Bessemer
Bessemer
Description
Bessemer Venture Partners is a leading global VC firm with over 140 years of history, investing $25M+ per opportunity across seed to growth stages in cloud, AI, and marketplace startups. With 100+ IPOs and the iconic Bessemer Cloud 100 ranking, Bessemer offers deep expertise in scaling enterprise software businesses. In 2025, Bessemer closed $1B for BVP Forge II (seed) and $350M for India Fund II, deploying over $1 billion in AI-native startups since 2023.
2025/2026 Focus: Bessemer is all-in on AI transformation, with AI companies now representing 42% of Cloud 100 value ($464B). The firm launched Founders Garage (SF-based AI incubator with Twilio founder Jeff Lawson) and Bessemer Beam (pre-incubator for academic AI founders). Their "Atlas" platform provides portfolio companies with the famous roadmap methodology, Cloud 100 community, functional experts, and executive coaching.
For ZHC builders, Bessemer offers patient capital, extensive SaaS expertise, and unique value through Atlas resources. They particularly excel at helping companies with go-to-market strategy, scaling sales operations, and navigating from seed to IPO. Strong preference for technical founding teams building B2B SaaS, developer tools, and AI-native products.
Eligibility
Investment Focus (2025/2026)
AI & Cloud Infrastructure (Primary Focus)
- AI foundation models and platforms (OpenAI, Anthropic portfolio)
- Developer AI tooling (Cursor portfolio - reached $100M ARR in 1.5 years)
- AI infrastructure and compute
- Cloud data platforms (Databricks, Snowflake historical)
- MLOps and AI deployment tools
B2B SaaS & Enterprise Software
- Cloud infrastructure and SaaS platforms
- Developer tools and infrastructure
- Sales, marketing, and CX platforms
- Security and compliance software
- HR tech and workforce management
- Vertical SaaS (healthcare, fintech, logistics)
Fintech & Marketplaces (Selective)
- B2B payments and financial infrastructure
- Marketplace platforms (end-to-end models preferred)
- Consumer fintech (selective opportunities)
Healthcare IT
- Digital health platforms
- Healthcare AI and automation
- Virtual care and telemedicine (Hinge Health IPO 2025)
Stage Preferences
Seed Stage ($1M-$5M)
- Founders Garage incubator (quarterly cohorts)
- Bessemer Beam pre-incubator (academic founders)
- Technical founding teams with unique insight
- Early product-market fit signals
Series A/B ($5M-$25M)
- Proven product-market fit
- $1M-$10M ARR with strong retention
- Clear path to $100M ARR (Centaur status)
- Technical moats and differentiation
Growth Stage ($25M+)
- $10M+ ARR with path to IPO
- Scaling organizations (100+ employees)
- Market leadership in category
- Strong unit economics
2025 AI Startup Benchmarks
Bessemer has defined two AI startup archetypes:
AI Supernovas (Explosive Growth)
- Year 1: ~$40M ARR
- Year 2: ~$125M ARR
- 1.5 years to $100M ARR on average
- Gross margins: ~25% (often negative initially)
- ARR/FTE: $1.13M (4-5x SaaS benchmark)
- High risk, high reward profile
AI Shooting Stars (Sustainable Growth - Preferred)
- Year 1: ~$3M ARR
- Year 2: ~$12M ARR
- Year 3: ~$40M ARR
- Year 4: ~$103M ARR
- 4 years to $100M ARR (Q2T3 growth: quadruple, quadruple, triple, triple, triple)
- Gross margins: ~60%
- ARR/FTE: $164K
- Strong retention and customer love
ZHC-Specific Fit
✅ Excellent for:
- AI-native B2B SaaS companies
- Developer tools and infrastructure platforms
- Enterprise software with technical moats
- Marketplace businesses with network effects
- Technical founding teams (engineers, PhDs)
- Companies targeting $100M+ ARR within 5-7 years
- Businesses aligned with Cloud 100 sectors
❌ Poor fit if:
- Pure hardware without software layer
- Services/consulting business model
- Non-technical founding team
- Consumer products outside marketplace model
- No clear path to enterprise scale
- Geographic focus outside US/India/Israel (primary markets)
Application Process
Investment Process (2025/2026)
Typical Timeline: 4-8 weeks
| Stage | Timeline | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | — | Via portfolio, mutual connections, or direct outreach |
| Initial meetings | 1-2 weeks | Team assessment, market opportunity evaluation |
| Due diligence | 2-3 weeks | Market analysis, product review, customer references |
| Partner presentations | 1-2 weeks | Multiple partner meetings and internal advocacy |
| Investment committee | 1 week | Final decision and terms discussion |
| Term sheet | 1 week | Negotiation and agreement |
| Close | 2-4 weeks | Legal documentation and funding |
Investment Size Ranges
Seed Investments
- $1M-$5M initial check
- Reserves for follow-on rounds
- Founders Garage: equity + SF workspace + community
- Bessemer Beam: pre-seed capital + incubation
Series A/B
- $5M-$25M initial investment
- Lead or co-lead position
- Board seat typically included
- Full Atlas platform access
Growth Rounds
- $25M+ investments
- Can invest across all stages
- Flexible on ownership percentage
- Focus on category leaders
Atlas Platform (Unique Value Add)
All portfolio companies receive:
Roadmap Methodology
- 10-stage framework from idea to IPO
- Benchmarking data across Cloud 100
- Stage-specific best practices and playbooks
Cloud 100 Community
- Annual ranking and recognition
- Network of top cloud CEOs
- Investor attention and credibility
- Recruiting advantage
Functional Expertise
- Sales strategy and GTM planning
- Marketing and demand generation
- Product development best practices
- Customer success optimization
Executive Resources
- Executive coaching and mentorship
- Leadership development programs
- Portfolio company summits (quarterly)
- Peer learning and collaboration
Talent & Recruiting
- Executive search support
- Technical recruiting assistance
- Compensation benchmarking
- Culture and hiring playbooks
Customer Introductions
- Enterprise customer connections
- Strategic partnership facilitation
- Channel partner introductions
Follow-on Capital
- Strong reserves for follow-on rounds
- $1B+ in dry powder across funds
- Commitment to supporting through IPO
2025 Incubator Programs
Founders Garage (San Francisco)
- Quarterly cohorts of AI founders
- Collaborative SF workspace (with Jeff Lawson)
- Early-stage capital and mentorship
- Community of builders and operators
- Demo days and investor connections
Bessemer Beam (Pre-Incubator)
- For academics with breakthrough ideas
- Research-to-startup transition support
- Technical validation and customer discovery
- Founding team formation assistance
- Path to Founders Garage or Series A
Success Factors for Raising from Bessemer
Technical Credibility
- Deep technical expertise in founding team
- Unique technical insight or breakthrough
- Strong engineering culture and talent density
Market Opportunity
- Large, growing market ($1B+ TAM)
- Clear category definition or creation
- Alignment with Cloud 100 sectors
Product-Market Fit Signals
- Strong customer retention (90%+ NRR for SaaS)
- Rapid growth with efficient CAC payback
- Customer love and referenceability
Founder Quality
- Technical background strongly preferred
- Prior startup experience (founder or early employee)
- Deep domain expertise
- Ambitious vision and execution ability
Competitive Positioning
- Defensible moats (technical, network, or data)
- Unique approach to established market
- First-mover advantage in new category
Contact
Official Resources
- Bessemer Venture Partners
- Portfolio Companies
- Atlas Platform
- Cloud 100
- State of AI 2025
- Cloud 100 Benchmarks 2025
Social & Updates
Key Partners to Know (2025)
AI & Infrastructure
- Kent Bennett (Partner, AI infrastructure)
- Talia Goldberg (Partner, AI applications)
- Janelle Teng (Partner, AI platforms)
- Sameer Dholakia (Partner, enterprise AI)
Enterprise & SaaS
- Byron Deeter (Partner, Cloud 100 lead)
- Elliott Robinson (Partner, healthcare)
- Mike Droesch (Partner, developer tools)
Seed & Early Stage
- Lauri Moore (Partner, Founders Garage)
- Caty Rea (Investor, early-stage AI)
India
- Vishal Gupta (Partner, India lead)
- Anant Vidur Puri (Partner, India)
Israel
- Adam Fisher (Partner, Israel lead)
Recent Notable Investments (2025)
- Cursor (Anysphere) - AI code editor, $100M ARR in 1.5 years
- Anthropic - AI foundation model, Cloud 100 #2
- OpenAI (observer) - AI platform, Cloud 100 #1
- Multiple undisclosed AI infrastructure and tooling companies
Notable Exits (2024-2025)
- Hinge Health IPO (NYSE: HNGE, May 2025)
- Urban Company IPO (NSE: URBANCO, Sept 2025)
- StubHub IPO (NYSE: STUB, Sept 2025)
- SmarterDx acquired by New Mountain Capital (May 2025)
- Melio Payments acquired by Xero Limited (June 2025)
- NephroPlus IPO (NSE: NEPHROPLUS, Dec 2025)