Crosslink Capital

Crosslink Capital has a split personality that it has kept for decades. It is an early-stage venture firm that writes seed and Series A checks. It also runs a public markets team. The firm started in San Francisco in 1989 and now lists its office on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, at the Stanford end of the venture corridor. Founders often know it through Alpha, an invite-only network that the firm calls its main advantage.

This profile is a neutral explainer for founders and readers. It uses Crosslink's website, read in November 2026, plus published history. Figures come from the firm unless we say otherwise. Our venture capital guide covers the basics of how funds work.

Founding in 1989

Crosslink's homepage says simply "1989, founded in San Francisco." Michael Stark appears on the team page as a partner and founder. Wikipedia and older business directories also name Seymour Kaufman as a founder. Over the years the firm became known for pairing venture investing with an asset management business in public equities, especially fast-growing technology companies after their IPOs.

The firm's San Francisco roots still show. Its main phone number has a 415 area code. Wikipedia lists an older headquarters address at Embarcadero Center in San Francisco. The firm's own contact page is now unambiguous: "Crosslink Capital is located in Menlo Park, California."

The Sand Hill Road office

Crosslink's contact page lists one address: 2180 Sand Hill Road, Suite 200, Menlo Park, CA. The 2100 block sits toward the eastern end of the office stretch, on the Stanford side. Neighbors listed on our Sand Hill Road guide include Khosla Ventures at 2128 and Lightspeed Venture Partners at 2200. The busier office parks around 3000 Sand Hill Road are about a mile farther west by the freeway.

As with every firm on the road, the office is a private workplace in a low-rise building with surface parking. Visitors come by appointment only.

The location says something about the firm's shift. For years Crosslink was one of the San Francisco firms that founders visited downtown. A Sand Hill Road address puts its partners minutes from Stanford, Palo Alto and the many seed-stage companies that start in the dorms, labs and garages nearby. It also puts them next door to the larger firms that often lead the rounds after a Series A, which helps when partners line up the next investor for a portfolio company.

Stage, check sizes and sectors

The highlights panel on Crosslink's homepage gives clear terms:

• Stage: seed and Series A.
• Initial investment: $1 million to $9 million.
• Geography: investments across North America.
• Assets: $3.4 billion under management.
• Track record: more than 50 exits, including 17 IPOs.

The homepage describes the portfolio as "market disrupters across highly dynamic enterprise and consumer sectors." Recent portfolio news on the site shows the range. In August 2026 Yardstik, a workforce screening company, announced a $30 million Series B. In September 2026 Intermezzo said it raised $10 million to build AI-native global payroll. In October 2026 a startup called Evos announced funding to serve industrial businesses.

Public markets team

The team page links to a separate public-market investment team. Running public funds lets a firm hold or add to positions after a portfolio company lists. It also gives early-stage partners a view of how public investors value companies, which can shape advice on when to raise and how to price a round. Our page on secondaries and tender offers covers the late-stage side of startup ownership.

Alpha, the founder network

Crosslink calls Alpha "our primary differentiator." It is an invite-only community the firm founded in 2005 for founders, chief executives, investors and technology leaders. The firm describes it this way:

• Members: more than 2,000.
• Cities: seven, named as New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Toronto, Boston and Chicago.
• Formats: roundtable dinners of about 15 people, quarterly cocktail events in each city and summits including an annual founders' summit.
• Frequency: the Alpha page gives both "40+ events per year" and 60 events a year in different places. Either way, it is a busy calendar.

The point of Alpha, in Crosslink's words, is a private setting where leaders "can speak candidly." For portfolio founders it is a ready-made peer group. For founders not yet in the portfolio it is a possible way to meet the partners informally, if someone in the network invites you. Our page on where founders meet lists open events around Palo Alto.

Well known portfolio companies

Crosslink's homepage features founders and former chief executives from its portfolio. The companies named there include:

Coupa, ServiceMax, Vungle and Personal Capital appear with former chief executives, a sign that those companies have since been acquired or taken private. Chime, the consumer banking company, is the best known current name. These are the companies Crosslink chooses to feature. As with any firm, many investments do not work out.

How founders approach Crosslink

Crosslink publishes no application form. Its contact page lists the office address and phone number. The team page names the investment team, which in November 2026 included partners Matt Bigge, Eric Chin, Gabby Contro, David Silverman and Michael Stark, plus venture partners and entrepreneurs in residence. A sensible approach:

1. Confirm you fit the stage. Crosslink leads or joins seed and Series A rounds. A later growth round is likely too big.
2. Read recent portfolio news to see which partners are active in your area.
3. Ask a founder from the portfolio, or an Alpha member you know, for an introduction.
4. Prepare a crisp story about the problem, early traction and what the round will prove before the next raise.

For more on preparation, see our guides to pitching investors and seed and pre-seed funds.

Local notes: getting there, food and parking

There is no train station on Sand Hill Road. On weekdays Stanford's free Marguerite shuttle S line runs from the Palo Alto Transit Center, beside the Caltrain station, along Sand Hill Road. Marguerite main lines do not run on weekends. Rideshare is quick from downtown Palo Alto or Menlo Park. A bike lane runs along much of the road, though traffic moves fast near the freeway. Visitor parking is at the office. Use only the spaces you are given.

For food, three spots are close by:

• Sharon Heights Shopping Center at 325 Sharon Park Drive, up the hill, has a supermarket and coffee. Our Sharon Heights guide describes it.
• Stanford Shopping Center, at the bottom of Sand Hill Road by El Camino Real, has many restaurants and cafes.
• Rosewood Sand Hill, at 2825 Sand Hill Road, has Madera for breakfast or dinner plus a bar, a classic setting for investor meetings.

Frequently asked questions