VC Vinit Nijhawan Turns in His Key

Missed this tidbit from Dan Primack at PEWeek in late September, but it seems like Vinit Nijhawan has split from Key Venture Partners.

From Dan's piece:

KVP managing director David Dame confirmed the news yesterday (Nijhawan remains on the firm’s website), and said that it was caused by a divergence of stage focus: “Vinit decided that he has a greater interest in early-stage investing, whereas we’re more focused on growth-stage.”

I also asked Dame about a secondary explanation – that Nijhawan has no economics in the current KVP fund, and had grown weary of waiting for the next one. Dame acknowledged that Nijhawan had the possibility for economics in the next fund, but reaffirmed his original “stage” statement. He also said that KVP still has dry powder for new investments, and that marketing for the next fund is expected to begin in early 2008.

As of today, Vinit is still on the site... and hasn't mentioned the switch on his own blog.

My guess is he'll resurface soon as a start-up CEO, which is his real love. He is already working with entrepreneurs in the robotics and wireless power spaces.