Silicon Valley in California has long been the center of technology and innovation in the United States. It is home to many of the world’s largest and most influential technology companies, as well as countless startups and venture capital firms. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the major investment companies based in Silicon Valley.
Top venture capital firms in Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is home to many of the most prestigious venture capital firms that have funded legendary startups. Sequoia Capital has invested in companies like Apple, Google, LinkedIn and WhatsApp. Benchmark Capital is famous for being an early investor in eBay, Twitter and Uber. Accel Partners was an early backer of Facebook. Other leading VC firms include Andreessen Horowitz, Greylock Partners, Kleiner Perkins, and Lightspeed Venture Partners. These firms provide startups with capital, connections and expertise.
Major tech companies investing in startups
In addition to venture capital firms, many of the large technology companies located in Silicon Valley also invest in startups. Google Ventures and CapitalG (formerly Google Capital) actively invest in emerging technology companies relevant to Google’s businesses. Intel Capital makes equity investments to provide strategic value to Intel’s initiatives. Salesforce Ventures invests in cloud, mobile, social, IoT and AI startups aligning with Salesforce. Other examples include Samsung Ventures, Cisco Investments, SAP Ventures and Qualcomm Ventures.
Prominent angel investor networks and groups
Silicon Valley is also home to many angel investor groups and networks that bring together wealthy individuals to invest in and mentor early-stage startups. Band of Angels, founded in 1994, is one of the oldest angel groups. SV Angel invests in consumer internet, mobile and cloud services. Other notable angel investor networks include Sand Hill Angels, Harbor Angels, Hub Angels, Plug and Play Tech Center, Alchemist Accelerator and Founder Institute.
Innovation centers run by large corporations
Many global technology corporations have established innovation centers and corporate venture arms in Silicon Valley to connect with the startup ecosystem. These include Microsoft Accelerator, Samsung NEXT, Verizon Ventures, Target Technology Innovation Center, Walmart Labs, Visa Innovation Center, Wells Fargo Startup Accelerator and State Farm Innovation Labs. Through these centers, corporations provide resources, mentoring and investment capital to promising startups.
Silicon Valley has cultivated an unparalleled ecosystem of investors, founders, engineers and supporting infrastructure. Understanding the major VC firms, angel investors, corporate venture arms and innovation centers located there provides great insight into the startup and technology investment landscape.