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

  • Jun 2026press
    Accel 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 2026investment
    Twenty raised a $100 million Series B at a $1 billion valuation, with Accel among the investors. tracxn.com
  • Jun 2026investment
    Pocket, a credit card-style device that attaches to smartphones, raised $11 million with Accel participating alongside Y Combinator. tracxn.com
  • 2025investment
    Accel co-led a $50 million Series B alongside Khosla Ventures and Insight Partners in an undisclosed portfolio company. topstartups.io
  • 2025investment
    Accel co-invested in a $52 million Series B alongside Andreessen Horowitz in an undisclosed portfolio company. topstartups.io
  • 2025investment
    An Accel portfolio company raised a $140 million Series G at a $1.6 billion valuation. topstartups.io
  • 2026press
    Accel partner Pratik Agarwal joined a panel at the India Conference 2026 at Harvard University, discussing early-stage founder backing before proof of concept. in.linkedin.com
  • 2026press
    Accel partner Prashanth Prakash represented the firm at Bharat Innovates 2026 in Nice, France, a Ministry of Education initiative showcasing India's deep tech ventures to global investors. in.linkedin.com
  • May 2026leadership
    Amit Kumar marked one year as a partner on Accel's early-stage team, having joined in May 2025. linkedin.com
  • May 2026investment
    Accel co-led a $75M Series A round in Polish startup Viktor alongside KAYA and Inovo Venture Partners. tracxn.com
  • May 2026investment
    Lyrie.ai closed a $2M pre-seed round with backing from Accel and Andreessen Horowitz to build AI agent security tooling. tracxn.com
  • May 2026investment
    Accel co-led a $50M Series A in PhaseV alongside Insight Partners, with total funding reaching $65M; PhaseV applies AI to clinical development. uk.linkedin.com

Notable investments

Key people

Named individuals at the firm. We don't expose direct email or phone — use their LinkedIn for outreach.

  • Miles Clements · Partner
    LinkedIn
  • Prayank Swaroop · Partner
    LinkedIn
  • Prashanth Prakash · Partner
    LinkedIn
  • Shekhar Kirani · Partner (India)
    LinkedIn
  • Dan Levine · Partner
    LinkedIn
  • 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

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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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Generated by briefthecall.com from public web sources. Last updated July 6, 2026. Each claim is linked to its source above.

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