The startup scene in the United States and around the world is gaining ground like it has never done before! If you look at all of the great startup ecosystems in the world, you will find that the one common denominator that has allowed them to become so successful is the high ubiquity of venture capitalists.
Venture capital is very important for a startup ecosystem because it allows innovation to be propagated at a pace that people have never seen before. From a small idea being worked with by a couple of friends in a garage to a multi-billion dollar company.
So what are the best venture capital firms that you need to know about? Here are some of our top choices.
Sequoia Capital
Sequoia capital is probably the most dominant venture capital firm in the world and it is one of the first ones to emerge from the Silicon Valley ecosystem. The firm prides itself on being a partner when it comes to fostering valuable ideas that have shaped the world.
It has invested into companies that have gone to become the world’s largest, one of the most notable items in the firm’s vast portfolio is a company that became the world’s first publicly listed trillion dollar company — Apple. Right now Sequoia is turning its focus to China and Europe which can only mean that it is not done yet.
M13
M13 Venture Capital is one of the newer additions to this list but they are not to be overlooked even when being compared with the giants that we feature on this list. The biggest draw for M13 is that even though they are not working within the vaunted Silicon Valley tech space, they are working in one of the fastest rising startup ecosystems in the world — SIlicon Beach in the Greater Los Angeles Area. The fact that M13 is making huge waves — no pun intended — is the reason that it is definitely one of the venture capital firms that you need to keep your eye out for.
Accel Partners
A venture capital firm in Silicon Valley with one of the best portfolios is Accel, better known by its former name Accel Partners. Accel is such a prominent firm in the startup scene in the San Francisco Bay Area because it offers such a wide variety of investment entry points. For smaller companies that have gotten started it offers seed funding, for mid-sized startups it offers series B funding, for larger private companies that are already somewhat established it even offers private equity investments. It is no wonder why the firm is one of the most respected institutions in Silicon Valley.
Y Combinator
Y Combinator is another unique addition to this list because not only is it a great venture capital firm, it is also the top company in the world for fostering the development of startups and great ideas. As a matter of fact, that is what Y Combinator is known for. It is known as one of the first and greatest startup incubators in the world. Because Y Combinator has been so effective is why they were able to attract enough capital to actually fund a venture capital arm as well so that they can invest in the startups that they are nurturing themselves instead of having to always rely on outside investors.
So these are the absolute best venture capital firms that you need to know about. They prove that money is not always evil, sometimes it is a great way to bring brilliant ideas into the light and make dreams into profound realities.