Hummer Winblad Venture Partners
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm founded in 1989 that invests exclusively in early-stage enterprise software companies as a first institutional investor, serving software founders through IPO or acquisition.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Hummer Winblad Venture Partners does
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners (HWVP) is a private venture capital firm founded in 1989 by Ann Winblad and John Hummer in San Francisco, recognized as the first venture firm focused exclusively on enterprise software investing. Over a 30+ year history, the firm has launched more than 160 enterprise software companies spanning business intelligence, analytics, software development, integration, data center optimization, cloud computing, and security. HWVP typically invests as the first institutional capital into early-stage software companies — frequently before product or product-market fit is established — and often remains the lead investor through IPO or strategic acquisition.
The firm's revenue model follows standard venture capital mechanics: management fees charged on committed capital under management in its limited partnership funds, plus carried interest earned on successful exits. The current investing fund is Hummer Winblad Venture Partners VII, L.P., formed in 2016 as a Delaware limited partnership with Hummer Winblad Equity Partners VII, LLC as general partner. Notable exits and liquidity events include MuleSoft ($6.5B acquisition by Salesforce, 2018), Omniture (IPO 2006), Five9 (IPO 2014, FIVN), Marketo (IPO 2013, MKTO), and acquisitions of portfolio companies by Microsoft, Oracle, VMware, Salesforce, Dell, IBM, HP, Intel, and FICO.
HWVP operates with a small, specialized team of six professionals — Managing Directors Lars Leckie, Mitchell Kertzman, and Steve Kishi; Founding Partner Ann Winblad; Seattle Partner John Hummer; and CFO Maria Mulcahy. The Managing Directors each bring 20-30+ years of operating experience as former CEOs and product leaders of public and private software companies, which HWVP positions as a key differentiator versus generalist VCs. The firm's primary go-to-market motion is deal sourcing through founder referrals, industry reputation, and a 30-year track record of enterprise software outcomes. The HWVP website currently redirects visitors to Aspenwood Ventures (aspenwoodvc.com), signaling a successor vehicle or rebrand under which new investment activity is being conducted.
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hummer Winblad Venture Partners
- Legal name
- Hummer Winblad Venture Partners VII, L.P.
- Website
- http://www.hwvp.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Hummer Winblad Venture Partners is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm founded in 1989 that invests exclusively in early-stage enterprise software companies as a first institutional investor, serving software founders through IPO or acquisition.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
Keywords
Where Hummer Winblad Venture Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Management Fees: VC firms typically charge management fees on committed capital under management.
- Carried Interest: Performance-based carried interest from successful fund exits and realizations. HWVP has achieved notable exits including MuleSoft ($6.5B acquisition by Salesforce), Omniture, Five9 IPO, and others.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners is a private venture capital firm that invests in early-stage enterprise software companies, typically as the first institutional investor before product or product/market fit is established. The firm provides capital, operational guidance, strategic partnerships, team building support, and customer introductions to portfolio companies, working alongside founders from initial funding through IPO or acquisition.
Product overview
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners (HWVP) is a venture capital firm and does not offer software products or services. The firm provides investment capital, strategic guidance, and operational support to early-stage enterprise software companies. Founded in 1989, HWVP is recognized as the first venture firm focused exclusively on software investments, having launched over 160 enterprise software companies. Their investment approach covers various enterprise software sectors including Business Intelligence, Analytics, Software Development, Integration, Data Center Optimization, Cloud Computing, and Security. HWVP serves as an early-stage investor, typically providing first institutional capital to companies before product or product/market fit is established.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hummer Winblad Venture Partners VII, L.P.
Companies that use Hummer Winblad Venture Partners
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Seraphim SpaceminorHWVP is represented on the Seraphim Space Global Space Advisory Council, which includes industry, policy, and investment leaders to inform long-term strategy as geopolitical and technology advances reshape the space sector. The council is chaired by SES co-founder Candace Johnson and includes executives from XPRIZE, OHB, SPACETIDE, and COSPAR.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners social profiles
Digital presenceHummer Winblad Venture Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments240 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hummer Winblad Venture Partners
What does Hummer Winblad Venture Partners do?
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners is a private venture capital firm that invests in early-stage enterprise software companies, typically as the first institutional investor before product or product/market fit is established. The firm provides capital, operational guidance, strategic partnerships, team building support, and customer introductions to portfolio companies, working alongside founders from initial funding through IPO or acquisition.
Is Hummer Winblad Venture Partners a public or private company?
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Hummer Winblad Venture Partners founded?
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Hummer Winblad Venture Partners based?
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hummer Winblad Venture Partners make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest.
Does Hummer Winblad Venture Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hummer Winblad Venture Partners.
What industry is Hummer Winblad Venture Partners in?
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists).