Khosla Ventures
US venture capital firm founded 2004 by Vinod Khosla; backs frontier and deep technology.
Last refreshed: 7 June 2026
Timeline for Khosla Ventures
Participated in Mach Industries Series C
Drones: Industry & Defence: Mach hits $1.8B in fintech-backed round- Who founded Khosla Ventures and what is it known for?
- Khosla Ventures was founded in 2004 by Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems. It is known for backing high-risk, Science-grounded companies in AI, energy, climate, and frontier technology. It manages around $16bn in assets.Source: Wikipedia / khoslaventures.com
- What has Khosla Ventures invested in?
- Notable investments include early stakes in OpenAI, Rocket Lab, Impossible Foods, DoorDash, Square, and Affirm. In June 2026 it continued backing Mach Industries, a defence-tech manufacturer, in a $300m Series C at a $1.8bn valuation.Source:
- Is Khosla Ventures a major investor in defence technology?
- Khosla Ventures is primarily known for AI, climate, and consumer investments, but has extended into frontier and hardware sectors. Its participation in Mach Industries' successive rounds reflects a broader frontier-tech mandate rather than a dedicated defence-tech focus.Source: khoslaventures.com / TechCrunch
Background
Khosla Ventures was founded in 2004 by Vinod Khosla, co-founder and first CEO of Sun Microsystems and a former general partner at Kleiner Perkins. The firm now manages approximately $16bn in assets and has a reputation for backing technically ambitious, scientifically grounded companies that other investors regard as too speculative. Its portfolio spans artificial intelligence, climate, energy, consumer technology, fintech, and frontier sectors. Landmark investments include an early stake in OpenAI, Rocket Lab, Impossible Foods, DoorDash, Square, and Affirm.
Khosla Ventures participated as a returning investor in Mach Industries' $300m Series C of June 2026, joining co-leads Infinite Capital and Ribbit Capital alongside Sequoia Capital and Bedrock. The round, valuing Mach at $1.8bn, was Khosla's continued commitment to a defence-tech company whose vertical integration strategy mirrors the kind of hardware-grounded ambition the firm has historically backed in energy and space sectors. Khosla's presence signals that the round had credibility beyond specialist defence-tech circles.