Which venture capital firm is commonly known as a16z?

The venture capital firm commonly known as a16z is Andreessen Horowitz.

Andreessen Horowitz was founded in 2009 by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, whose surnames form the firm's formal name. The shorthand “a16z” is a numeronym: the “a” and “z” remain, while the 16 represents the sixteen letters between them in “Andreessen Horowitz.” It is a brand name for the same firm, not a separate investment company.

The firm is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, and invests across areas including enterprise software, consumer technology, fintech, health care, cryptocurrency, gaming, and education. Unlike some traditional venture firms associated mainly with seed investing, Andreessen Horowitz has pursued both early-stage startups and established growth companies.

Readers sometimes confuse a16z with portfolio companies it has funded or with other major firms such as Sequoia Capital, Benchmark, and Kleiner Perkins. Another useful distinction is that “a16z” identifies the firm, while individual funds and sector practices represent particular investment strategies within it.