Bill Gurley

Overview

Bill Gurley is a seasoned venture capitalist with over two decades of experience in the technology sector. He is best known for his early investment in Uber Technologies Inc., where he led an $11 million funding round in 2011, significantly contributing to the company's growth and eventual IPO. His investment portfolio also includes notable companies such as GrubHub, Nextdoor, OpenTable, Stitch Fix, and Zillow Group. Gurley joined Benchmark Capital in 1999, serving as a general partner and playing a pivotal role in the firm's success. Before his venture capital career, Gurley was a top-ranked research analyst on Wall Street, including three years at CS First Boston. He also worked as the lead analyst on Amazon's IPO. Prior to his finance career, he was a computer engineer at Compaq in Houston. Gurley holds a Bachelor of Science in computer science from the University of Florida and an MBA from the University of Texas. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst. In April 2020, Gurley stepped back from an active role at Benchmark, signaling a transition in his career. Despite this, he continues to serve on several boards, including Zillow Group, where he was reappointed in January 2024. He maintains a blog called 'Above the Crowd,' focusing on the evolution and economics of high-technology businesses, and is active on Twitter under the handle @bgurley.

Investment Focus

• Strong leadership
• Innovative business models
• Scalable growth potential

Portfolio Companies