Bellevue-based Ignition said it asked for and received a partner’s resignation after a complaint of misconduct from a third party. It isn’t the first time the executive has been investigated for a similar complaint.
A managing partner at Bellevue-based venture-capital firm Ignition Partners resigned over the weekend after being investigated for misconduct.
The firm announced Frank Artale’s departure on its Twitter account Tuesday, saying it asked for and received Artale’s resignation July 9.
Artale’s dismissal stemmed from a complaint of misconduct from a third party, Ignition said in a statement. It isn’t the first time Artale has been investigated for a similar complaint.
In 2016, Ignition said, the firm hired outside counsel to investigate after someone accused Artale of “inappropriate conduct.”
“While the investigation did not substantiate the allegations, it did indicate that he demonstrated poor judgment, which we addressed with him,” Ignition wrote in a statement.
After that, the firm brought in an expert on anti-harassment training.
Ignition Partners, which invests in growing software companies, didn’t respond to a request for further comment.
Artale, a former general manager at Microsoft, joined Ignition in 2011.
His resignation comes at a trying time for the venture-capital industry, as it faces a number of complaints about sexual harassment in its ranks.
A managing director of Silicon Valley firm Binary Capital resigned last month after women accused him in the media of making unwanted advances.
Women working in the tech industry recently told The New York Times of sexual harassment they’ve faced, including instances involving prominent venture capitalists.