MCI Executive Joins Rustic Canyon Partners; Shoa-Kai Liu to Help Build Great Companies in Senior Advisor Role

Business Wire, March 1, 2005

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Rustic Canyon Partners, a leading West Coast-based investment firm, announced today that former MCI executive Shoa-Kai Liu has joined the firm as Senior Advisor to work with new entrepreneurs and existing Rustic Canyon portfolio companies and management teams.

"Rustic Canyon helps entrepreneurs build great, lasting companies by taking an active role in the companies in which we invest," said Tom Unterman, Rustic Canyon's Santa Monica-based managing partner. "Shoa-Kai's deep and broad technological expertise, as well as his extensive network throughout the world, will strengthen our ability to help entrepreneurs."

Shoa-Kai Liu has 25 years of diverse technical and management experience in telecommunication networks and services, and data networking and optical systems, subsystems, components and semiconductors. He will provide counsel to existing and future Rustic Canyon portfolio companies, and will help identify new opportunities in existing and emerging areas of technology.

"Shoa-Kai is a deeply respected member of the international technology community," said Vint Cerf, Internet pioneer and member of the board of directors of Avanex. "His understanding of underlying technology trends and cycles as well as his strong business and strategic sense will help entrepreneurs succeed."

Most recently, Shoa-Kai served as the Director of Network Technology Development at MCI where he and his team evaluated emerging telecommunication technology. Shoa-Kai joined MCI in 1982, and he spent 22 years focused on technology development and deployment for networks that today provide the backbone of the Internet. He played a central role in strategic network planning, systems integration, and the rollout of services and products on a global scale.

Shoa-Kai is also a proven entrepreneur. From 1998 to 1999, he was the co-founder and VP of Market Development at Avanex, where he helped the company grow into one of the largest optical component suppliers worldwide.

"Rustic Canyon's partners are seasoned business strategists and counselors, with a strong passion for helping entrepreneurs build exciting and market-leading companies," Shoa-Kai said. "I look forward to working with entrepreneurs and with the partners at Rustic Canyon."

About Rustic Canyon Partners

Rustic Canyon Partners is a leading West Coast-based investment firm with approximately $700 million under management. With a footprint that covers Southern California, Silicon Valley and the Pacific Northwest, Rustic Canyon focuses on investments in emerging companies positioned for strong growth. Rustic Canyon has invested in a broad array of technology-driven companies in sectors such as communications, software, IT infrastructure, business and information services, materials science and efficient energy. For more information, visit www.rusticcanyon.com.