Steve Bernardez is a Partner at UKG Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of UKG. UKG is a leading human capital management software provider. As the first investment hire, Steve is building the venture program from the ground up. He leads thesis development, sourcing, diligence, deal execution, and portfolio value creation. His focus areas are the future of work, AI, HR tech, and workforce management. Steve Bernardez spoke at the 2023 InsurTech Spring Conference on the panel “VCs and InsurTechs — Best Friends Forever or Not?”, alongside David Gritz, Jon Soberg, Jason Gross, and Caty Rea.
Steve spent five years as a Partner at Avanta Ventures. This was the corporate venture arm of CSAA Insurance Group. There he built a portfolio of more than 20 early-stage investments. He served as a board director or observer for eleven portfolio companies. His insurtech investments included Cowbell Cyber and Delos Insurance. He also invested across mobility, cybersecurity, and AI.
Before corporate venture, Steve spent nearly 13 years at ONSET Ventures. He was a Partner at the Sand Hill Road firm, rising from senior associate. He backed enterprise software companies, including Adaptive Insights, later acquired by Workday. Earlier, he led business development for venture capital and startups at Microsoft. He began his career in consulting at Accenture and in asset management.
Steve holds an MBA in Strategy and Finance from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He also earned a BS in Biological Science from Stanford University.
