| Jim Breyer | |
|---|---|
| Born | New Haven, Connecticut |
| Education | Stanford University (BS) Harvard University (MBA) |
| Occupation | Venture capitalist/Investor |
| Employer | Accel Partners |
| Website | |
| Profile at Accel Partners | |
James W. Breyer is a partner of Accel Partners, President of Accel Management Company, and founder/CEO of Breyer Capital (a global diversified investment firm). He has been a lead or co-lead investor in over thirty consumer internet, media, and technology companies that have completed public offerings or successful mergers. In April 2011, the Forbes Midas List of investors ranked Jim Breyer #1,[1] and in August, 2010, Fortune Magazine named Breyer one of the 10 smartest people in technology, and the smartest investor in technology. [2]
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Breyer graduated with highest distinction from Stanford University in 1983, receiving a BS degree with a double-major in computer science and economics. He spent his junior year abroad in Florence, Italy. The winter after his junior year at Stanford and during his senior year, he worked in product management at Apple Inc. After Stanford, Breyer worked as a management consultant for McKinsey & Co., in New York. Later, he earned an MBA from Harvard University, where he was named a Baker Scholar.
Breyer has been an investor in over thirty consumer Internet, media, and technology companies that have completed public offerings or successful mergers, including Actuate, Agile Software, BBN Technologies[3] (aka Raytheon),[4] Centillion (acquired by Bay Networks), Collabra/America On-line, Foundry Networks, Hyperion Solutions/Oracle, Macromedia, Maven Networks/Yahoo!, Real Networks, RedBack Networks, and Walmart.com.
Breyer is on the Board of Directors of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc,[5] where he is the Lead/Presiding Independent Director, and Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee. He also served on the Board of Marvel Entertainment [6] up until their acquisition by Disney,[7] where he was the founding Chairman of the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee. He also serves on the board of Dell Inc.,[8] where he is Chair of Leadership Development and Compensation Committee. In October 2011, he was elected to News Corporation's board with over 98% of the shareholder vote.[9]
Breyer is an investor/board member of privately held companies Brightcove,[10] Etsy [11] (since 2007), Facebook[12] (since April 2005), Global Grind, Legendary Pictures[13] and Vostu.[14] In each of these cases, he was either the first or among the first venture capital investors in the company. Breyer is also on the Strategic Investment Committee/Board of Accel-KKR, IDG-Accel China Fund, and Facebook Seed Fund. In the case of Facebook, Breyer led Accel’s $12.7 million investment in April 2005, and also invested his own money in the company. At that time, Facebook had "a near $100 million valuation."[15] In early 2011, the imputed valuation of Facebook moved up to $50 billion in a transaction with Goldman Sachs.[16]
Accel is also a backer of Groupon,[15] which in late 2010 turned down a purchase offer from Google for $6 billion. In early 2011 Groupon was talking about an initial public offering which would value the company at $15 billion.[17]
Breyer is the former chairman of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA),[18] a former president of the Western Association of Venture Capitalists, and on the Board of the Associates of the Harvard Business School, Pacific Community Ventures, Stanford Technology Ventures Program, Technet, and a trustee of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA),[18] and of The Menlo School.[19] He is a minority owner of the Boston Celtics.[20] Breyer is chairman of the Stanford Engineering Venture Fund,[21] former chairman of the Harvard Business School California Research Center, and is the former chairman of the Silicon Valley region committee for Stanford University's Campaign for Undergraduate Education. He is also a member of various World Economic Forum committees, and a member of the Lead Director Network. In December 2005, Breyer was appointed an honorary professor at the 1,000 year-old Yuelu Academy, Hunan University, China. Breyer is also the chief executive officer of Breyer Capital, a venture capital and investment firm.
On September 2, 2011, it was announced that Breyer had been nominated to serve on the board of News Corporation.[22]
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