Our Team

Our partnership is based on integrity and respect, which is what we share with founders as they build sustainable, successful businesses.

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Oana Chimina

Born in a mountain town in Romania, Oana has been educated and worked in the US, UK, and France. Before founding Elm Venture Partners, she ran M&A at Sandbox Group, a buy-and-build platform in the casual learning space, where she met Oscar. Prior to Sandbox, Oana spent several years as an investment banker in London, focusing on sell-side, buy-side, and fundraise mandates in the technology space.

She graduated with a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Cambridge, and a summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa undergraduate degree in International Relations and French from Clark University in the US.

In her spare time, Oana loves classic literature, country walks, and mid-century European art.

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Oscar Hoare

Born in the UK and raised in London, Oscar founded Elm Venture Partners with Oana from a desire to combine his experience in investing and consulting with his entrepreneurial spirit, latterly developed while he was a principal at Edenred Ventures, a corporate VC fund backed by Edenred (EURONEXT:EDEN).

Prior to Edenred Ventures, Oscar supported acquisitions and ran strategy at Sandbox Group, where he met Oana. Oscar also spent 10 years working as a strategy consultant at Accenture and Oliver Wyman.

He holds an undergraduate degree in Archaeology from the University of Bristol.

In his spare time, Oscar loves wine, tennis, and following Arsenal FC.