Springbrook Software, TELCOR, Tithe.ly, Vendavo, Veryon and Vitu.
Tom’s former selected directorships include:
- Blackhawk Network (NASDAQ: HAWK) (sold to Silver Lake Partners for $3.5 billion in 2018),
- JAGGAER (sold to Cinven for $1.6 billion in 2019),
- Episerver (sold to Insight Partners for $1.2 billion in 2018),
- Seequent (sold to Bentley Systems for $1.1 billion in 2021),
- Kerridge Commercial Systems (sold to CapVest for $1.1 billion in 2023),
- Endurance (sold to a private equity consortium led by Warburg Pincus for $1.0 billion in 2011),
- TrueCommerce (sold to WCAS for $800 million in 2020),
- HighJump Software (sold to Körber AG for $750 million in 2017),
- Applied Predictive Technologies (sold to MasterCard for $600 million in 2015),
- iTradeNetwork (sold to Roper Industries for $525 million in 2010),
- KANA Software (sold to Verint Systems for $514 million in 2014),
- Saber (sold to EDS for $460 million in 2007),
- Oildex (sold to Enverus for $390 million in 2018),
- Abila (sold to Community Brands for $285 million in 2017),
- Alias (sold to Autodesk for $200 million in 2006), and
- CRS Retail Systems (sold to Epicor for $121 million in 2005).
Prior to founding Accel-KKR in 2000, Tom was a Managing Director at Nassau Capital, a private equity firm engaged in investing $2.5 billion of Princeton University’s endowment, where for four years he led growth equity investments and buyouts in technology, energy, media and healthcare. Prior to Nassau Capital, Tom ran Business Development at McGaw, a successful leveraged buyout led by DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and ABS Capital. Tom started his career in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at Alex. Brown & Sons, where he worked with emerging growth and technology companies. Tom has been a guest lecturer on private equity topics at Stanford University and Princeton University.
Tom received his M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and his A.B. from Princeton University.
