megafunds

also referred to as: mega fund · mega funds

15 statements across 9 episodes · 3 bullish · 7 bearish · 8 people on the record · first statement Aug 23, 2023 by Rick Zullo · across every show →

Everything said about megafunds, oldest first

Aug 23, 2023 negative
Insight
Zullo: Mega funds have no financial incentive to salvage struggling startups
“The salvage value and loss management really doesn't matter at those funds.”
Rick Zullo Aug 23, 2023 ▶ 20:50 Jason Lemkin & Rick Zullo: How "Mark to Market" Corrupted Venture Capital | E1052 · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
Aug 23, 2023 bullish
Prediction Partly held up
Lemkin: Venture mega funds will resurge in late 2024 and 2025
“I think they're going to reflate at the end of next year. I think there will be a resurgence of mega funds in late 2024 and 20 25.”
Jason Lemkin Aug 23, 2023 ▶ 5:44 Jason Lemkin & Rick Zullo: How "Mark to Market" Corrupted Venture Capital | E1052 · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
Jul 24, 2024 negative
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Lemkin: VC mega-funds derive 40% to 50% of revenue from fees
“Mega funds are all in the business of raising funds every two to three years. And can you stretch it to four? Sure. Right? And these are funds that get 40 to 50% of their revenue from fees”
Jason Lemkin Jul 24, 2024 ▶ 16:14 Jason Lemkin: Crowdstrike, WTF Happens From Here? Wiz Rejects Google’s $23BN Acquisition Offer|E1181 · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
Apr 17, 2025 positive
Insight
O'Driscoll: Longer private lifecycles drive sustained demand for megafunds
“I mean, I think the biggest thing they have in their favor Is the fact that so many companies are staying private for longer, right? Which by definition means more need for capital, right? Which by definition means if you have that capital, you should be able …”
Rory O'Driscoll Apr 17, 2025 ▶ 26:20 a16z's $20BN Fund & Founders Fund's $4.6BN & Why Josh Kushner Has Mastered the Game · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
Apr 17, 2025 positive
Insight
O'Driscoll: Megafunds with forgiving LPs should pursue late-stage investing over seed
“If you have access to capital that's large and forgiving, which is what these mega funds have, then you should play the big balls game. Cause you're exactly right. You don't do it. You have to do less work. If it works great, you make out the same as Jason who…”
Rory O'Driscoll Apr 17, 2025 ▶ 41:11 a16z's $20BN Fund & Founders Fund's $4.6BN & Why Josh Kushner Has Mastered the Game · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
Apr 17, 2025 neutral
Prediction Not checkable as stated
O'Driscoll: Megafunds will deliver mid-to-high teen returns instead of 3x multiples
“The returns mightn't be three X venture returns, but you know, the competition is the small cap return of 11%. You know, if you're delivering high, mid, high teens, it may be that the LPs think that's great, and that's the bet they're taking.”
Rory O'Driscoll Apr 17, 2025 ▶ 26:54 a16z's $20BN Fund & Founders Fund's $4.6BN & Why Josh Kushner Has Mastered the Game · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
May 8, 2025 neutral
Insight
O'Driscoll: Focus funds win on hit rate; mega-funds win on absolute hits
“The focus fund is better at hit rate, has more as a percentage, and lower as an absolute number than the guys cranking through 454 A's.”
Rory O'Driscoll May 8, 2025 ▶ 25:05 Benchmark vs a16z: Why Stage Specific Firms Win · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
Aug 11, 2025 negative
Opinion
Mignot rejects narrative that VC is splitting only into mega-funds and boutiques
“I know there is a meme which is the industry is gonna, is diverging into two camps. You either have the mega funds, the asset gatherers, or you have the tiny boutique shops. And I don't truly believe in that. I think there is a third way”
Martin Mignot Aug 11, 2025 ▶ 2:35 Index Ventures Partner, Martin Mignot: Figma, Scale, Wiz: Inside Index’s Decacorn Factory · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
Aug 28, 2025 neutral
Assertion Supported
Stebbings: a16z led mega funds with 72 seed deals in a year
“Number one mega fund seed investor Was Andreessen with 72 seed deals, compared to number two was 27.”
Harry Stebbings Aug 28, 2025 ▶ 58:58 Anthropic's $10B Round, Klarna's IPO, Inside a16z's 72 Deal Seed Investment Machine ft. Marc Benioff · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
Nov 10, 2025 negative
Opinion
Randle: New partners at mega VC funds get narrow coverage
“If there's 50 investors if you come in and you're like the 23rd partner at like, I don't know, like Iconic or like one of these places like what companies do you get to cover? And so they, like that, that's the first problem is like you end up getting like a v…”
Everett Randle Nov 10, 2025 ▶ 1:07:23 Benchmark's GP, Everett Randle on Why Mega Funds Will Not Produce Good Returns · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
Nov 10, 2025 negative
Insight
Randle: Mega funds resemble private equity more than venture capital
“To me, sometimes it just feels like a little bit of like it just feels like a different job than like the craft of venture capital where you're almost playing the lottery where you're like, okay, I have these 30 names that I own. I'm gonna try to do two of the…”
Everett Randle Nov 10, 2025 ▶ 1:08:02 Benchmark's GP, Everett Randle on Why Mega Funds Will Not Produce Good Returns · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
Feb 23, 2026 bearish
Opinion
Swisher: Mega funds should avoid vertical SaaS in favor of platform companies
“In today's world, if you have a big fund, I don't think that's where you should be focused. I think you should be focused on the absolute mega outcomes, the platform companies that are going to generate that disproportionate return, and you're actually going t…”
Lucas Swisher Feb 23, 2026 ▶ 26:49 Insights from Coatue's Growth Investor Lucas Swisher · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
Mar 16, 2026 neutral
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Rajaram: Mega funds use $15M Series A checks as options
“They've basically gone and they deploy fifteen million dollar checks almost as an option and a lead lead generation for the next run. And the strategy is obviously to have an index at the A of every single good A company and then double down on the ones that t…”
Gokul Rajaram Mar 16, 2026 ▶ 1:09:33 Gokul Rajaram: How to Analyse for Durability and Defensibility in a World of AI · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
Mar 16, 2026
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Rajaram: Mega fund investors will continue spinning out into smaller funds
“I think we are going to see a more spin out. I do think there is a limit, but I do think you're going to see the, you're going to see these mega funds train again, more waves of investors. And these investors are going to realize that being a mid-level partner…”
Gokul Rajaram Mar 16, 2026 ▶ 1:11:20 Gokul Rajaram: How to Analyse for Durability and Defensibility in a World of AI · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
Mar 16, 2026 negative
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Rajaram: Partner departures leave mega fund startups orphaned
“We see many examples actually in mega funds of partners leaving the fund and the companies orphaned within the mega fund because their partner has left. And now they don't have a single person to advocate for them in any way, shape or form, and they're adrift.”
Gokul Rajaram Mar 16, 2026 ▶ 1:10:15 Gokul Rajaram: How to Analyse for Durability and Defensibility in a World of AI · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
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