Arthur Patterson and Jim Swartz founded Accel in 1983, betting on a strategy of deep specialization in specific technology categories rather than spreading investments broadly - an approach that was unusual at the time. That focus paid off most famously in 2005, when Accel led Facebook's Series A, a single investment that became one of the highest-multiple returns in venture capital history and cemented the firm's reputation for spotting category-defining companies early.
$20B+ AUM80/100 Power Score™1983 FoundedPalo Alto, CA