Vinod Khosla to Headline Disrupt SF 2014 with Bold VC Insights
TechCrunch is thrilled to announce that Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures and Silicon Valley icon, will return as a featured speaker at Disrupt SF 2014. Known for his unfiltered perspectives on venture capital, Khosla previously made waves by stating that 70-80% of VCs add ‘negative value’ to startups—a claim that reshaped industry conversations.
Why Khosla’s Appearance Matters
- Contrarian Views: Challenges conventional VC wisdom with data-driven critiques
- Track Record: Founding CEO of Sun Microsystems and Kleiner Perkins partner
- Investment Philosophy: Focuses on high-impact sectors like cleantech alongside traditional tech
Khosla Ventures’ Diverse Portfolio
The firm backs disruptive innovators across multiple sectors:
- Fintech: Stripe (online payments)
- Smart Home: Canary (security systems)
- HR Tech: HackerRank (technical recruiting)
- Mobility: Summon (Uber/Lyft compe*****)
- Food Tech: SCiO (molecular scanner) and Instacart (grocery delivery)
Commitment to Cleantech Against Market Trends
While biofuel investments decline industry-wide, Khosla maintains conviction:
- $50M total investment in KiOR, Inc. (\(25M personal + \)25M firm)
- $15M Series B in BioConsortia (agricultural biotech)
- $60M Series D in LanzaTech NZ (bio-ethanol)
From Sun Microsystems to Venture Visionary
Khosla’s career spans:
- Co-founded Daisy Systems (EDA pioneer)
- Founding CEO of Sun Microsystems (acquired by Oracle)
- General Partner at Kleiner Perkins
- Currently manages KP X funds alongside Khosla Ventures
What to Expect at Disrupt SF 2014
Attendees can anticipate:
- Unvarnished takes on VC industry effectiveness
- Analysis of emerging tech investment trends
- Lessons from decades of startup building and funding
Khosla joins an elite speaker lineup including Peter Thiel, Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, and Marc Benioff. Disrupt SF 2014 tickets and sponsorship opportunities remain available for those seeking front-row access to these critical tech conversations.
Anthony Domanico contributed to this report.
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