7 days ago
The Midas Mainstays: Venture Capital's Most Consistent Firms Over 15 Years
2025 marks the 15th year of the publication of the Midas List, offering us an opportunity to reflect on how the venture capital landscape has evolved in that time. Several firms that have helped shape the industry earn spots on the list year after year. These firms, and their partners who make the list, have adapted to market changes, expanded globally, and maintained their edge through multiple tech cycles. Whether it's navigating the rise of generative AI, diving into industrial biotech, or spotting the next global SaaS powerhouse, the firms regularly featured on the Midas List are those willing to take a long view and place smart, early bets on the companies shaping our future.
The Midas Mainstays
Accel
Accel has maintained a strong and steady presence on the Midas List, consistently proving its position as one of the most influential venture firms in the world. Known for its early and pivotal investments in companies such as Facebook and Dropbox, Accel has helped build some of the most iconic companies in tech.
More recently, the firm has expanded its portfolio into high-growth areas like AI, cybersecurity, and fintech, securing key investments in startups like Sift and Postman. Accel's ability to spot emerging opportunities across diverse sectors, combined with its deep network and hands-on approach, has ensured its continued prominence on the Midas List.
Notable Midas List appearances from Accel Partners include Sameer Gandhi, who debuted on the list in 2011 largely due to his early investments in Spotify, Dropbox and Facebook. Gandhi has one of the most consistent Midas records in the industry, being named to the list every year from 2011 through 2024.
Jim Breyer was a mainstay on Midas from the late 2000s through the early 2010s. His early bet on Facebook, as well as his backing of Marvel Entertainment and Etsy, helped him maintain a top 10 ranking throughout that period. And Rich Wong, who first appeared on Midas is 2019 and 2021, bolstered by investments like Slack, Atlassian and Segment, is back on the list this year due to his investments in UiPath, Checkr and ServiceChannel.
Andreessen Horowitz
Another fixture on the Midas List since the beginning is Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). With landmark bets on companies including Coinbase, Airbnb, Instagram, Slack, Stripe, and Roblox, the firm has earned its place as one of the most influential forces in tech. Its early moves into crypto, AI, bio/healthcare and fintech, combined with a deep bench of operators and technologists, have helped a16z build not just a portfolio, but an ecosystem.
The firm has had a number of partners appear consistently on the list throughout the last 15 years. Ben Horowitz has maintained a consistent presence for over a decade with investments like Databricks, Airbnb, Opsware and Okta. As a founder of the firm he is recognized for helping define its operator-first model. Chris Dixon was named to the top spot on the 2022 Midas List due to his early bets in crypto and blockchain, including investments in Coinbase, Uniswap and Dapper Labs.
Bessemer Venture Partners
A firm with many Midas mentions over the years, Bessemer Venture Partners has roots dating back to the 1910s and a track record spanning generations of innovation, The firm has continually evolved to position itself to back some of the most iconic companies in cloud computing, healthcare, fintech, and consumer tech, with names like Shopify, Twilio, LinkedIn and Wix among its portfolio successes.
Jeremy Levine earned regular top 20 appearances from the 2000s through the 2020s bolstered by investments in Pinterest, LinkedIn and Yelp. Byron Deeter is another Bessemer partner with a consistent Midas List presence for over a decade. He has funded 11 startups that are now public including DocuSign, HashiCorp and SendGrid, and is recognized for his early leadership in cloud investing and authorship of the annual State of the Cloud Report.
General Catalyst
General Catalyst has cemented its place in the industry with a broad investment strategy that spans from seed to growth stages. Known for backing leading companies like Stripe, Airbnb, and Gusto, the firm has built a reputation for partnering early with visionary founders and supporting them at every stage of their journey. General Catalyst's growing influence in sectors like fintech, healthcare, and AI has helped it remain a consistent presence on the Midas List.
From General Catalyst, Hemant Taneja makes his ninth straight appearance on the list this year, ranking #8 on the 2025 list. His investments in high-impact startups include Stripe, Anduril, Canva and Snap. Firm Cofounder Joel Cutler was another consistent presence on the list for more than a decade. His backing of household names like Airbnb, Lemonade, Oscar and Warby Parker helped result in strong gains for the firm's LPs.
Greylock Partners
Greylock is another long-standing firm on the Midas List. Historically, the firm's investments in tech giants like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Airbnb set the foundation for its reputation in Silicon Valley. Today, Greylock has expanded its focus to include AI, enterprise software, and consumer tech, sectors that continue to dominate the venture landscape.
Notable appearances by Greylock partners include Reid Hoffman, who was consistently ranked in the top 10 spots in the 2010s, and David Sze. Hoffman was back in the top 10 in 2024 and comes in at the #2 spot on the list this year. Investments in Airbnb, LinkedIn and Zynga have helped make him a Midas mainstay over the years. Sze also ranked in the top 10 for several years between 2010-2015, largely boosted by his bets on Facebook, Pandora and LinkedIn.
Index Ventures
Index has carved out a place on the Midas List through its early bets on some of the most influential tech companies of the past two decades. The firm's emphasis on product-centric innovation and deep sector expertise has enabled it to spot category-defining startups across the U.S. and Europe – in fact, its backing of breakout successes like Dropbox, Skype, Roblox, Figma, and Etsy have helped its partners consistently secure positions on both the Midas List and the Midas List Europe. With a strong track record of nurturing companies from seed to scale, Index continues to be a force in shaping the next generation of global tech leaders.
Notable inclusions on the Midas List include Danny Rimer, who has more than a decade of appearances on the global list. His investments in Figma, Discord and Dropbox have helped him maintain a presence on both the Midas List and Midas List Europe. Meanwhile, Index's Neil Rimer regularly featured on the list in the 2010s. Known for championing the firms's expansion into Europe, he made early investments in Midas drivers Skype and Supercell as well as more recent bets on Revolut, Roblox and others.
Sequoia
A cornerstone of Midas since its inception, with more partners named to the list than any other firm, Sequoia has consistently demonstrated its ability to identify transformative companies and translate investments in them into impressive returns. With a portfolio that has included Apple, Google, WhatsApp, and Stripe, Sequoia's longstanding dominance on the list is an indicator of the firm's ability to spot visionary founders and back them through all stages of growth. The firm's commitment to innovation and willingness to take calculated risks have helped it stay relevant through multiple market cycles.
Michael Moritz placed at the top of the Midas List from 2006-2008, largely due to his investments in Google, Yahoo, PayPal and YouTube. Even after moving from the #1 spot, he maintained a presence in the top 10 into the 2010s. Known for his leadership of the firm during its global expansion, Doug Leone held the #1 position from 2017-2018. Boosted by his success with WhatsApp, ServiceNow and Medallia, he was regularly named in the top 10 investors from 2014-2019.
Neil Shen jumped to the top Midas spot and stayed there from 2018 to 2020, reclaiming it in 2023. He is the only investor to hold the #1 placement four times and has consistently been the top China-based investor on the list. While at the helm of Sequoia China and now its successor firm, HongShan, his success has been driven by continued bets in Chinese tech giants like Meituan, Pinduoduo and ByteDance. Finally, Alfred Lin repeats at the #1 spot on the list this year after also claiming that ranking in 2021 and 2024. He is credited with leading Sequoia's investments in OpenAI, Airbnb, DoorDash, Reddit and Instacart and maintained a top 5 rank over the volatile market cycle of the past five years.
