# Marc Andreessen

> Marc Andreessen co-invented the Mosaic browser as a $6.85/hour student programmer, then went on to co-found Netscape, help birth the modern internet, and eventually build Andreessen Horowitz into a $42B+ venture capital juggernaut. The man who wrote 'software is eating the world' in 2011 spent the next decade proving himself right by backing Twitter, Facebook, Coinbase, and GitHub. In 2023 he published the Techno-Optimist Manifesto and in 2024 pivoted to advising the Trump administration's DOGE initiative - cementing his status as Silicon Valley's most opinionated, polarizing, and consequential voice.

- **Role:** Co-Founder and General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)
- **Organizations:** Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Netscape Communications, Loudcloud, Opsware, Ning
- **From:** Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- **Known for:** Co-invented the NCSA Mosaic browser - first web browser to display inline images (1993), Co-founded Netscape Communications, which captured 75% browser market share by 1996, Led Netscape's 1995 IPO, one of the most transformative tech public offerings of the 1990s

## Career timeline

- **1991** — Began co-developing NCSA Mosaic browser at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications for $6.85/hour
- **1993** — Graduated UIUC; Mosaic browser officially released, helping grow internet users from minimal to 20 million in 18 months
- **1994** — Co-founded Mosaic Communications (later Netscape) with Jim Clark
- **1995** — Netscape's landmark IPO; aged 24, became a Silicon Valley icon overnight
- **1998** — AOL acquired Netscape for $4.3 billion
- **1999** — Co-founded Loudcloud (cloud infrastructure pioneer) with Ben Horowitz
- **2002** — Loudcloud sold managed services to EDS; company pivoted to software
- **2003** — Loudcloud rebranded as Opsware
- **2004** — Co-founded Ning social network platform
- **2005** — Made early $500K investment in Facebook as a board member
- **2007** — HP acquired Opsware for $1.65 billion; launched influential pmarca blog
- **2009** — Co-founded Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) with Ben Horowitz; initial capitalization $300 million
- **2011** — Published 'Why Software Is Eating the World' in Wall Street Journal
- **2012** — Named to Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People
- **2013** — Received inaugural Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering
- **2023** — Published The Techno-Optimist Manifesto (5,200 words)
- **2024** — Announced support for Donald Trump; donated $2.5M to pro-Trump PAC and $33.5M to pro-crypto group
- **2024** — Began advising DOGE (Dept. of Government Efficiency), recruiting staff and spending ~half his time in Florida

## Achievements

- Co-invented the NCSA Mosaic browser - first web browser to display inline images (1993)
- Co-founded Netscape Communications, which captured 75% browser market share by 1996
- Led Netscape's 1995 IPO, one of the most transformative tech public offerings of the 1990s
- Co-founded Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), managing $42+ billion in assets
- Early investor in Facebook, Twitter, GitHub, Coinbase, Pinterest, and Lyft
- Authored 'Why Software Is Eating the World' (WSJ, 2011) - one of the most influential tech essays ever written
- Published the Techno-Optimist Manifesto (2023), shaping tech-political discourse
- Inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame
- Named to Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People (2012)
- Received inaugural Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering (2013)

## Latest updates

- **2026-02** — Fortune reported on the lasting impact of his 'Software is Eating the World' prediction 15 years later, as software displaces jobs at scale
- **2025-02** — TechCrunch reported Andreessen dreams of making a16z a lasting company beyond the partnership model
- **2025-01** — Described DOGE's focus on federal return-to-office and the 'ghost town' of Washington D.C.
- **2024-12** — Revealed he was spending approximately half his time at Mar-a-Lago and in Florida advising Trump transition
- **2024-12** — Confirmed role recruiting and interviewing candidates for DOGE
- **2024-10** — Donated $2.5 million to pro-Trump Right for America PAC and $33.5 million to pro-cryptocurrency political group
- **2023-10** — Published The Techno-Optimist Manifesto on a16z website - 5,200-word defense of technology and infinite growth

## Links

- Website: https://a16z.com/author/marc-andreessen/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-andreessen-b32b34/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/pmarca

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/marc-andreessen
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-22