Marco Thompson is a Managing Director of Express Ventures. He brings to Express broad technology expertise across the software, hardware and networking fields, and extensive business experience founding and running diverse technology companies. He has operational experience at up to $50,000,000 revenue run rates, and he has led marketing & sales strategy development for diverse technology enterprises.

Marco Thompson graduated with a BSEE from UCSD in 1979. He worked for Megatek (acquired by Digital/Compaq) before founding Doctor Design in 1984. Doctor Design was funded entirely from its profit stream and grew to become San Diego’s most successful Engineering Design Services firm, with 250 employees and $50,000,000 revenues. Dr. Design was acquired by Wind River in 1996 and grew to become Wind River Services, a leading developer of hardware and software for "smart connected devices".

Wind River Services has been recognized as a market leader in building consumer devices supporting digital video and audio standards. WRS works for the leaders in the Set Top Box business including Sony, DirecTV, Phillips, Tivo, RCA, Thomson, Pioneer & others.

Marco has founded, raised financing for, and guided and mentored numerous startups, and he currently sits on the board of directors or advisors of several early stage companies. Some of the companies that Marco has invested in or mentored include: Gift-Flix, Entropic, Vativ, Techflow, Profitline, Forza Semiconductors, Intellitouch, Rosum, Drivecam, Objectiva, V-Enable, Qthink, Philometron, Service-Now.com & Intellidot. Marco has been very active as a startup CEO mentor in the San Diego community, thru programs such as Connect Springboard, Commnexus Next Stage, and the Chairman’s Roundtable.

Marco is a founding Board member, past president, and past chairman of the San Diego Telecom Council (now CommNexus). CommNexus is an organization committed to developing the local communications community and making the rest of the world aware of the of San Diego’s leadership in this sector. CommNexus is made up of the top 250 communications and wireless firms in San Diego, and the organization is the top regional communications trade organization in the world.

Marco holds 3 patents and has written a book on high speed memory design. He has been honored in San Diego as “Technology Supporter of the Year”, and is the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering Alumni of the year for 2003. Marco has also been awarded the Connect / Gray Cary Award for Technology Innovation in 2003.