Venrock
上個世紀30年代,Laurance Rockefeller(1910-2004)就開始對Eastern航空和McDonnell航空公司身后的企業家Eddie Rickenbacker和James “Mac” McDonnell進行投資,從而開創了美國早期企業的風險投資先例。Lanrance在John D. Rockefeller, Jr的六個子女中排行老四。在過去的20年中,他作為以科技發展為未來方向的年輕企業的風險投資人而受到認可,他所關注的投資領域包括電子、高溫物理、合成材料、光學、激光、數據處理、熱粒子學以及核能等。
1969年,Laurance和他的兄弟成立了Venrock公司,擴大風險資本投資項目的領域并使之專業化。自那時起,Venrock就發展成為美國最頂級的風險投資公司,并在帕羅奧圖(Palo Alto)、紐約和劍橋(Cambridge)擁有辦事處。Venrock的企業家在癌癥、抗感染、自動免疫治療、動力半導體和數字領域取得了巨大的成就,同時還推動了信息技術基礎設施的建設,并引領了網絡廣告的發展。最近公司又在可替代發電方式、醫藥信息技術創新和社交網絡等領域成績斐然。Venrock所投資公司包括蘋果電腦、Athenahealth、Centocor、Check Point軟件、Double Click、Gilead科技、Idec制藥、Illumina、Intel、Millennium制藥、Sirna醫療、StrataCom和Vontu等。
通過對科技、醫藥和能源等領域的關注,Venrock繼承了Rockefeller近百年來向企業家進行投資并建立成功、可持久發展企業的傳統;公司的長期投資回報率使之成為最頂尖的風投公司之一,并能夠長久擁有卓越的業績。
In the 1930’s, Laurance Rockefeller (1910-2004) pioneered early-stage venture capital in the United States by investing in Eddie Rickenbacker and James “Mac” McDonnell, the entrepreneurs behind Eastern Airlines and McDonnell Aircraft. Laurance was the fourth of six children of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Over the next 20 years, he became well known as an investor of risk capital in young enterprises whose future was based on scientific and technological developments, including the fields of electronics, high temperature physics, composite materials, optics, lasers, data processing, thermionics and nuclear power.
In 1969, Laurance and his siblings formed Venrock in order to expand and “professionalize” this venture capital investment program. Since then, Venrock has developed into one of the country’s leading venture capital firms with offices in Palo Alto, New York and Cambridge. Venrock entrepreneurs have charted new advancements in cancer, anti-infective and auto-immune therapies, powered semiconductors and the digital era, secured our information technology infrastructure, pioneered on-line advertising, and most recently, are generating power through alternative means, fostering innovation in healthcare IT, and harnessing the social web. Portfolio companies have included Apple Computer, Athenahealth, Centocor, Check Point Software, DoubleClick, Gilead Sciences, Idec Pharmaceuticals, Illumina, Intel, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Sirna Therapeutics, StrataCom and Vontu.
With a current focus on technology, healthcare and energy, Venrock continues the eight-decade Rockefeller tradition of funding entrepreneurs and establishing successful, enduring companies, and the firm’s investment returns place it among the top tier venture capital firms that have achieved consistently superior performance.