Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a venture capital firm launched in 2009, has immediately broken into the VC industry's top ranks, in terms of its own capability to put money into Silicon Valley's most promising startups. The case recounts the company's history; describes its co founders' motivations as well as their strategy for interrupting a business in the midst of dramatic structural transformation; and questions whether a16z's success to date has been related to its innovative organization construction.
a16z's 22 investment professionals are supported by 43 recruiting and marketing specialists- a ” managing team" that is an order of magnitude bigger than that of any other VC firm. Furthermore, the operating team intends to not only assist a16z portfolio companies, but also to be broadly helpful to all parties in the Silicon Valley ecosystem, including search businesses, journalists, PR agencies, and Fortune 500 executives. The wager: by nourishing "no-strings-attached" aid to ecosystem partners, the partners might someday reciprocate by guiding founders seeking funding to a16z. By inquiring whether a16z should seek to double its scale over the following years, the case closes.
PUBLICATION DATE: January 30, 2014 PRODUCT #: 814060-PDF-ENG
This is just an excerpt. This case is about INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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