Zack Smotherman was promoted from VP to general partner entirely from within Battery Ventures, reflecting an unusual internal progression at a single firm rather than the typical firm-hopping pattern among later-stage VCs. He specializes in later-stage and buyout investments in "industrial technology and life science tools," backing behind-the-scenes companies like SPT Labtech whose liquid-handling equipment underpinned genetic research during COVID, and actively building specialized ecosystems like Reliability Won's rollup of technical training and certification platforms. Zack Smotherman was promoted from VP to general partner entirely from within Battery Ventures, reflecting an unusual internal progression at a single firm rather than the typical firm-hopping pattern among later-stage VCs. He specializes in later-stage and buyout investments in "industrial technology and life science tools," backing behind-the-scenes companies like SPT Labtech whose liquid-handling equipment underpinned genetic research during COVID, and actively building specialized ecosystems like Reliability Won's rollup of technical training and certification platforms.