Multi-stage VC, Palo Alto
Accel
Venture capital firm · Palo Alto · Founded 1983
Quick read
Accel is a global multi-stage venture capital firm founded in 1983, headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. It backs companies from inception through growth, with a portfolio spanning Atlassian, CrowdStrike, Slack, Spotify, and UiPath. Active across the US, Europe, and India, the firm is currently deploying capital aggressively into AI infrastructure and enterprise software.
Key facts
- Founded
- 1983
- Founders
- Arthur Patterson, Jim Swartz
- Employees
- 91
- Sectors
- generalist, enterprise, saas, ai, fintech, security
- Website
- www.accel.com
Investment thesis
Accel backs technology companies from day zero through growth across the US, Europe, and India, concentrating on enterprise software, AI infrastructure, cybersecurity, and fintech. The firm aims to be the first institutional partner to founders before the market has validated the thesis.
Recent activity
- Aug 2026investmentSimplismart closed a $9M Series B led by Dallas Venture Capital, with Accel participating alongside Micromax Informatics. tracxn.com
- Jul 2026investmentArrakis, a UK AI startup, emerged from stealth with a £22.5M funding round backed by Accel and Blossom Capital. tracxn.com
- Jul 2026pressAccel portfolio company Oasis Security was acquired by Cyera. tracxn.com
- Jul 2026pressAccel featured in the July 9 venture capital funding roundup alongside Sequoia, Khosla Ventures, Y Combinator, and a16z, with deal flow concentrated in AI infrastructure and frontier technologies. c.parsers.vc
- Jul 2026investmentQuick commerce player Plazza secured early funding with Accel joining Nexus Venture Partners and Elevation Capital in the round. tracxn.com
- Jun 2026investmentOpen Vision Engineering raised $11M for Pocket, a dedicated AI conversational capture device. Accel co-led alongside Y Combinator and high-profile tech investors. c.parsers.vc
- Mar 2026investmentAccel backed Surf AI in a $57M Seed round, the firm's latest tracked deal as of March 2026. startupintros.com
- Jun 2026pressAccel published its 2026 Accel x Dealroom Founder Factories Report, finding that former employees of 322 European and Israeli tech unicorns have founded 2,329 new startups, raising $42–45 billion in venture capital cumulatively. linkedin.com
- Jun 2026investmentTwenty raised a $100 million Series B at a $1 billion valuation, with Accel among the investors. tracxn.com
- Jun 2026investmentPocket, a credit card-style device that attaches to smartphones, raised $11 million with Accel participating alongside Y Combinator. tracxn.com
- 2025investmentAccel co-led a $50 million Series B alongside Khosla Ventures and Insight Partners in an undisclosed portfolio company. topstartups.io
- 2025investmentAccel co-invested in a $52 million Series B alongside Andreessen Horowitz in an undisclosed portfolio company. topstartups.io
Notable investments
- SimplismartSeries BAug 2026tracxn.com
- ArrakisSeed (stealth exit round)Jul 2026tracxn.com
- PlazzaEarly stageJul 2026tracxn.com
- Open Vision Engineering (Pocket)SeedJun 2026c.parsers.vc
- Surf AISeedMar 2026startupintros.com
- TwentySeries BJun 2026tracxn.com
- PocketUndisclosed ($11M)Jun 2026tracxn.com
- Pramaana LabsSeed ($27M)2026in.linkedin.com
- HeraSeries A ($27M)2026linkedin.com
- UndisclosedSeries B ($50M)2025topstartups.io
- UndisclosedSeries B ($52M)2025topstartups.io
- UndisclosedSeries G ($140M)2025topstartups.io
Key people
Named individuals at the firm. We don't expose direct email or phone — use their LinkedIn for outreach.
- Miles Clements · Partner
- Prayank Swaroop · Partner
- Prashanth Prakash · Partner
- Shekhar Kirani · Partner (India)
- Dan Levine · Partner
- Pratik Agarwal · Partner
- Rich Wong · Partner
- Andrew Braccia · Partner
- Sameer Gandhi · Partner
- Sonali De Rycker · Partner
- Philippe Botteri · Partner
- Luciana Lixandru · Partner
- Harry Nelis · Partner
- Ryan Sweeney · Partner
Sources
- Accel - News
- Accel | LinkedIn
- Accel in India | LinkedIn
- Accel - 2026 Investor Profile - Tracxn
- Accel - Crunchbase Company Profile
- Accel Partners - The Hub
- Accel on X - Ciridae investment
- Prayank Swaroop - Partner at Accel
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitkuma
- https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mattjackrobinson
- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/analytics-india-magazine_accel-venturecapital-aiinvestment-activity-7450471804797857793-EBXX
- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cserpunit_aistartups-indianfounders-accelatoms-activity-7401843234571726848-Klsa
- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lee-aloni-esq-adv-3732665_legalinnovation-newstartups-vc-activity-7478387984162287616-n957?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAAGrNtIgBdthFLeK3KmY1i59kkm5THA5tS-A
- https://topstartups.io/?investors=Accel
- https://in.linkedin.com/in/prakashprashanth
- https://c.parsers.vc/fund/500.co/
- https://startupintros.com/orgs/accel
Other VCs in United States
- Sequoia Capital · Generalist VC, Menlo Park·
- Andreessen Horowitz · Generalist VC, Menlo Park·
- Benchmark Capital · Early-stage VC, San Francisco·
- Founders Fund · Contrarian VC, San Francisco·
- Khosla Ventures · Multi-stage VC, Menlo Park·
- Greylock Partners · Early-stage VC, Menlo Park
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Frequently asked
What is Accel?+
Accel is a global multi-stage venture capital firm founded in 1983, headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. It backs companies from inception through growth, with a portfolio spanning Atlassian, CrowdStrike, Slack, Spotify, and UiPath.
Where is Accel headquartered?+
Accel is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States.
When was Accel founded?+
Accel was founded in 1983 by Arthur Patterson, Jim Swartz.
What sectors does Accel invest in?+
Accel focuses on generalist, enterprise, saas, ai, fintech, security. They primarily invest in these sectors.
How do I prepare for a meeting with Accel?+
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