Founders Fund

Founders Fund is a US-based venture capital firm based in San Francisco, California.

History

Fund I

The fund was established in 2005 by Peter Thiel, Ken Howery and with the participation of Luke Nosek (all three co-founder of PayPal), furnished. With a volume of $ 50 million, the focus was initially on startup and early- stage financing of Internet companies. 2006 Thiel took the Napster co-founder and founding president of Facebook, Sean Parker as a fourth partner on board. At this time the company had invested in a dozen startups.

Fund II

The following year, Founders Fund announced to set up a second fund, this time with a volume of $ 220 million. While the first round was still worn by private investors, aimed Thiel and his partner this time also depend on deposits from institutions such as universities and foundations.

Fund III

Established in 2010, the company a third fund of $ 250 million, with the aim to expand its portfolio companies working on solutions to important scientific and engineering problems.

Fund IV

The fourth round closed the company in 2011 with $ 625 million to invest from now on, especially in long-term and sustainable ideas.

Team

At the beginning of 2012, the company consists of the following six partners:

  • Peter Thiel - co-founder of PayPal ( 1998), founder of Clarium Capital Management ( 2002) and Chairman of Palantir Technologies (2004)
  • Ken Howery - co-founder of PayPal
  • Luke Nosek - co-founder of PayPal
  • Bruce Gibney
  • Brian Singerman - founder of the iGoogle team (2004)
  • Sean Parker - co-founder of Napster (1999), co-founder of Plaxo (2001), founding president of Facebook ( 2004), co-founder of Causes (2007) and co-founder of airtime (2010)

Portfolio companies

Founders Fund classifies its investments into five categories:

Advanced Machines & Intelligence

  • Robotex
  • Vicarious Systems

Aerospace & Transportation

Analytics & Software

Biotechnology & Health

  • Azumio
  • CDD
  • Halcyon Molecular
  • ImmunePath
  • Natera
  • Pathway Genomics
  • PharmacoFore
  • Practice Fusion
  • ZocDoc

Consumer Internet & Media

  • Airtime
  • Big Think
  • Causes
  • Facebook
  • Friendster
  • Gazillion
  • Geni
  • Inigral
  • OLX
  • Ostrovok
  • Path
  • Raptr
  • Slide
  • Spotify
  • Topsy
  • Votizen
  • Yammer
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