Benchmark Capital, an early-stage technology venture capital firm, has appointed Michael Wolfe as an entrepreneur-in-residence.
This is the second time Wolfe (pictured) has been an entrepreneur-in-residence at Benchmark.
His last Benchmark-backed company, Vontu, was acquired by Symantec in 2007. After the Vontu acquisition, Wolfe served Symantec in a broader role as chief technology officer for the company’s enterprise product group.
"Benchmark is entirely dedicated to the entrepreneur’s success, and they act on that by making substantial investments in the people they work with," says Wolfe. "That commitment, and the structure of the firm as an equal partnership, puts their focus on their investments and maximizes the entrepreneur’s ability to achieve. I’m pleased with the opportunity to return to Benchmark."
Wolfe co-founded Vontu in 2001 while he was at Benchmark. He was first introduced to Benchmark when he was at Kana, a company that was backed by Benchmark and went public in 1999. Prior to joining Kana, Wolfe was the founding engineer at I/PRO, an internet media startup acquired by Engage in 1999. He began his career as an analyst at Goldman Sachs, where he built equity derivative trading and analytic solutions.
"Michael possesses a rare combination of technical depth and management ability. Not only can he invent important products, but he can also run the operations needed to support them. And he’s done it successfully three consecutive times," says Kevin Harvey, general partner, Benchmark Capital. "We’re thrilled to welcome him back to Benchmark."
