U.S. Venture Partners

U.S. Venture Partners (USVP), is a venture capital investment firm headquartered on Sand Hill Road in Silicon Valley focusing on investments in an array of segments including semiconductors, software as a service, communications, storage, wireless, Internet 2.0, Cleantech, Medical devices and pharmaceuticals.

Since its inception USVP has invested more than $2.7 billion^[1] in over 450 companies^[1] across a broad range of industries. Seventy-four of these companies have completed an initial public offering.

History

Founded by Bill Bowes, Stuart Moldaw and Robert Sackman in 1981^[1], U.S. Venture Partners was an early entrant to the burgeoning venture capital industry in Silicon Valley in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Bill Bowes, who is the last remaining founding partner at USVP had worked as a venture capitalist prior to USVP working with companies including Cetus, Raychem Corporation and Dymo Industries. At USVP Bill led the firm's investments in Sun Microsystems, Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Applied Biosystems, Devices for Vascular Intervention, Glycomed and Ventritex. Bill was also the founding shareholder of Amgen and the company's first Chairman. He had previously worked for investment banking Blyth Eastman Dillon & Company and later Blyth Eastman Paine Webber from 1978 until 1980.

Stuart Moldaw was best known for founding Ross Dress for Less.^[2] Robert Sackman was best known for his role in the founding of Sun Microsystems

In 2008, USVP closed its $640m tenth fund (USVP X), which the firm currently investing out of.

Portfolio companies

The firm's current investment portfolio is active in a number of market segments including biopharmaceuticals, cleantech, enterprise applications, enterprise networks and storage, internet and consumer, medical devices, mobile computing and communications, semiconductors, technical software, telecommunications and 'other'.^[3]

• Biopharmaceuticals - Ascenta Therapeutics, Bayhill Therapeutics, Intellikine, Matritech, OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Proteolix Sanarus Medical, Solexa, Talima Therapeutics, Xoma (XOMA)

• Cleantech - Active-Semi, BPT Bio Pure Technology, CFX Battery, Redwood Systems, Solyndra

• Enterprise Applications - @Road (ARDI), BeVocal, Check Point Software(CHKP), ClickShift, Commerce5, Guidewire Software, Instantis, M-Factor, NetDynamics, ON24, RelayHealth, Right90, Sagent Technologies, Spoke Software, Trovix, Verity, X1 Technologies

• Enterprise Networks & Storage - 3ware, @Road, Akros Silicon, AMCC (AMCC), Asempra Technologies, Astute Networks, Blue Coat Systems (BSCI), Check Point Software (CHKP), CipherMax, CipherTrust, Determina, Force10 Networks, Gear6, Imperva, Intransa, Iomega, MegaPath Networks, MMC Networks, MontaVista Software, Nuance Communications, Redline Communications, SanDisk (SNDK), Sprout-Clustrix, Stratacom/Cisco (CSCO), VeriWave, Vontu, Xirrus, Xylan (ALU)

• Internet & Consumer - Adify, Ask Jeeves, Avenue A, Blekko, Blue Coat Systems (BSCI), Box.net, Commerce5, Dotomi, Factery, Hooked Media Group, LimeLife, Media6Degrees, Military Advantage, myYearbook, ON24, Piczo, Revolution Money Inc., Savings.com, SupplyFrame, Total Beauty, Winster, Zannel, Woodman Labs

• Medical Devices - Advanced Cardiovascular, Aerogen , Applied Biosystems (ABI), Aptus Endosystems, AtheroMed, AtriCure (ATRC), CardioKinetix, CryoVascular Systems, Devax, Ensure Medical, Genta (GNTA), Glycomed, GN ReSound, Ilypsa, Integrated Vascular Systems, Intersect ENT (formerly Sinexus), Intuity Medical, Lutonix, MicroHeart, MicroVention, SentreHEART, Sequent Medical, Simpirica Spine, Spectranetics (SPNC), St. Francis Medical Technologies, Synarc, Valeritas, Ventritex, Vical (VICL)

• Mobile Computing & Communications - 4INFO, Axiom Microdevices, Kleer, Micro Linear, MontaVista Software, Redline Communications, SanDisk (SNDK), SiBEAM, Sierra Monolithics, VeriWave

• Semiconductors - Active-Semi, Agility, Akros Silicon, Alchemy, AMCC (AMCC), Arradiance, Artisan Components, Astute Networks, Axiom Microdevices, Brion Technologies, Centillium Communications, Ciranova, Clear Shape Technologies, Dune Networks, Elantec, Forte Design Systems, Genus (GGNS), Headway Technologies, IC Works, Intermolecular, Kilopass Technology, Kleer, Leadis Technology (LDIS), MaxLinear, Mellanox Technologies (MLNX), Micro Linear, MMC Networks, Neoconix, NeoMagic (NMGC), New Focus, Optichron, Pivotal Systems, Ponte Solutions, SiBEAM, Sierra Monolithics, Silego Technology, Solyndra, Teknovus, Teranetics, T-RAM

• Technical Software - Artisan Components, Ciranova, Clear Shape Technologies, Electric Cloud, Forte Design Systems, Gear6, Headway Technologies, Klocwork, LVL7, MontaVista Software, Nuance Communications, Pivotal Systems, Ponte Solutions, Synfora, think3, ThreatMetrix, Trusteer

• Telecommunications - Agility, Alchemy, Crescendo Communications, Dilithium Networks, Harmonic Lightwaves (HLIT), Minerva Networks, New Focus, Occam Networks (OCNW), Redline Communications, StrataLight, Sun Microsystems, Teknovus

• Other - Callaway Golf (ELY), Fresh Choice, Object Reservoir, PetsMart (PETM), Photon Dynamics (PHTN)

Historical investments

Among the firm's most notable investments are Sun Microsystems, Callaway Golf, St. Francis Medical, Restoration Hardware, Ross Stores, Ask Jeeves, Adify, Revolution Money, PetSmart and SanDisk.

Other former portfolio companies include 3dfx Interactive, 3ware, Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Applied Micro Circuits Corporation (AMCC), Artisan Components, Avenue A, Blue Martini Software, Brion, CacheFlow, Cadmos, CardioThoracic Systems, Centillium, Checkpoint Software Technologies, Concur Technologies, Crescendo Communications, Cryovascular, EPIC Design Technology, GetThere, Gymboree, Ilypsa, Leadis Technology, Lynx, Mellanox, MMC Networks, Microvention, NeoMagic, NetDynamics, Netro, New Focus, Nuance, PDF Solutions, QuickLogic, Rasna, Sagent Technologies, StrataCom, TelCom Semiconductor, Trovix, Ventritex, Verity, Vical, Vontu, Xylan.

Notes

External links

• U.S. Venture Partners (company website)