Benchmark (venture capital)

Benchmark Capital is an early investor in Uber Technologies Inc., Snap Inc. and WeWork Cos.

Founded in 1995, Benchmark is a venture capital firm based in San Francisco, California. The firm prefers to invest in the software, communication, security, semiconductor, mobile, social, cloud computing, consumer service, financial services, internet retail, online service, infrastructure service, system software and optical device sectors.

Benchmark invests in and works alongside entrepreneurs building startups into transformational companies.

The firm has been committed to open source and created an equal ownership and compensation structure for its partners. The six equal general partners who take board seats and a hands-on approach to every entrepreneur and company they back, with no junior investment staff. General partners include Matt Cohler, Peter Fenton, Bill Gurley, Mitch Lasky, Eric Vishria, and Scott Belsky. Benchmark has had 37 exits since beginning of 2011; 14 IPOs and 23 mergers and acquisitions representing a total market value of more than $60 billion.

Benchmark Capital is a technology-led, business support advisor. The firm was founded by Ian Cooke, in 2003, in Horsham, West Sussex, United Kingdom.

The firm looks to invest towards in-class technology solutions, discretionary platforms, and support services to provide an advantage to over one hundred national and regional firms. Benchmark Capital is interested in companies that provide product intelligence, work management platforms, as well as peer-to-peer streaming technologies. The firm invests during Series A through E rounds.