Venturra managing partner Rudy Ramawy passes away

Rudy Ramawy, managing partner of Southeast Asian early-stage investor Venturra, died yesterday at the age of 50.

Venturra’s managing partner Rudy Ramawy / Photo credit: Tech in Asia

Henry Riady, a scion of the family that owns Indonesian conglomerate Lippo Group, told local media that Ramawy’s death was so sudden – the investor just had lunch with colleagues that same day. Lippo Group is Venturra’s largest limited partner.

Tributes from the startup and VC community began coming in as soon as the news broke.

Raditya Pramana, Ramawy’s colleague at Venturra, said that he lost not just a partner and a mentor but also one of his “dearest friends.”

Ramawy was the “embodiment of life,” someone who “carried sunshine in his pocket,” Pramana wrote. ”He brought smiles and joy to everyone around him. The very soul of Venturra. Not just accomplished, but a truly happy man. He lived life to the fullest.”

Willson Cuaca, managing partner of East Ventures, also shared similar sentiments, recalling how in difficult situations, Ramawy could always find solutions that “did no harm to anyone.” 

On a more personal note, Cuaca described Ramawy was a “loyal friend” who was not only fun to be with at board meetings but was also generous with his time. “He never failed to pick up my call. Never. He was always available.”

At the back of mind, I was thinking, ‘Wow, he is so kind. I want to be like him.’ He taught me the importance of paying it forward.”

Ramawy, who was interviewed on stage at the 2012 Tech in Asia Conference in Jakarta, was “a supporter of the region’s tech community and definitely a pioneer,” says TIA founder and CEO Willis Wee. “We remember him as a sharp operator and investor.”

Ramawy was an inspirational figure who “led by example,” Wee adds. “In 2012, I was very new to Indonesia. I had just graduated from college, but Rudy never said no to doing kopi with me when I visited Jakarta. In hindsight, I asked a lot of basic questions and learned so much from our kopi chats. At the back of mind, I was thinking, ‘Wow, he is so kind. I want to be like him.’ He taught me the importance of paying it forward.”

See also: These are the most active investors in Southeast Asia’s startups

Before helming Indonesia-based Venturra in 2015, Ramawy served as the country director of Google Indonesia for around three years. He also held roles in global firms such as Procter & Gamble and Sony Music Entertainment, as well as in Indonesian telco provider Axis and local TV station RCTI.

He was also the deputy CEO of Multipolar, a subsidiary of Lippo Group.