About

Cosmin Panait is an investment fund manager in New York who has funded some private and public companies. His expertise runs the gamut across various industries, including tech, biotechnology, and consumer packaged goods.

Current Role and Duties

Cosmin is currently self-employed at the investment firm he founded. At this family office, he researches, assesses, and analyses different financial opportunities and potential partnerships.

He relies on his background in capital markets, corporate finance, and mergers & acquisitions to help him make strong decisions that propel the firm’s portfolio forward. His investments include domestic and international companies looking to gain more traction in the capital markets.

Career History

Panait started his career at MD Global Partners in New York. He was largely focused on PIPEs, debt restructurings, equity facilities, and mergers & acquisitions. Panait identified small to mid-market companies that needed capital and successfully managed relationships during every project phase.

He learned to work with attorneys, hedge fund managers, and senior management teams. His time in this role helped him understand the specific challenges of different types of investment and why some deals succeed where others fail.

After finding success in investment banking, he would also work for Paltalk, a video-based social media startup that made it possible for the public to find communities of like-minded individuals based on their interests and hobbies. In this role, Panait helped develop a revenue growth strategy that would allow the company connect users with the right virtual environments and increase company ROI.

Academic History

Cosmin Panait attended Emory University as an undergraduate, where he earned his degree in Economics. He would go on to attend Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business in Durham, North Carolina. At Duke, he graduated with a Master’s degree in Management Studies.

His graduate education was a transformative experience for Panait, one that made him grateful for the instruction he received during his time at the university and the network of people he would meet there. He maintains strong connections with many alumni and has found their friendships to be as valuable as the formal lessons he learned at Duke.

Professional Skills and Experience

Panait’s diverse range of talents makes him an asset in various economic sectors. From technology to media to energy, he can quickly adapt to different environments. His combination of instinct, people skills, and financial acumen has made it possible to quantify the projected values of market transactions before determining which paths hold the most promise.

He experience extends the principles he learned during his prestigious education. A strong understanding of the markets and an ability to read people’s motivations have proven to be an excellent foundation for a thriving investment career. Areas of expertise include Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPE), hedge fund investments, venture capital, and private equity.

From the buying and selling securities to the cut-throat stakes of VC investments, Panait has made it his mission to understand the details of every individual and company he does business with. He’s learned to look past the sometimes simple promises of entrepreneurs to the rawer qualities below.

Philanthropy/Charitable Involvement

Panait is actively involved in a variety of philanthropic endeavours. Along with his wife, Lilian Yang, he established the Cosmin and Lilian Yang Foundation and the Cosmin Panait and Lilian Yang MMS Scholarship.

Unsurprisingly, much of his charitable giving is focused on the institution that brought him so much personal and professional fulfilment. After giving to the Fuqua Annual Fund for several consecutive years, the pair gave $300,000 as a restricted endowed scholarship for international MMS students.

Both members of the graduating class of 2011 at Fuqua’s Master of Management Studies, the couple wanted to support international students and attract some of the brightest minds domestically and internationally to the academic table. This scholarship program also helps students from abroad breathe a little easier about how they’re going to stay afloat financially in the midst of all their academic responsibilities.

Accomplishments/Achievements

Panait is inordinately proud of his ability to strike at the right time and spot opportunities that others miss. He became an early investor in several private companies that would eventually become publicly traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

This initial accomplishment gave him both the confidence and the means to pursue additional opportunities in finance. He’s also remarkably adept at mastering the basics of different industries, whether ad-tech or biotech. The breadth of his investment portfolio stretches out across the markets and worldwide.

He’s also very devoted to the academic causes he supports, including the MMS Scholarship at Duke University. He knows what it’s like to struggle to find your footing— particularly as a young graduate with big ambitions. His ability to help other young people establish themselves gives him a tremendous…

Personal Interests/Hobbies

Cosmin Panait is a devoted family man. His wife and daughter are the strongholds in his life, providing stability and a strong sense of purpose in his professional world.