Early-Stage Seed Incubators & Syndicates · Private Equity, VC & Investor
Kleiner Perkins
US venture capital firm investing in technology startups.
Available information varies by company and source.
Profile record updated:
Company facts
- Official name
- Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, LLC
- Entity type
- COMPANY
- Founded
- 1972
- Headquarters
- 2750 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, United States
- Company size
- 50–200
- Market cluster / sector
- Early-Stage Seed Incubators & Syndicates
- Market role
- Private Equity, VC & Investor
- Official website
- kleinerperkins.com
What Kleiner Perkins does
The firm operates a venture capital model: it raises closed-end investment funds from LPs, allocates capital into startups, supports portfolio growth and seeks capital appreciation through acquisitions, secondary sales or public listings. Its economic engine depends on long-duration portfolio returns, repeat fundraising and reputation-based access to founders and co-investors.
Category differentiation
Kleiner Perkins is a venture capital firm, not a software vendor, adtech platform or operating technology company. It finances startups rather than selling software products to enterprise buyers.
Strategic context
AI-supported assessment from the existing company research; distinguish interpretation from sourced facts.
Kleiner Perkins is a private US venture capital firm that invests in technology companies. It operates as a fund manager that raises capital commitments from limited partners and deploys that capital through successive venture funds. Its customers are primarily institutional and high-net-worth capital providers on one side and venture-backed startups seeking equity financing on the other. The firm creates value by sourcing investments, supporting portfolio companies and generating returns through exits, with revenue typically derived from fund management fees and carried interest.
Company news briefing
Briefing updated:
Kleiner Perkins continues its robust capital deployment across artificial intelligence ventures, co-leading a $180 million Series D round for AI search marketing startup Profound at a $1.8 billion valuation. Additionally, the firm participates in high-profile funding initiatives for Jeff Dean's AI startup Discovery Loop, targeting a $1 billion raise at a $10 billion valuation, and joins the Series B round for Kevin Mandia's agentic security platform Armadin.
Business model & monetisation
The primary monetisation approach is venture fund management. This typically combines recurring management fees on committed or managed capital with carried interest on realised investment gains. Fund closes also expand assets under management, which supports future fee generation and reinforces the firm's fundraising position.
- Fund management fees
- Recurring fees on committed or managed capital
- Carried interest
- Performance share of realised investment gains
- Other partnership or advisory income
- Ancillary investment-related economics
Products & capabilities
No products with linked sources are available in this view.
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Competitors & alternatives
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US venture capital firm investing in startups through managed funds.
US venture capital firm investing in private growth companies.
US venture capital firm investing across software and infrastructure.
US venture capital firm backing private technology companies.
US venture capital firm managing multi-fund technology investments.
Recent recorded signals
Dates refer to the source publication. Older entries are historical context, not evidence of a new event.
Ballistic Ventures seeks $490M for new cybersecurity funds
Funding · Recorded impact score: 4/5
Ballistic Ventures, a cybersecurity-focused venture capital firm co-founded by former Kleiner Perkins partner Ted Schlein, is raising $490 million across two new funds, according to SEC filings. The firm aims to raise $360 million for its third flagship fund, matching its previous fund size, and $130 million for a separate vehicle called Ballistic Ventures Fund B. This fundraising comes amid an AI-driven boom in cybersecurity, with AI agents creating new opportunities for startups and investors. Ballistic's portfolio includes companies like Talon Cyber Security and Pangea, which were acquired by Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike respectively. The firm's ties to Kleiner Perkins and its investment strategy similar to other cybersecurity-focused VCs like Forgepoint Capital and Ten Eleven Ventures are noted. U.S. cybersecurity startups raised $11.5 billion in 2025, with AI-enabled companies accounting for a significant share of deals.
- Ballistic Ventures is seeking $360 million for its third flagship fund and $130 million for a separate vehicle called Ballistic Ventures Fund B.
- The firm filed with the U.S. SEC to raise these funds, with no sales recorded at the time of filing.
Instinct AI: The $10B Personal Agent Shaking Up Silicon Valley
AI · Recorded impact score: 4/5
Instinct, an invite-only personal AI agent for iMessage and WhatsApp, is generating significant buzz in the AI community, with reports of a valuation of $10B in funding talks. Founded by 23-year-old Noah Shinn, known for the Reflexion paper, Instinct has rapidly progressed from seed funding at a $50M valuation in April 2026 to a Series A at $500M and a Series B at $2.5B, all within months. The agent integrates with Google Workspace, can make calls, book appointments, order food, and interact with other Instinct agents via a 'Trusted People' network, positioning itself as a multi-purpose personal assistant. While praised for its ease of use and powerful features, concerns remain about data security and potential misuse of payment information, leading the reviewer to adopt a cautious approach by limiting access to a spend-limited card.
- Instinct, an invite-only personal AI agent, is reportedly in talks for a funding round valuing it at $10B.
- Founded by Noah Shinn, who previously created the Reflexion paper, the company (Spear Street Technology Inc) was registered in April 2026.
Explore company relationships
Questions about Kleiner Perkins
What is Kleiner Perkins?
Kleiner Perkins is a private US venture capital firm that raises investment funds and backs technology startups.
Who uses Kleiner Perkins?
Its direct counterparties are LP investors committing capital and startups seeking venture funding and strategic support.
How does Kleiner Perkins make money?
It typically earns management fees on its funds and carried interest when portfolio investments are exited at a gain.
Sources & coverage
This profile uses public, official and technically observable information. Missing information does not prove that a product or relationship does not exist. The list below does not imply that every profile statement has been verified.
11 publicly documented primary sources and citations linked across the market graph.
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