Kleiner Perkins
also invests · investor profile1 known investors
American venture capital firm founded in 1972 in Menlo Park, investing in early-stage and growth technology and life sciences companies.
Also known as Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, LLC · Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers · KP · KPCB
Founders & leadership
Investors · 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, LLC — commonly known as Kleiner Perkins or KP — is a privately held American venture capital firm headquartered on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, California, with additional offices reported in San Francisco and Shanghai. Founded in 1972, the firm invests in seed, early-stage and growth-stage technology and life sciences companies, and describes its mission as being the first call for founders who want to "make history," acting as company builders alongside them from inception through IPO.
The firm invests through a series of numbered early-stage venture funds (most recently KP22) and separate growth vehicles (the Select series). Wikipedia reports assets under management of about $21 billion as of 2026 and that by 2024 the firm had raised 21 venture funds and six growth funds; by 2019 it had raised roughly $9 billion across 19 venture funds and four growth funds. Third-party profile data describes over 900 ventures backed and roughly $10 billion deployed across about 1,405 investments and 22 funds, with a team in the 11–50 employee range and a partner group of five as of March 2026.
Cited portfolio companies span five decades and include Genentech, Tandem Computers, Compaq, Sun Microsystems, Electronic Arts, Xilinx, Netscape, America Online, Intuit, Amazon, Google, Twitter, Slack, Square, Stripe, Nest, Spotify, DoorDash, Instacart, Robinhood, Airbnb, Duolingo, Figma, Rippling, Waymo, Applied Intuition, Handshake, Motive, Glean, Harvey, OpenEvidence, Anthropic, Together AI, SpaceX, JD.com, Palo Alto Networks, Snap, AppDynamics, Synack, Beyond Meat, Citrix, Lotus Development, Shazam, Shyp, DJI, Coursera, Shape Security, Farmers Business Network, Interos, IronNet Cybersecurity and Desktop Metal.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 27
launches, deals, and filingsThe firm announced $3.5 billion in fresh capital: $1 billion for KP22, its 22nd early-stage venture fund, and $2.5 billion for a late-stage growth vehicle (KP Select IV), targeting AI companies across professional services, healthcare, autonomy, cybersecurity, financial services, productivity, and industrial/physical-economy applications. The raise is up from a $2 billion fundraise less than two years earlier.
$3.5B source ↗
A Kleiner Perkins spokesperson confirmed that Ev Randle left for Benchmark and Annie Case transitioned from partner to an advisory role; the firm operates with a team of five partners.
The firm launched its 21st venture capital fund, KP21, along with its sixth growth fund, Select III.
The fund targets consumer, enterprise, hard tech and fintech sectors.
The firm rebooted its strategy under Hamid and Fushman and raised US$600 million for its 18th fund, KP XVIII.
$600M source ↗
Kleiner Perkins led Figma's $25 million Series B in 2018 and realized significant returns from Figma's IPO.
$25M source ↗
$1.4B source ↗
After a month-long trial in Pao v. Kleiner Perkins, filed in May 2012, the jury found against plaintiff Ellen Pao on all claims. Pao appealed in June 2015 and announced in September 2015 she would not pursue the appeal.
Co-investors included Facebook, Zynga and Amazon.com.
$250M source ↗
$500M source ↗
The initiative funded concepts related to the iPhone and the investment was doubled a year later.
$100M source ↗
Joined as part of a collaboration between Kleiner Perkins and Generation Investment Management.
After an introduction from Andy Bechtolsheim, Kleiner Perkins wrote what it describes as its largest check ever into Google; John Doerr supported the executive search that led to Eric Schmidt and introduced OKRs. Doerr continues as a board director of Alphabet, Inc.
John Doerr met Jeff Bezos in Seattle after an introduction via Bill Campbell and Leslie Koch; Kleiner Perkins helped recruit VPs of engineering Dave Risher and Rick Dalzell and CFO Joy Covey, and connected Bezos with Bing Gordon, who joined Amazon's board.
Seed funding for Genentech, co-founded by Robert A. Swanson and Herbert W. Boyer to commercialize recombinant DNA technology; Genentech's October 14, 1980 IPO raised $35 million at a $300 million valuation, producing a 42-fold return on Kleiner Perkins' first fund.
$100K source ↗
Tom Perkins wrote the business plan for Tandem's fault-tolerant NonStop computer; funding included $50,000 seed capital and $1 million in startup investment, with incorporation in November 1974 under CEO Jimmy Treybig. Kleiner Perkins committed $1.6 million by 1975 and Tandem went public in 1977.
Founded by Eugene Kleiner and Thomas J. Perkins; the first fund raised $8 million, described as the largest venture capital pool worldwide at the time, with commitments from Henry Hillman and Rockefeller University. Frank J. Caufield joined later that year and Brook Byers joined subsequently.
$8M source ↗
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Kleiner Perkinskleinerperkins.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Kleiner Perkins do?
- American venture capital firm founded in 1972 in Menlo Park, investing in early-stage and growth technology and life sciences companies.
- Who founded Kleiner Perkins?
- Kleiner Perkins was founded by Eugene Kleiner, Thomas James Perkins.
- Who are Kleiner Perkins's investors?
- Kleiner Perkins's investors include Rogue Insight Capital.