Shahriar Shams-Ansari is a long-time growth and private equity investor and the founder of Prospector Equity, an independent sponsor focused on acquiring and operating a single lower-middle-market services business. Prospector steps in as owner-operator and applies technology and process automation to modernize and scale traditional services companies. Prior to launching Prospector, Shah was a Vice President at Energy Impact Partners following his time at Brookfield and H.I.G. Capital. Through his experience, he has deployed more than $400 million across software, marketplaces, and services. He holds a B.S. in Finance with Honors from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

What do you do in your roles at EVCA?

I serve as the EVCA Proptech Vertical Co-Lead alongside Dave Mullen at Pinegrove Capital, curating conversations at the intersection of real estate, technology, and investing. We bring together founders, investors, and operators through events and talks to exchange insights on how technology is reshaping the built world.

What made you interested in taking a leadership role at EVCA?

I was drawn to a leadership role at EVCA because it’s a rare peer community of young, like-minded investors outside traditional firm structures. It’s a place to learn how others approach investing and share perspectives across private equity, growth, and venture. Having worked across those disciplines, I value EVCA as a platform to connect with others navigating similar transitions, whether that’s breaking into venture, building sector expertise or launching their own funds.

What is your most contrarian view on an existing or emerging technology trend?

The consensus bet in AI is on platforms (and they will be massive) but the higher-conviction opportunity is backing operators who use AI to overhaul traditional service businesses. By acquiring legacy services companies and weaving AI and automation into areas like scheduling, billing, and customer engagement, you can transform them into data-rich, tech-first operations. Rather than eliminating jobs, AI can augment staff, improve customer satisfaction, streamline inefficiencies, and expand margins, creating a virtuous flywheel of cash generation that can be reinvested in acquiring competitors slower to adapt. The easiest money in AI today isn’t betting on the next foundation model or wrapper, but owning and modernizing the industries that adopt it.