# Lightspeed

> Lightspeed is a Menlo Park-based global venture capital firm that invests from seed through growth across artificial intelligence, enterprise software, consumer technology, fintech, healthcare, gaming and crypto. Its product is patient, stage-flexible capital paired with specialist investors, recruiting and go-to-market help, curated founder communities and programs such as Launch. The firm earns management fees and a share of investment profits, while its limited partners gain exposure to a broad portfolio of private technology companies.

- **Founded:** 2000
- **Headquarters:** Menlo Park, United States
- **Founders:** Barry Eggers (Co-Founder), Christopher Schaepe (Co-Founder), Ravi Mhatre (Partner & Co-Founder), Peter Nieh (Co-Founder)
- **Team size:** LinkedIn lists 51-200 employees; a supplied business-data estimate lists 610 people, likely using a broader affiliate or contact footprint.
- **Products:** Early-stage venture funds, Lightspeed Select, Opportunity Fund, Co-Investment Fund, Launch
- **Notable:** Raised more than $9 billion across six vehicles in 2025, its largest disclosed capital raise., Led Anthropic's $3.5 billion Series E in March 2025 as the round's largest investor., Backed Netskope from its 2013 Series B through the cybersecurity company's 2025 IPO.

## Products & services

- **Early-stage venture funds** — Seed and early-stage capital for technology companies, with the 2025 Fund XV vehicles totaling $2.18 billion.
- **Lightspeed Select** — Later-stage capital for breakout portfolio and external companies; Select VI closed at $1.8 billion.
- **Opportunity Fund** — Capital for larger, concentrated investments as companies scale; Opportunity Fund III closed at $3.3 billion.
- **Co-Investment Fund** — A $600 million vehicle created to invest alongside other Lightspeed-managed funds.
- **Launch** — A seed-founder program combining one-to-one advice, workshops and a curriculum designed to shorten the path toward product-market fit and Series A readiness.
- **Founder Experience** — Portfolio support spanning talent, customer and partner introductions, go-to-market advice, vendor access, executive counsel and IPO preparation.
- **Research, stories and events** — Sector research, founder profiles, podcasts, conferences and specialist communities that distribute the firm's thinking and connect its network.

## Achievements

- Raised more than $9 billion across six vehicles in 2025, its largest disclosed capital raise.
- Led Anthropic's $3.5 billion Series E in March 2025 as the round's largest investor.
- Backed Netskope from its 2013 Series B through the cybersecurity company's 2025 IPO.
- Was Snap's first institutional investor in 2012, initially investing $485,000.
- Backed Rubrik from its founding and invested a reported cumulative $362 million before and after its 2024 IPO.
- Expanded internationally beginning with India, China and Israel offices in 2006, followed by Europe in 2019 and Southeast Asia in 2020.
- Built a public portfolio spanning hundreds of enterprise, consumer, fintech, healthcare, gaming, crypto and AI companies.
- Ravi Mhatre has appeared on Forbes' Midas List multiple times, including 2025 and 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Lightspeed announced it was leading Luel's $31.2 million financing for a marketplace supplying rights-cleared multimodal AI training data.
- **2025-12** — The firm closed more than $9 billion across early-stage, select, opportunity, co-investment and single-investor vehicles.
- **2025-09** — Netskope completed its IPO after a Lightspeed relationship that began with the company's Series B in 2013.
- **2025-09** — Josh Machiz joined as chief marketing officer, with plans for more owned media, podcasts, conferences and behind-the-scenes company stories.
- **2025-03** — Lightspeed led Anthropic's $3.5 billion Series E and said it was the largest investor in the round.
- **2024-12** — Lightspeed realigned its consumer practice around AI-native opportunities across media, health, financial services, gaming and emerging verticals.

## Links

- Website: https://lsvp.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lightspeedvp
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventure/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/Lightspeed

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/lightspeed
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-15