Andreessen Horowitz’s Quiet Accelerator Woos New Founders
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From bloomberg.com: What if the next big startup is born from a lavish party at a $63 million mansion? In the opulent courtyard of Paris Hilton’s Beverly Park estate, around 150 guests mingled, sipping cocktails and enjoying sushi. But this wasn’t just another Hollywood bash; it was a networking night for Speedrun, a fresh startup accelerator backed by the venture capital powerhouse Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z. This event marks a pivotal shift for a16z, which has typically invested in startups with proven traction. Now, with Speedrun, they’re diving into pre-seed investing, aiming to rival the legendary Y Combinator. Unlike Y Combinator’s scrappy, tech-focused vibe, Speedrun seeks to attract a more creative crowd, blending innovation with flair. This new approach could reshape the startup landscape, as a16z positions itself as the trendier alternative for emerging entrepreneurs. Will this strategy yield the next unicorn? Learn more about this at bloomberg.com.
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Read Original →A few weeks ago, about 150 people gathered in the courtyard of Paris Hilton’s $63 million chateau-style mansion in the Los Angeles enclave of Beverly Park. They sipped cocktails, picked at poolside sushi and played poker while a DJ mixed beats. What looked like a Hollywood soiree was, in fact, a networking night for participants and alumni of Speedrun, the relatively unknown startup accelerator run by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. The celebration in SoCal signals a new approach for Andreessen Horowitz, often called a16z. The firm has traditionally waited until startups had some traction before writing checks. With Speedrun, it’s making a foray into pre-seed investing, positioning itself as a cool younger sibling to Y Combinator, the two-decade-old Silicon Valley institution that helped launch companies like Stripe Inc., Airbnb Inc. and Instacart Inc. But where Y Combinator has long been defined by overnight hackathons and scrappy nerds, Speedrun is targeting a more creative demographic.