S32 (company) explained

S32 (formerly Section 32) is a California-based venture fund founded by Google Ventures founder, Bill Maris. S32 funds technology companies at all stages and has over $2 billion under management.^{[2] [3] [4] [5]}

History

S32 was founded by the Google Ventures founder, Bill Maris.^{[4] [5] [6] [7] [8]} Bill Maris' background is in technology and neuroscience, and he retired from Google Ventures (later GV) after he declared "mission accomplished."^[9] He founded S32 to invest in frontier technology.^{[10] [11]}

The fund aimed to raise $100 million^[4] however, citing a strong interest, the first fund raise was $160 million, and the firm now has over $2 billion under management.^{[5] [2] [12] [10]}

In December 2017, Michael Pellini, the former CEO and standing Chairman of Foundation Medicine joined S32 as a Managing Partner.^[13]

In early 2019, Section 32 announced that it had raised nearly $200M for a second fund.^[14]

In November 2019, Steve Kafka, joined Section 32 as a Managing Partner. He served as both founding CEO and Executive Chairman of Thrive Earlier Detection, and President and Chief Operating Officer at Foundation Medicine.^[15]

In 2020, S32 announced it was raising $350M for its third fund.^{[16] [17]}

In March 2021, Andy Harrison joined S32 as a Managing Partner. He previously held executive leadership roles at Alphabet, including Verily Life Sciences (previously Google Life Sciences) and X (previously GoogleX). S32 has notably invested in Coinbase, Crowdstrike, Thrive, Vir, Relay, and Cohere.^{[18] [19] [20] [21]}

In November 2021, S32 announced that it raised its fourth fund, Fund 4, from new and existing institutional investors spanning philanthropic, nonprofit and educational organizations, and foundations. The fund was more than double the size of its previous fund^{[22] [23]} and invested in several companies, including quantum and AI application company, SandboxAQ, which spun out of Google in 2022, and synthetic data startup, Gretel Labs.^[24]

In 2023, S32 raised a $525M Fund 5 to invest in software-driven businesses in tech and healthcare that improve the human condition and named Andy Harrison as CEO of the firm.^{[25] [26]}

In February 2024, S32 announced the appointment of Andy Conrad as a General Partner. Conrad, known for his leadership in technology and advanced data science, previously founded and served as the CEO and Executive Chairman of Verily Life Sciences at Alphabet (Google).^{[27] [28] [29]}

External links

• Official website

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ex-GV CEO Bill Maris said to be launching health care investment fund, Section 32. Brian. Heater. 5 December 2016 . 17 January 2018.
2. Web site: Bill Maris has closed his new fund with $150 million, to accommodate 'strong' investor interest. Connie. Loizos. 16 May 2017 . 17 January 2018.
3. Web site: Pro Rata. Axios. 17 January 2018.
4. News: Ex-Google Ventures CEO Maris Set to Raise $100 Million Fund. Bloomberg.com. 14 March 2017. 17 January 2018. www.bloomberg.com.
5. News: Ex-Google Ventures CEO Maris Raises $150 Million Venture Fund. Bloomberg.com. 16 May 2017. 17 January 2018. www.bloomberg.com.
6. Web site: Google Ventures founder Bill Maris is back. Again.. Axios. 17 January 2018.
7. Web site: Bill Maris - Founder of Google Ventures. 17 January 2018.
8. News: Maris's Section 32, Anne Wojcicki Back Freenome's Quest to Detect Cancer Earlier. Heather. Mack. Wall Street Journal. 25 August 2017. 17 January 2018. www.wsj.com.
9. Web site: Google Ventures founder Bill Maris: 'I'm leaving because everything is great.'. 10 August 2016. 17 January 2018.
10. Web site: Eric Schmidt and Bill Maris are helping build a startup network in Southern California. 22 June 2017. 17 January 2018.
11. Web site: Xconomy: Bill Maris Takes Stage for 2nd Act, Says New Fund Mostly Committed. 31 August 2017. 17 January 2018.
12. Web site: The founder of Google Ventures is launching a new venture fund. Business Insider. 17 January 2018.
13. Web site: Venture Capital Fund Section 32 Adds Another GV Veteran. San Diego Business Journal. May 2018 .
14. Web site: Xconomy: Bill Maris's VC Firm Section 32 Raises $200M for Second Fund. February 25, 2019. Xconomy.
15. Web site: Xconomy: Why Steve Kafka Left Third Rock Ventures for Up-and-Comer Section 32. November 5, 2019. Xconomy.
16. Web site: Section 32 targets $350 million for third fund. Elise. Reuter. April 24, 2020.
17. Web site: Bill Maris, who started Google's VC arm, brings on Google walkout organizer at his new venture firm. Christina. Farr. May 20, 2020. CNBC.
18. Web site: The former head of Google Ventures has joined the board of UK music startup Kobalt. Business Insider. 17 January 2018.
19. Web site: The former head of Google Ventures has joined the board of UK music startup Kobalt. 17 January 2018.
20. Web site: Sequencing Startup Singular Genomics Files for $100M IPO. 12 May 2021.
21. Web site: Coinbase raises $100M Series D led by IVP. Brian. Armstrong. January 4, 2019. Medium.
22. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/section-32-closes-740m-vc-fund-to-back-startups-at-intersection-technology-and-healthcare
23. https://www.wsj.com/articles/section-32-closes-740-million-venture-capital-fund-11636027200
24. https://siliconangle.com/2021/10/07/privacy-engineering-service-startup-gretel-raises-50m/
25. https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/05/section-32-closes-on-525m-fund-says-there-is-a-zone-of-commoditization-that-you-have-to-avoid-while-investing-in-ai
26. https://fortune.com/2024/03/27/google-andy-conrad-harrison-reunited-vc-firm-s32-ai/
27. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-22/founder-of-alphabet-s-verily-andy-conrad-joins-vc-firm-s32
28. https://fortune.com/2024/03/27/google-andy-conrad-harrison-reunited-vc-firm-s32-ai/
29. https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/05/section-32-closes-on-525m-fund-says-there-is-a-zone-of-commoditization-that-you-have-to-avoid-while-investing-in-ai/