Lightspeed Venture Partners

Lightspeed Venture Partners was born at an awkward moment. Its founders started the firm in 2000, just as the dot-com boom turned to bust. A quarter century later it describes itself as a multi-stage firm that backs companies from seed to late rounds, with offices across the United States, Europe, Israel, India and Southeast Asia. In December 2025 it closed the largest raise in its history.

This profile is a neutral explainer for visitors and founders. It is based on Lightspeed's website and reporting from TechCrunch, The Real Deal and other outlets, with fund sizes tied to dated sources. For background on how venture funds work, see our venture capital guide.

Founding in 2000

Lightspeed's founders came from Weiss, Peck and Greer, an investment firm with a venture practice. They had met at Stanford. They set up Lightspeed as an independent firm in 2000 and focused at first on enterprise technology and consumer internet companies. The firm's website lists Barry Eggers, Ravi Mhatre and Peter Nieh as co-founders. Christopher Schaepe was also among the founding partners.

Starting a fund during a crash had one advantage. Valuations fell. The companies that survived the downturn were often stronger for it. Lightspeed's first big wins came from enterprise infrastructure companies founded in the early and mid 2000s.

Notable deals

Lightspeed often leads early rounds, then keeps investing as companies grow. The table lists some of its best known investments, with the round it led where that is reported.

Snap

The Snap deal is the one most people know. Lightspeed invested in 2012, about a year after Snapchat launched and was the first venture firm to do so. When Snap went public in 2017, Lightspeed was among its largest shareholders.

The AI era

Lightspeed has invested heavily in artificial intelligence. In its December 2025 fundraising announcement, as reported by TechCrunch, the firm named Anthropic, xAI, Databricks, Mistral, Glean, Abridge and Skild AI among its AI holdings and said it had backed 165 AI-native companies. It also pointed to recent public listings by Rubrik, Netskope and Navan.

Funds and size

Lightspeed raises several funds at once, each with a different job: early-stage venture, growth investing through its Select funds and opportunity funds for follow-on checks in its strongest companies. A few dated milestones:

• April 2020: $4.2 billion across three funds.
• 2022: about $7.1 billion across four funds. Lightspeed India separately closed a $500 million early-stage fund.
• December 2025: $9 billion across six funds, the largest raise in the firm's history, including a $3.3 billion opportunity fund.

Total assets under management are reported inconsistently across sources, so we have not given a single figure. Check the firm's own announcements for the latest numbers.

A global firm with separate entities

Lightspeed went abroad early. It opened its first international office in Tel Aviv in 2006 and started an India practice in 2008. A Singapore office followed in 2022. Its website now lists teams in the United States, Europe, Israel, India and Southeast Asia.

The structure matters for founders. According to the website, the U.S., Europe and Israel offices belong to Lightspeed Management Company, while India and Southeast Asia are run by Lightspeed India Partners. The two are separate advisory entities. A founder in India should talk to the India team rather than the Menlo Park office. The reverse holds for U.S. founders.

Offices as published

Lightspeed's website lists three U.S. offices:

1. Silicon Valley: 2200 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park
2. San Francisco: 2 South Park Street, Floor 2
3. New York: 799 Broadway, 2nd Floor

In May 2026 the San Francisco Business Times and The Real Deal reported that Lightspeed had signed a 12-year lease for more than 43,000 square feet at 149 New Montgomery Street in San Francisco, to serve as a new headquarters. The reports said the firm would keep a presence at 2200 Sand Hill Road. It was not clear whether it would keep the South Park office. The move reflects a wider shift, as several large firms now split their Bay Area time between Menlo Park and the city.

Who is there

Lightspeed has a large team. Its website lists dozens of investors in the United States alone, plus venture and operating partners and specialists in areas such as legal, finance and marketing. Ravi Mhatre is listed as partner and co-founder. Barry Eggers and Peter Nieh are listed as co-founders. The team page can be filtered by location and sector, which is the quickest way for a founder to find the right partner.

Lightspeed timeline

1. 2000: The firm is founded.
2. 2006: It opens its first international office, in Tel Aviv.
3. 2008: It starts its India practice.
4. 2012: It becomes Snapchat's first venture investor.
5. 2017: Snap goes public.
6. 2020: It raises $4.2 billion across three funds.
7. 2022: It raises about $7.1 billion and opens in Singapore.
8. 2025: It raises $9 billion across six funds.
9. 2026: Reports say it has leased a new San Francisco headquarters.

Visiting and getting a meeting

As with every firm in this guide, the offices are private and meetings are by appointment. The best introductions come from founders Lightspeed has backed or from angels and lawyers who know the partner. Read the partner's recent investments and writing before you reach out. Our guide to pitching investors covers the process and our venture capital glossary explains the jargon.

Founders who fly in usually stay in downtown Palo Alto or Menlo Park. Compare hotels near Sand Hill Road or see our where to stay guide. If you have meetings in both Menlo Park and San Francisco, a rental car gives you more control than rideshare. Our getting around guide covers the shuttle and other options.

Frequently asked questions