Matt Hershenson
InvestorFounding Partner at Playground Global · Board director at Insamo
Bay Area
Writes $1M – $20M checks · typically $10M
Find your path to Matt
120 people in our graph share verified history with Matt — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
About
Matt Hershenson is a Founding Partner at Playground Global, which he helped start in late 2014. He previously worked as a hardware engineer at Apple, co-founded Danger in 2000 (maker of the T-Mobile Sidekick, later acquired by Microsoft, where he became a Partner in Hardware Engineering), and served as Director of Hardware on Google's Android team, shipping multiple generations of phones, tablets, and streaming devices.
Invests in
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechHardwareRoboticsSemiconductors
Board director at Insamo
Intro paths
In turn, Matt can intro founders to Insamo's investors below.
Insamo's investors · 6
Experience
- InsamoBoard Membercurrent2023 — presentBerkeley, California, United States
- Outpace BioBoard Membercurrent2021 — presentSeattle, Washington, United States
- Playground GlobalCo-Foundercurrent2014 — presentPalo Alto CA
- RightHand Robotics, IncBoard Membercurrent2019 — presentSomerville, MA
- Ayar LabsBoard Membercurrent2018 — presentEmeryville, CA
- Inscopix, Inc.Board Member2020 — 2022Palo Alto, CA
- Sparta ScienceBoard Member2017 — 2022Menlo Park, CA
- SkydioBoard Member2017 — 2021Redwood City, CA
- GoogleDirector of Android Hardware2010 — 2014
- MicrosoftPartner, Hardware Engineering2008 — 2010Palo Alto
- DangerCo-Founder1999 — 2008Palo Alto
- Mainbrace CorporationHardware Engineer1998 — 1999
- Nxp Semiconductors (Erstwhile Philips Semiconductors)System Architect1997 — 1998Sunnyvale, California, United States
- Philips Mobile Computing GroupHardware Team Lead1996 — 1997Sunnyvale, California, United States
- Catapult EntertainmentHardware Engineer1994 — 1996Cupertino, California, United States
Investments
Board seats
InsamoInsamoOutpaceRightHand RoboticsVerticalsemi
Investor
Ayar LabsInsamoOutpace BioSparta SoftwareVertical Semiconductor
Sources: SEC Form D filings · the firm's website · curated public sources.
Colleagues at Playground Global
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Matt Hershenson?
- Matt Hershenson is a Founding Partner at Playground Global, which he helped start in late 2014. He previously worked as a hardware engineer at Apple, co-founded Danger in 2000 (maker of the T-Mobile Sidekick, later acquired by Microsoft, where he became a Partner in Hardware Engineering), and served as Director of Hardware on Google's Android team, shipping multiple generations of phones, tablets, and streaming devices.
- Where does Matt Hershenson work?
- Matt Hershenson is Founding Partner at Playground Global and Board director at Insamo.
- What does Matt Hershenson invest in?
- Matt Hershenson invests in AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Deep Tech, Hardware, Robotics, Semiconductors.
- What check size does Matt Hershenson write?
- Matt Hershenson typically writes checks of $1M – $20M.
- What boards does Matt Hershenson sit on?
- Matt Hershenson holds tracked board seats at Insamo, Insamo, Outpace, RightHand Robotics, Verticalsemi.
- What companies has Matt Hershenson invested in?
- Investments tracked here include Ayar Labs, Insamo, Outpace Bio, Sparta Software, Vertical Semiconductor.
Shared employers
Also worked at Insamo3
Also worked at RightHand Robotics, Inc6
Also worked at Sparta Science7
+ 1 more
Also worked at Google2,000
+ 1,994 more