This piece argues that the core driver of growth-stage venture returns is the founder’s ability to spot and act on non-obvious tech opportunities indefinitely. VCs succeed by finding those rare, high-growth founders, giving them freedom and resources, and staying “in the car” for as long as needed.

Andreessen Horowitz is launching initiatives to deepen partnerships with allied nations, support its portfolio companies’ international growth, and attract new strategic investors. They’ve appointed Anne Neuberger to lead global technology and policy efforts, Raghu Raghuram to help growth companies scale abroad, and Jen Kha to build overseas partnerships, while continuing to fund top startups worldwide.

a16z is rolling out a structured program to help its growth-stage portfolio enter key international markets by adapting its US playbooks for regions like Japan, Korea, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America. The firm will open new offices, leverage its talent and go-to-market teams, and build localized networks to guide founders through market-specific strategies rather than ad-hoc deals.

a16z has rebranded its Investor Relations arm as Global Partnerships to connect founders and LPs with sovereign, institutional, and strategic capital worldwide. The team will broker cross-border deals, engage governments and large investors, and help startups scale internationally from day one.

Andreessen Horowitz has led a $55 million Series A round in Town, an AI-powered personal assistant that integrates with tools like email, calendar, Slack and docs to learn your workflow and proactively suggest or execute tasks. Founded by ex-Plaid/Dropbox CTO Jean-Denis Greze and ex-Google/Dropbox product lead Tony, Town aims to turn raw AI intelligence into practical leverage by holding deep, ongoing context and automating follow-ups, scheduling and other messy operational work.

a16z has announced a significant $15 billion fundraising round, bringing its total assets under management to over $90 billion. The article delves into the firm’s history, investment strategies, and its approach to venture capital, emphasizing its unique positioning and the skepticism it has faced over the years.