How Goldman Sachs Became A Tech-Investing Powerhouse
Bloomberg Markets|September 2015
The inside story of how - and why - Goldman Sachs became a tech-investing powerhouse.
Katrina Brooker, illustration by Eboy
How Goldman Sachs Became A Tech-Investing Powerhouse

They weren't coming just to get wasted says Mel Cavaricci aka DJ Melrecalling the crowd milling in front of his sound table at a party in March.It was at the height of the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) conference, held in Austin, Texas. The event, which started as a music festival, more recently has become famous for propelling the likes of Twitter, Foursquare, Meerkat, and other fast-growing startups. Tech and media companies throw liquor-soaked bashes to celebrate themselves, promote products, and woo hard-to-hire software developers. Music service Spotify hosted a week-long concert series. MRY, a digital marketing firm, hosted a party featuring rapper Busta Rhymes and dancers with big Day-Glo sticks.

This year, Cavaricci had been hired to spin for a company he’d never seen around SXSW before: Goldman Sachs. The party was different from his usual gigs; it was hard for the deejay—a veteran of many SXSW raves—to figure out what to play. “From the looks of the crowd, they didn’t want to hear EDM,” he says. So instead of electronic dance music, he picked oldies. One in particular, Edwin Starr’s 1970s classic Easin’ In, seemed to fit: “There’s a man coming into town ... Like a cat that’s stalking its prey, he don’t wanna let it get away ....”

Goldman Sachs, arguably the most powerful bank in the world, quietly, without fanfare, is making a play to become one of the most influential investors in technology startups. According to research firm CB Insights, the Wall Street bank has participated in 132 fund-raising rounds in private technology companies since 2009, with 77 of those deals made in the past 2½ years alone.

Bu hikaye Bloomberg Markets dergisinin September 2015 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Bloomberg Markets dergisinin September 2015 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

BLOOMBERG MARKETS DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
See Which Countries Are Falling Behind On Climate Change
Bloomberg Markets

See Which Countries Are Falling Behind On Climate Change

Under the Paris Agreement, 190 countries and the European Union pledged to take steps to hold the global temperature rise to less than 2C (3.6F) from preindustrial levels—and preferably 1.5C.

time-read
4 dak  |
October - November 2021
Billionaires Vie for the Future of Brazilian Finance
Bloomberg Markets

Billionaires Vie for the Future of Brazilian Finance

An escalating battle between two billionaires is upending the financial community in São Paulo, Latin America’s wealthiest city.

time-read
8 dak  |
October - November 2021
Ford Foundation's Darren Walker: ‘We Have to Get Uncomfortable'
Bloomberg Markets

Ford Foundation's Darren Walker: ‘We Have to Get Uncomfortable'

DARREN WALKER, 62, disrupted his Wall Street life more than 25 years ago when he left what is now UBS Group AG to volunteer at a school and eventually pursue a career in community development and philanthropy. Since 2013 he’s been at the pinnacle of the philanthropic world as president of the Ford Foundation, created by the family of automaker Henry Ford during the Great Depression to advance human welfare.

time-read
8 dak  |
October - November 2021
Fueling the Ener Transition
Bloomberg Markets

Fueling the Ener Transition

I MAY BE BIASED, but some of the most important research and data on the Bloomberg terminal lies in one of its lesser-known functions: {BNEF }

time-read
1 min  |
October - November 2021
Dig Into Analysts' Estimates for Disruptive Companies
Bloomberg Markets

Dig Into Analysts' Estimates for Disruptive Companies

THE PANDEMIC ERA generated a whole wave of disruptive companies as it accelerated the introduction of new products and services in areas including artificial intelligence, digitization, electronic payments, online meeting platforms, and virtual currencies.

time-read
4 dak  |
October - November 2021
Climate Risks Come for Sovereign Credit
Bloomberg Markets

Climate Risks Come for Sovereign Credit

FOR YEARS climate scientists have warned about the ferocious wildfires and hurricanes that are now overwhelming many communities. Today alarms are ringing about a related financial danger: risks lurking within government bonds, the biggest part of the global debt market.

time-read
7 dak  |
October - November 2021
Responsible-Investing Pioneer Lydenberg Says ESG Needs An Upgrade
Bloomberg Markets

Responsible-Investing Pioneer Lydenberg Says ESG Needs An Upgrade

STEVE LYDENBERG’S passion for social change was inspired by anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, consumer boycotts, and the movement to divest from apartheid South Africa. But he didn’t take to the streets. Instead, Lydenberg turned to the world of finance to help catalyze societal change.

time-read
8 dak  |
October - November 2021
Engine No. 1's Grancio: ‘People Will Appreciate an Economic Argument'
Bloomberg Markets

Engine No. 1's Grancio: ‘People Will Appreciate an Economic Argument'

ENGINE NO. 1 sent shock waves across corporate America in May when the fledgling investment firm won a boardroom battle with Exxon Mobil Corp., securing three seats on the oil and gas giant’s board after purchasing only about $40 million of its stock.

time-read
6 dak  |
October - November 2021
Find Out Which Companies May Ramp Up Payouts After Covid
Bloomberg Markets

Find Out Which Companies May Ramp Up Payouts After Covid

AS THE PANDEMIC DISRUPTED business last year, many companies cut or suspended dividends. Which will boost their payouts when economies pick up again?

time-read
2 dak  |
October - November 2021
Get Into the Minds of Central Bankers as They Navigate Shocks
Bloomberg Markets

Get Into the Minds of Central Bankers as They Navigate Shocks

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED how central bankers forecast the impact of shocks on the economy?

time-read
4 dak  |
October - November 2021