Discover Sutter Hill Ventures Portfolio and Investment Strategy

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Sutter Hill Ventures has a diverse portfolio of companies across various industries, including software, healthcare, and fintech. They've invested in over 100 startups since their founding in 1962.

Their investment strategy focuses on early-stage companies with strong growth potential. They look for innovative ideas and talented founders who can execute on their vision.

Some of their notable investments include companies like Oracle, which was one of their earliest investments, and Informatica, a data integration software company.

Portfolio Breakdown

Sutter Hill Ventures has a diverse portfolio, investing in various sectors. They have made a total of 124 investments across different sectors.

Here's a breakdown of the sectors where Sutter Hill Ventures has invested:

Some of the notable companies in Sutter Hill Ventures' portfolio include Cspeed, Enfabrica, and Integrated Biosciences.

Company Stage Investment

Sutter Hill Ventures generally invests in companies at a Series B stage, with 55 investments in this category. This is the stage where companies have already gained some traction and are looking to scale.

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The majority of Sutter Hill Ventures' investments are made at the Series B stage, indicating a focus on supporting companies that have already achieved some level of success.

Here's a breakdown of the number of investments by stage:

This breakdown suggests that Sutter Hill Ventures is looking to invest in companies that have a solid foundation and are ready to expand.

Sectors Invested In

Sutter Hill Ventures invests in a variety of sectors, with a strong focus on Enterprise Applications, having made 60 investments in this area.

Enterprise Infrastructure is another key sector, with 30 investments made by the venture capital firm.

High Tech and Life Sciences are also significant areas of focus, with 24 and 20 investments respectively.

Consumer and Other sectors round out the list, with 10 and 90 investments respectively.

Here's a breakdown of Sutter Hill Ventures' investments by sector:

Unicorns

Unicorns are a special breed of companies that have achieved a valuation of over $1 billion. Sigma Computing, a cloud-based platform, is one such unicorn in Sutter Hill Ventures' portfolio.

From above of crop unrecognizable mother and daughter using wax pencils for coloring drawing with unicorn on coffee table at home
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It was founded in 2014 and has received significant investments, with its most recent funding round being Series D.

SiFive, another unicorn, is a provider of AI-based IP cores for system-on-chips. The company was founded in 2015 and has received substantial funding, including a Series F round.

DataRobot, a provider of an AI and cloud-based data science platform, is also a unicorn in Sutter Hill Ventures' portfolio. It was founded in 2012 and has achieved significant growth, with its most recent funding round being Series G.

Sila Nanotechnologies, a developer of nanotech-based lithium-ion batteries, is another unicorn in the portfolio. The company was founded in 2011 and has received significant investments, including a Series G round.

Here are the unicorns in Sutter Hill Ventures' portfolio, listed by their Tracxn score:

IPOs and Public Companies

Sutter Hill Ventures has a impressive track record of investments that have led to successful IPOs. One notable example is GRAIL, which went public on June 14, 2024, after the venture firm first invested in the company on January 10, 2016.

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GRAIL's IPO was a significant milestone, with the company raising an impressive $100M in its Series A round.

The venture firm has also had success with Astera Labs, which went public on March 20, 2024, after a Series B investment in April 2020.

Astera Labs' IPO was a relatively smaller but still notable $26M Series B round.

In addition to these two companies, Sutter Hill Ventures has also seen success with Rigetti Computing, which went public on April 23, 2021, after a Series A investment in March 2017.

Rigetti Computing's IPO was a $24M Series A round, a relatively modest but still significant investment.

C3 AI also made it to the public markets, going public on December 9, 2020, after a Series D investment in September 2016.

C3 AI's IPO was a $97M Series D round, a substantial investment that paid off for the venture firm.

Snowflake, on the other hand, went public on September 16, 2020, but the size of its seed round is undisclosed.

Here's a quick rundown of the IPOs and public companies in Sutter Hill Ventures' portfolio:

Acquired Companies

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In Sutter Hill Ventures' portfolio, there are several companies that have been acquired. Smartsheet was acquired on September 24, 2024, after being first invested in on May 5, 2014, with a first round of investment of $35 million in Series E.

Smartsheet's acquisition date is notable, as it occurred nearly a decade after the first investment. Clumio also joined the list of acquired companies on September 24, 2024, after being first invested in on October 1, 2017, with a first round of investment of $11 million in Series A.

Infinera was acquired on June 27, 2024, with a first round of investment of $52 million in Series E, dating back to October 19, 2004. This investment was significantly larger than the others. Lacework was acquired on June 10, 2024, after being first invested in on August 28, 2018, with a first round of investment of $24.3 million in Series B.

IPro was the oldest company to be acquired, with an investment dating back to March 9, 1998. Its acquisition occurred on August 29, 2023, with a first round of investment of $7 million in Series A.

Intriguing read: Venture round

Investment Activity

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Sutter Hill Ventures generally invests in Series B, Series A, Series C, Series D, Seed, and Other stages. They have made 55 Series B investments, 35 Series A investments, and 18 Series C investments.

Their investment activity is quite active, with a total of 4 investments made in 2024 alone. One of these investments was in Cspeed, a company that received $28.35M in Series B funding on December 2, 2024.

Here's a breakdown of their 2024 investments:

Note that the amounts for the Series A and Series G investments are not publicly available, as they are behind a paywall.

Investments

Sutter Hill Ventures is a well-established venture capital firm with a strong track record of investments. They typically invest in companies at the Series B stage, with 55 investments in this stage alone.

Their investment portfolio is diverse, with a focus on enterprise applications, enterprise infrastructure, high tech, life sciences, and consumer sectors. Enterprise applications are a particular area of interest, with 60 investments in this sector.

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Let's take a closer look at some of their recent investments. In 2024, Sutter Hill Ventures invested in companies such as Cspeed, Enfabrica, and Integrated Biosciences. Cspeed received a Series B investment of $28.35M, while Enfabrica secured a Series C investment of $115M.

Here are some key statistics on Sutter Hill Ventures' investments:

Sutter Hill Ventures also co-invests with other firms, with notable co-investors including Alumni Ventures, ARM Capital Partners, and Cisco Investments.

Joining Kwokchain

Kwokchain is a notable mention in the article.

Sutter Hill Ventures is a significant investment partner for Kwokchain.

Sila Nanotechnologies, Inc. is another notable investment, often mentioned alongside Kwokchain.

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Expert Insights

Sutter Hill Ventures has invested in companies like Clarity Money, which was acquired by Goldman Sachs for $200 million.

Their portfolio also includes companies like Credit Karma, which was acquired by Intuit for $7 billion.

Sutter Hill Ventures has a strong track record of investing in fintech companies, with Clarity Money and Credit Karma being two notable examples.

Their investment in Clarity Money helped the company grow its user base to over 10 million people.

Sutter Hill Ventures' investment in Credit Karma was instrumental in the company's expansion into new markets.

For your interest: Ares Portfolio Companies

Frequently Asked Questions

What AI company is Sutter Hill investing in?

Sutter Hill Ventures is investing in Augment Inc., a company that provides AI coding assistance innovations to developers and software teams. Founded in 2022, Augment Inc. emerged from stealth in 2024 with a strong backing from top venture capital firms.

What is the success rate of Sutter Hill?

Sutter Hill Ventures boasts a remarkable 35% internal rate of return (IRR) since its inception in 1965, significantly outperforming the average VC firm. This impressive track record suggests a high level of expertise in identifying successful investments.

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Joan Lowe-Schiller serves as an Assigning Editor, overseeing a diverse range of architectural and design content. Her expertise lies in Brazilian architecture, a passion that has led to in-depth coverage of the region's innovative structures and cultural influences. Under her guidance, the publication has expanded its reach, offering readers a deeper understanding of the architectural landscape in Brazil.

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