About
Val Vaden joined Cota Capital in 2025 as a Venture Partner, bringing four decades of experience in enterprise technology as a management consultant, software executive, and investor. He co-founded Benchmark Capital, an early-stage venture firm, and Vector Capital, a private equity and credit firm focused on technology businesses. He began his career as a consultant at Bain and Company and later invested at The Cypress Fund and Feibusch & Co. He holds an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an A.B. in Economics and Political Science from Stanford University.
Invests in
Enterprise Software
Experience
- Cota CapitalVenture Partnercurrent2024 — presentSan Francisco, California, United States
- Outfitter VenturesManaging Membercurrent2003 — present
- FTENChairman2003 — 2010
- Vector CapitalFounding Managing Member, Senior Advisor1999 — 2010
- Benchmark CapitalFounding Managing Member1995 — 1998
Education
- Stanford University Graduate School of BusinessMBA1990 — 1991
- Harvard Business School1st Year MBA1984 — 1985
Skills & more
Managerial Finance1Management Consulting1Recruiting1Start-ups18Entrepreneurship15Strategic Partnerships8Venture Capital5Business Strategy5Mergers & Acquisitions5Due Diligence6Private Equity2Corporate Development2
+3 more
ManagementStrategyStrategic PlanningFrom Val's professional profile.
Same school
Also attended Stanford University Graduate School of Business1,147
Roelof BothaAdvisor & former Steward at Sequoia Capital; SpaceX board memberPeter FentonGeneral Partner at BenchmarkSteve JurvetsonCo-founder of Future VenturesDavid SzeAdvisory Partner at GreylockKatherine BoyleGeneral Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (American Dynamism)Hunter WalkCo-founder & Partner at Homebrew
+ 1,141 more
Also attended Harvard Business School1,777
Brad GerstnerFounder & CEO of Altimeter CapitalAileen LeeFounder & Managing Partner of Cowboy VenturesJim BreyerFounder & CEO of Breyer CapitalTim DraperFounder of Draper AssociatesMike Maples JrCo-founding Partner at FloodgateMamoon HamidPartner at Kleiner Perkins
+ 1,771 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Vector Capital7
Muz AshrafGeneral Partner at TCVDanielle WaldmanInvestor at Silversmith Capital PartnersSai SoodGlobal VP Accounting Reporting at HeadlineGreg WilsonChief Financial Officer at Playground GlobalLuca EisensteckenPartner at AtomicoSteve WolfeCo-Founder at Growth Street Partners
+ 1 more
Also worked at Benchmark Capital40
Bill GurleyGeneral Partner Emeritus at BenchmarkPeter FentonGeneral Partner at BenchmarkSarah TavelVenture Partner at BenchmarkBarr YaronPartner at Amplify PartnersMatt MocharyInvestor at Fortius VenturesElie WurtmanCo-Founder & Managing Partner at PICO Venture Partners
+ 34 more
Colleagues at Cota Capital
Adit Singh
Partner at Cota Capital
Albert Azout
Partner at Cota Capital
Allison Chapman
Director of Administration at Cota Capital
Arif Farooqui
Vice President, Finance at Cota Capital
Ashkan Marsh
Principal at Cota Capital
Babak Poushanchi
Managing Partner at Cota Capital
Ben Malka
Venture Partner at Cota Capital
Bobby Yazdani
Founder & Managing Partner at Cota Capital