Whale Rock Capital Management

What Whale Rock Capital Management does

Whale Rock Capital Management LLC is a privately held, SEC-registered investment adviser headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 2006 by Alex Sacerdote. The firm operates a single-strategy technology, media, and telecom-focused hedge fund managing approximately $8 billion in assets under management on behalf of institutional and qualified investors. It employs a concentrated, long-biased equity strategy grounded in an S-curve framework that targets companies positioned at the base of technology adoption curves, with the stated objective of generating excess returns through identification of early-stage technology inflection points.

The firm's product surface is a single managed equity portfolio constructed around companies expected to capture disproportionate value as AI reshapes multiple industries, spanning AI infrastructure (semiconductors, power systems, data centers via holdings such as Alphabet, Amazon, and Advanced Energy Industries), AI applications (Anthropic, Oura), and adjacent consumer and mobility technology (Carvana). In addition to public-market equity positions, Whale Rock has made direct private investments in late-stage companies, including Oura's $900 million Series E at an approximately $11 billion valuation in October 2025 and a position in Anthropic at a $180 billion valuation referenced in June 2026. Q1 2026 portfolio activity was concentrated, with substantial increases in the Alphabet, Carvana, and Amazon stakes.

The firm's revenue model follows conventional hedge fund economics, combining asset-based management fees charged on $8 billion of AUM with performance fees on net profits, although specific fee terms are not publicly disclosed. The firm reports performance metrics of 27% for full-year 2025 and approximately 39% for April 2026. The leadership team comprises founder Alex Sacerdote alongside CFO Brian Falahee, General Counsel and CCO Jamie Houghtlin, and COO and Head of Business Development Kristy Kennedy. No public subsidiaries, parent entities, or secondary transactions are reported in available filings.

Name

Whale Rock Capital Management

Legal name

Whale Rock Capital Management LLC

Website

https://whalerockcapital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Whale Rock Capital Management is a Boston-based, SEC-registered hedge fund founded in 2006 by Alex Sacerdote, managing approximately $8 billion in technology, media, and telecom-focused equity assets. The firm runs concentrated public and private positions aimed at capturing AI-driven technology inflection points for institutional investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hedge Fund / Technology-Focused Investment Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Large-Cap Equity (Active) (FSAAAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Portfolio Construction & Asset Allocation Advisory (FSAEAAAC)

Keywords

• Hedge fund management
• Technology investing
• Investment advisory services
• Equity portfolio management
• TMT sector investing

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Core offering

Whale Rock Capital Management LLC is a Boston-based SEC Registered Investment Adviser that operates a technology-focused hedge fund managing approximately $8 billion in assets under management. Since inception in 2006, the firm has invested globally with concentrated equity portfolios in the Technology, Media and Telecom sectors, positioning investments around AI-driven industry transformations.

Product overview

Whale Rock Capital Management is a single offering investment advisory service — a technology-focused hedge fund that manages approximately $8 billion in assets under management. The firm provides equity investment management services with a concentrated portfolio strategy focused on the Technology, Media and Telecom sectors globally. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Boston, the firm is led by founder Alex Sacerdote and invests in companies positioned to capture disproportionate value as AI reshapes industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 27% returns in 2025
• +6 more outcomes

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Altimeter Capital: Altimeter is a technology-focused hedge fund run by Brad Gerstner that invests in public and private growth-stage technology companies. Its public/private crossover model and AI-thematic positioning mirror Whale Rock's Alphabet, Anthropic, and Oura exposure.
• Maverick Capital: Maverick Capital is a long/short equity hedge fund with substantial TMT exposure and a research-intensive, concentrated investment approach. Its tech emphasis and similar AUM range make it comparable to Whale Rock.
• Coatue Management: Coatue is a large, tech-focused long/short hedge fund founded by Philippe Laffont that concentrates in TMT equities globally. It is the closest comparable to Whale Rock in mandate, concentrated style, and AI-infrastructure positioning.
• Light Street Capital: Light Street Capital is a technology-focused long/short hedge fund founded by Glen Kacher. Its mandate to invest across the technology stack with concentrated positions parallels Whale Rock's TMT focus.
• Viking Global Investors: Viking Global is a large, fundamentally-driven hedge fund with significant exposure to TMT and growth equities globally. Its long/short tech-heavy mandate and multi-cycle track record position it as a direct peer to Whale Rock.
• Lone Pine Capital: Lone Pine is a long/short hedge fund founded by Stephen Mandel that focuses on technology, media, and consumer/internet equities. Its concentrated, fundamental, tech-centric approach and similar AUM tier make it a strong structural comparable.
• Tiger Global Management: Tiger Global runs a crossover public/private tech investing strategy with concentrated positions across mega-cap tech and growth-stage private companies. Its blend of long public equity and pre-IPO venture exposure closely parallels Whale Rock's approach.

Others

• Whale Rock Capital Management: Oura, in which Whale Rock is an existing investor, is a Finnish smart ring company that recently raised a $900M Series E at an $11B valuation. It is comparable as a portfolio holding and as a peer within Whale Rock's pre-IPO consumer health/AI-enabled hardware theme.

Broad incumbents

• Point72 Asset Management: Point72 is a large, multi-strategy asset manager founded by Steven Cohen with significant technology exposure alongside consumer, healthcare, and financials. Its scale, SEC RIA status, and tech exposure make it a broad incumbent peer.
• Citadel LLC: Citadel is one of the world's largest multi-strategy hedge funds, with substantial equity exposure including dedicated tech and TMT sleeves. As a much larger, diversified incumbent, it overlaps with Whale Rock in public-equity TMT positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whale-rock-capital-management-llc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments34 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Whale Rock Capital Management