LONDON - Suranga Chandratillake, the founder of the British Internet media company Blinkx, is joining the European venture capital firm Balderton Capital.
Mr. Chandratillake, 36, will return to London from Silicon Valley and serve as a general partner at the venture capital firm, leading early-stage investments in the online media and technology sectors.
“As the architect of one of the U.K.’s most successful internet technology companies, Suranga will be a great addition to our team as well as an invaluable mentor to the companies in our portfolio,†said Bernard Liautaud, a general partner of Balderton Capital. “He understands what it takes to create global and long-lasting businesses and can draw from his own experiences to support the founders we back.â€
Blinkx, a search engine for Internet video and audio, was founded in 2004 and was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2007.
Mr. Chandratillake will remain a board member of Blinkx and continue to serve as the company’s chief strategy officer.
“Balderton is a natural fit for me,†Mr. Chandratillake said. “They are a smart, lean and driven team that makes high-impact decisions and has the flexibility of thought and action that fast-growing technology companies need from their partners.â€
