Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), founded in 2009 by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, is one of Silicon Valley's defining venture firms — stage-agnostic, organised into specialised verticals (AI infrastructure, apps, games, crypto, bio+health, American Dynamism), each with dedicated expert teams rather than generalist partners. In January 2026 Reuters reported the firm raised $15B across five funds — its largest fundraise ever — taking assets under management past $90B.

Investment thesis

a16z backs "bold founders" from inception through growth, with each practice area running its own funds and operator networks — for example $1.25B for Infrastructure and $1B for Apps in the April 2024 close. Sectors span AI/ML infrastructure, consumer and enterprise apps, fintech, gaming, crypto and web3, bio+health and aerospace and defence.

India engagement

a16z's first Indian investment was CoinSwitch Kuber's $260M Series C, co-led with Coinbase Ventures in October 2021; other verified Indian names include Plutus Labs and BlueStacks. The firm is courting early-stage Indian AI and SaaS founders serving global clients, with General Partner Anish Acharya reported in October 2025 as leading the India effort. Note: a16z publicly denied plans for an India office as "fake news" — it is not running an India-dedicated fund or office, and founders pitch through the firm's standard partner channels.

Notable portfolio (global)

Facebook, Airbnb, Coinbase, Slack, OpenAI, Figma, GitHub and Databricks — a portfolio that has repeatedly defined technology eras.

Programmes

The a16z Crypto Startup Accelerator invests $500K for around 7% equity, and SPEEDRUN puts $750K into gaming startups — both relevant to Indian founders in those verticals. Beyond capital, the firm's "American Dynamism" and sector practices maintain deep operator networks — former founders and executives who work with portfolio companies on hiring, enterprise sales and regulation — which is a meaningful part of the a16z pitch versus a purely financial VC.

How to engage

Pitch via the firm's standard outreach to partners and through founder networks; selection is partner-led. Indian founders should target the practice partner closest to their vertical — AI infrastructure, apps or crypto — and note that the firm's India interest centres on globally ambitious, early-stage teams.

Why it matters for founders

a16z brings Silicon Valley's deepest operator bench and a brand that opens every door in the US. For Indian AI and SaaS founders building for global markets, it is increasingly accessible — but you need to be genuinely world-class, because that is the bar its partners apply everywhere.