Dr Fernando Da Cruz Vasconcellos

My name is Dr Fernando Da Cruz Vasconcellos. I am a Partner at S&W, where I specialise in the valuation of companies, intangible assets, and investment opportunities across private equity and venture capital, with a particular focus on technology-driven and IP-rich businesses.

I work at the intersection of entrepreneurship, investment, and valuation, helping investors, founders, and organisations understand what truly drives value, particularly in businesses where intangible assets such as intellectual property, software, and data are central to success.

My academic journey began in Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara, followed by a Master’s and PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Campinas, in collaboration with MIT. I later completed postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge. While my training was highly technical, my career naturally evolved toward understanding how innovation translates into economic value.

Over the past 20 years, I have worked on more than 200 valuation and advisory projects across the UK, Europe, the United States, Brazil, and the Middle East. These have ranged from early-stage ventures to complex transactions involving mergers and acquisitions, investment structuring, and expert witness work. I regularly advise investors, funds, and companies on how to assess opportunities, structure investments, and maximise value from their assets.

Alongside my professional work, I am closely involved in teaching and academic activities. I am an Honorary Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School. I am also an Invited Lecturer for the Executive Masters in Accounting (EMAcc) at the Cambridge Judge Business School. I have contributed to education programmes at Cambridge and London Business School, focusing on valuation, entrepreneurship, and private equity.

What I enjoy most about teaching, is the opportunity to work with highly motivated and diverse students from around the world. I take a very practical, interactive approach: we do not just learn theories, but actively apply them to real-world scenarios.