Mike Speiser
InvestorManaging Director at Sutter Hill Ventures
San Francisco, CA
Writes $100K – $5M checks · typically $1.5M
FoundedObserve
Midas 2025 · #11Midas 2024 · #17Midas 2023 · #13Midas 2022 · #35Midas 2021 · #5
About
Mike Speiser practices a rare incubation style of venture at Sutter Hill, where he has co-created companies inside the firm and served as their first CEO — most famously Snowflake, which he ran from 2012 to 2014 before its record-setting 2020 software IPO. His other incubations include Pure Storage, Sigma Computing, Observe and Lacework. The model has made him a fixture near the top of the Midas List, including a No. 5 finish in 2021.
Experience
- Sutter Hill VenturesManaging Directorcurrent2008 — presentSilicon Valley, CA
- SnowflakeFounding CEO, Investor, and Board Membercurrent2012 — presentSilicon Valley, CA
- WorkdayMember Board of Directorscurrent2024 — presentSilicon Valley, CA
- ReveFounding CEO, Investor, and Board Membercurrent2023 — presentSilicon Valley, CA
- Pure StorageFounding CEO, Investor, and Board Membercurrent2009 — presentSilicon Valley, CA
- Institute for Advanced StudyMember Board of Trusteescurrent2021 — presentPrinceton, NJ
- McLaren RacingAdvisory Board Membercurrent2022 — presentWoking
- YahooVice President of Products2005 — 2008Silicon Valley, CA
- Veritas Technologies LLCVice President of Products2001 — 2005Silicon Valley, CA
- EpinionsCo-Founder1999 — 2001Silicon Valley, CA
- McKinsey & CompanyAssociate1998 — 1999Silicon Valley, CA
- Credit SuisseAnalyst1993 — 1996New York, NY
Skills & more
+4 more
Strategic PartnershipsStrategySaaSEnterprise SoftwareFrom Mike's professional profile.
Shared employers
Also worked at Reve2
Also worked at Pure Storage15
+ 9 more
Also worked at Yahoo227
+ 221 more
Also worked at Veritas Technologies LLC10
+ 4 more
Deals · 1
Sigma ComputingBoard seat
via Sutter Hill Ventures · filed Jan 2018 · $20M raise
Attribution from SEC filings, press coverage, and firm rosters.
Podcasts & interviews
featuring Mike SpeiserFinding the Right Problems: How Sutter Hill Ventures’ Mike Speiser Creates Great Companies
Goldman Sachs
How Mike Speiser and Sutter Hill are changing the rules for venture investing
cnbc.com
Colleagues at Sutter Hill Ventures
Network1
Investors connected to Mike in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.





















