The street in Menlo Park, California, famous for venture capital firms is Sand Hill Road.
Sand Hill Road runs through western Silicon Valley, connecting areas of Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Woodside. Its stretch in Menlo Park became especially associated with venture capital because numerous prominent investment firms established offices there, close to Stanford University and major technology companies.
The road’s venture-capital identity began in 1972, when Kleiner Perkins opened an office there. Other major firms followed, helping turn the address into a shorthand for Silicon Valley’s funding ecosystem. Companies backed by firms on or near Sand Hill Road have included Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Skype.
A common mix-up is confusing Sand Hill Road with Wall Street. Wall Street represents New York’s public financial markets, while Sand Hill Road symbolizes private investment in young, high-growth companies. “Silicon Valley” is the broader region, not the name of the street.