# Hemant Shah

> Hemant Shah is a serial entrepreneur and catastrophe risk pioneer who co-founded Risk Management Solutions (RMS) in 1989 as a Stanford grad student and built it into a $300M+ global leader in catastrophe modeling over nearly 30 years. He then co-founded Archipelago in 2018, an AI-powered commercial property risk data platform that now manages over $12 trillion in insured properties and has raised $72M+ in venture funding. Shah transitioned to Executive Chairman of Archipelago in July 2023 and in 2025 joined FortressFire as Vice Chairman, continuing his mission to bring data intelligence to the most consequential risks facing the built environment.

- **Role:** Executive Chairman at Archipelago; Vice Chairman at FortressFire
- **Organizations:** Archipelago, FortressFire, Risk Management Solutions (RMS)
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Stanford University, Master of Science in Engineering, Stanford University
- **Known for:** Co-founded Risk Management Solutions (RMS) in 1989 as a Stanford grad student and built it into the world's leading catastrophe risk modeling firm, valued at $300M+, Led RMS for nearly 30 years, establishing it as the global standard for insurance industry catastrophe modeling, Co-founded Archipelago in 2018, which now manages $12+ trillion in insured commercial properties

## Career timeline

- **1989** — Co-founded Risk Management Solutions (RMS) as a Stanford graduate student, initially focused on earthquake risk modeling for the insurance industry
- **1992** — Secured $3M in early venture capital from Sutter Hill Ventures; expanded RMS scope from earthquake to broader catastrophe modeling
- **1989-2018** — Served as Co-Founder, President, and CEO of RMS for nearly 30 years, growing it into the world's leading catastrophe risk modeling firm valued at $300M+
- **2018** — Stepped down as CEO of RMS; co-founded Archipelago with Madhu Tadikonda, Roger Bodamer, and Anthony Siggers
- **2019** — Archipelago raised $13M Series A funding led by Ignition Partners and Canaan Partners
- **2020** — Archipelago emerged from stealth; raised additional $6M+ venture round
- **2021** — Archipelago raised $34M Series B led by Scale Venture Partners; RMS acquired by Moody's Corporation
- **2023** — Transitioned from CEO to Executive Chairman of Archipelago; Alex Lyashok appointed as new CEO in July 2023
- **2025** — Joined FortressFire as Vice Chairman of the Board and Senior Advisor, focusing on wildfire risk modeling and mitigation

## Achievements

- Co-founded Risk Management Solutions (RMS) in 1989 as a Stanford grad student and built it into the world's leading catastrophe risk modeling firm, valued at $300M+
- Led RMS for nearly 30 years, establishing it as the global standard for insurance industry catastrophe modeling
- Co-founded Archipelago in 2018, which now manages $12+ trillion in insured commercial properties
- Raised $72M+ in venture funding for Archipelago across Series A, B, and additional rounds
- Built Archipelago's platform to serve nearly 400 companies with access to 2,400+ global underwriters
- Helped drive RMS acquisition by Moody's Corporation in 2021, validating decades of work
- Featured speaker at Stanford's Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders seminar series
- Appointed Vice Chairman at FortressFire in 2025, expanding influence to wildfire risk management

## Latest updates

- **2025-07** — Joined FortressFire as Vice Chairman of the Board and Senior Advisor, focusing on wildfire risk modeling and mitigation technology
- **2023-07** — Transitioned from CEO to Executive Chairman of Archipelago as Alex Lyashok was appointed CEO
- **2023-01** — Archipelago platform reached nearly 400 company clients with access to 2,400+ global underwriters
- **2021-04** — Archipelago closed $34M Series B funding led by Scale Venture Partners, surpassing $2T in insured value on platform

## Links

- Website: https://onarchipelago.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hemant-shah-a5789436
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/OnArchipelago
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXtkXK6TQVA

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/hemant-shah
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-12