Mark Upson

Mark Upson is the founder and Managing Partner of NextPath Advisors, a Seattle-area advisory firm he launched in 2016 to help technology-company CEOs and boards with strategic positioning, financings, and M&A exits. He has worked in the technology industry since 1994, spending most of his career as an operating executive — a CEO and senior leader at a series of private-equity- and venture-capital-backed growth companies. NextPath describes its team as having guided 21+ B2B SaaS companies through successful M&A transactions.

His operating résumé includes President & CEO of Scout Analytics (roughly 2006–2014, acquired by ServiceSource), President & CEO of PureEdge (circa 2003–2006, acquired by IBM in 2006), and President of Changepoint (2015–2016, later acquired by Planview). Earlier in his career he held roles associated with Onyx Software, Wall Data, and IBM, and NextPath materials reference his having navigated an IPO and multiple M&A exits as an operator. This CEO-and-exits experience is the foundation of NextPath's positioning as a practitioner-led advisory shop rather than a passive fund.

Upson holds a Master's degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelor's in Industrial Engineering from Virginia Tech (Cum Laude). He also appears as a NextPath principal in the network of Outsell Inc., where he is listed with expertise in business continuity and crisis management.

Note on the "angel investor / seed" framing in the source stub: public records describe Upson and NextPath as a CEO/board and M&A advisory practice, not as an angel investor writing seed checks. I found no public evidence of a personal angel portfolio, a fund, or documented check sizes. The profile below therefore reflects his verifiable role as an advisor and former operator; treat any "angel/seed investor" label with caution unless confirmed directly with him.

• Works primarily with B2B SaaS and enterprise technology companies in the lower-middle market, typically at inflection points around fundraising or an exit.
• Emphasizes strategic positioning ahead of a transaction — Upson stresses having the "business development strategy, go-to-market plan, and partners in place" to maximize valuation and secure an optimal exit.
• Frames engagements around actionable roadmaps for CEOs and boards: M&A positioning assessments, business-development planning, and running/optimizing exit processes for founders and their investors.
• Positioned as operator-led advice — value proposition is that the team has been in the CEO seat through IPOs and multiple acquisitions, not just modeled deals.