Frank Rayal is founding partner at Xona Partners, a boutique management and technology advisory firm specializing in the digital infrastructure sector with a focus on telecom services and data centers. Frank provides TMT investors with technical and commercial due diligence services. He also collaborates with technology companies to develop new revenue streams by leveraging technology innovations and market insights. For over two decades, Frank has worked on bridging the gap between technologies and markets by leading new product introductions through the entire lifecycle, from concept to rollout. Frank is a co-founder of the wireless pioneer BLiNQ Networks. He held senior positions in product management, marketing, and business development at Ericsson, Redline, and Metawave. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and an MASc in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Toronto in Canada. He is a senior member of IEEE and a member of Professional Engineers Ontario.
Activities
At Xona Partners, we specialize in guiding companies to seize opportunities presented by emerging technology trends, navigate uncharted markets, strategize for M&A and investments, develop robust technology strategies, foster strategic partnerships, and assess technology-based assets.
Our clientele includes financial investors interested in digital infrastructure assets and related technologies, relying on us for technical and commercial due diligence. We collaborate closely with their portfolio companies to enhance revenue streams with innovative products and solutions, offering support from the conceptualization stage through proof of concept.
Our approach leverages the collective expertise of the Xona Partners team, enabling us to address diverse market segments effectively. Comprising seasoned business and technology professionals, many with backgrounds as Silicon Valley startup founders and extensive executive-level experience, our team is well-equipped to meet the dynamic needs of our clients.
Our services include the following:
New Business Incubation
- Market assessment and new market opportunities
- Market entry strategy definition
- Technology and market strategy validation
- Strategic partnerships development
- Competitive positioning, messaging and thought leadership
- Technology assessment and IPR valuation
- Monetization strategies and business models
- Product roadmap and requirements validation
- Value proposition development
- Financial modelling and business case development
Due-Diligence
- Technical and commercial/market due diligence
- Competitive positioning – pre-M&A market positioning and value proposition (CIM)
- IP valuation, positioning and acquirer identification
- Technology assessment
Examples of Recent Projects
- Conducting pre-investment due diligence on diverse telecom assets, including wireless, wireline/fiber, and submarine networks.
- Executing pre-investment due diligence on various types of product companies to inform investment decisions.
- Evaluate potential investment opportunities for corporate venture capital firms across various domains, such as edge computing, AI, and quantum security.
- Conducting forensic technical investigations and assessments of catastrophic network outages to identify root causes and recommend mitigation strategies.
- Assessing and valuing intellectual property rights portfolios in emerging technology fields to inform investment decisions.
- Positioning multiple companies for investment or acquisition in areas such as in-home automation, wireless infrastructure products, and DevOps/CICD solutions.
- Identifying strategic partners and investors for technology product companies to facilitate growth and expansion initiatives.
- Conducting comprehensive technology and market due diligence for an e-commerce platform developer to evaluate market potential and competitive landscape.
- Validating market and industry assumptions and trends for an IoT infrastructure vendor to inform strategic decision-making.
- Assessing threats and opportunities posed by emerging processes and technologies to incumbent vendors, enabling proactive response strategies.
- Developing new and complementary wireless services for fixed access service providers to enhance service offerings and address evolving market demands.