The multi-faceted nature of A16Z

Good morning! Today we look at how one of the most recognizable names in Silicon Valley investing is not only shaping the narrative of tech through big checks, but through its growing media presence.

           Photo Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photos: Kimberly White (Stringer), Brad Barket (Stringer)/Getty Images

Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z for those in the know, might be the closest any investment firm has gotten to being a household name. The VC investor turned Registered Investment Adviser (in order to take “riskier” bets) has often taken a heavy-handed approach toward grooming, growing, and blowing up their investment companies, as investees put it, acting as a “batphone” and “superpower” for startups. 

Is all press good press?

Since its inception, a16z has been a dependable source of opinions (preferably scathing ones) for media outlets and on Twitter. After years of maintaining open lines and even dinner-party familiarity with journalists, the firm is now recoiling after journalists have apparently bit the hand that fed them, narrating a less than flattering portrayal of tech’s trap door of innovation (e.g., Elizabeth Holmes' swindling of Theranos, Cambridge Analytica and Facebook). 

Media and A16Z

The company has been growing its team, specifically in content and media, bringing on such industry stalwarts as Maggie Leung, as executive editor with 20+ years in daily news. Meanwhile, their growing media presence in blogging, podcasting, and newsletters has led to accusations that they are trying to supplant the traditional media outlets who might have written unfavorably about them. Ultimately, a16z sees itself as a dedicated space to explain and track the future, which, as its tagline “software is eating the world” suggests, is a future defined by tech. 

“a16z is a media company that monetizes through VC” -- former a16z partner

Here are 5 recent funding rounds in which the firm participated:

• Workrise, a workforce software for construction, raised a $300MM Round E 
• Loom, a workplace tool for sharing screen recordings, raised a $130MM Round C 
• Maven, a platform for cohort-based courses, raised a $20MM Round A 
• Forte Labs, a blockchain-based gaming platform, raised a $185MM Round B 
• Memora Health, a telehealth platform, raised a $10.5MM equity round