For more than 20 years, Forbes has published The Midas List—a compilation of the world’s 100 most influential investors. This year, eight of our Firm’s alumni are on the list, with investments from a Colombian ecommerce app to Airbnb, Lyft, and more.
Each of these movers and shakers can boast having companies in their portfolio that have IPOed or been acquired for at least $200 million, or that have at least doubled their private valuation since initial investment to $400 million or more, over the past five years. Here’s a snapshot of the alumni who made the list.
Click on their names to read more on Forbes.
Adeyemi Ajao (MAD 06-08)
Cofounder And Managing Partner, Base10 Partners
Forbes' Notable Deal Highlight: Nubank
"We are living in an increasingly fast-changing and volatile world and, with the amount of new data being created every day (60x more data will be generated in 2023 vs. a decade ago), it is impossible to make sense of everything. In such an environment, focus and authenticity become increasingly important: Focus on what you know, how you see the world differently and what makes you you. That unique perspective, that differential insight can lead you to see things others miss. Don’t be afraid to feel like an outsider."
Philippe Botteri (PAR, SVO 98-06)
Partner, Accel
Forbes' Notable Deal Highlight: UiPath
"Venture is a cyclical market but technology innovation is not. I think generative AI and AI in general will continue to fuel innovation for the next decade, similar to the shift to cloud computing or the emergence of mobile as a computing platform. In the current environment, my primary focus is on technologies with a strong ROI impact for businesses and I believe AI will generate products and platform which will significantly boost enterprise productivity."
Jing Hong (BEI 98-05)
Founding Partner, Gaocheng Capital
Forbes' Notable Deal Highlight: Meituan
"The winter of capital often turns out to be the spring for those who persevere and stay focused."
Ann Miura-Ko (NYO, SVO 98-01)
Co-Founding Partner, Floodgate
Forbes' Notable Deal Highlight: StarkWare
"We founded Floodgate during the 2008 financial crisis, and for a few important reasons, a downturn is a great time to start investing. As a new investor, you will have more time than seasoned investors who face the demands of board seats and operating a fund. This higher capacity and clean slate is a competitive advantage, enabling you to take more meetings, engage in deeper diligence, and make faster decisions. Practice leveraging your fresh perspective to be controversial; in the long-term, the non-consensus and right businesses outperform the hot deals of the day, so learn how to be non-consensus."
Other alums who made the list
Roelof Botha (JOH 96-98)
Managing Partner, Sequoia
Forbes' Notable Deal Highlight: Unity Software
Marc Stad (LAN 01-03)
Founder And Managing Partner, Dragoneer Investment Group
Forbes' Notable Deal Highlight: Spotify
Allen Zhu (SHA 98-00)
Managing Director, GSR Ventures
Forbes' Notable Deal Highlight: DiDi Chuxing