Menlo Ventures Hires Rama Sekhar as Partner

Veteran technology investor and engineer brings expertise in cybersecurity, AI, and cloud infrastructure to the firm’s investment team


MENLO PARK, Calif., Jan. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Menlo Ventures, a leading venture capital firm, announced its newest partner, Rama Sekhar.

At Menlo, Rama will focus his investments on cybersecurity, AI, and cloud infrastructure. He is passionate about democratizing software development, making AI easier to build and deploy, and securing the infrastructure and applications of tomorrow.

Rama joins Menlo after 15 years at Norwest Venture Partners, where he invested in several successful companies, including Algorithmia, Dremio, Harness, InfluxData, Numbers Station, Veza, and more. Rama also previously held positions at Comcast Ventures and Cisco Systems, where he held roles as a systems engineer and product manager. His diverse experiences position him as a strategic asset with technical acumen, a strong investment track record, and a deep network of industry connections.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rama to the Menlo Ventures team,” said Matt Murphy, partner at Menlo Ventures. “His technical depth, investments, and deep relationships with entrepreneurs make him stand out in the market. It's a fantastic time for him to be joining Menlo Ventures to help us double down on our AI-based cybersecurity and infrastructure investing.”

“Menlo Ventures has a phenomenal track record, and this is a particularly exciting time to join, as they have truly solidified their reputation in both cybersecurity and AI infrastructure with investments in companies like Abnormal, Anthropic, and Pinecone,” said Rama Sekhar, partner at Menlo Ventures. “I look forward to building on Menlo’s strength in these domains and backing the next generation of companies building infrastructure, security, and observability for the new AI stack.”

Rama is the latest addition to Menlo’s growing team of investors who leverage extensive industry expertise in high-growth sectors. The firm most recently brought on partners Joff Redfern, the former CPO of Atlassian, well-known consumer investor Amy Wu, and former Splunk CTO Tim Tully. Additionally, Menlo recently promoted Derek Xiao to investor and Andreas Vandris to principal, signaling the firm’s continued commitment to nurturing talent within its ranks. The firm will continue to hire in 2024 and plans to bring an additional operator-turned-investor into the firm as a partner.

“We have strategically built our team around experienced operators and world-class investors. It’s a powerful combination that helps us attract exceptional founders and leads us to better investment decisions,” said Menlo’s Talent Partner, Jordan Ormont. “Each of our new partners has hit the ground running, and we’ve been able to build flagship practices around them. With Rama on board, Menlo will double down on cybersecurity and grow our AI infrastructure portfolio.”

Menlo has a long history of investing in AI infrastructure and cybersecurity. The firm is recognized for its deep technical expertise, industry connectivity, and impressive portfolio that includes Abnormal, Aisera, Anthropic, BitSight, Cleanlab, Harness, and Pinecone. The firm has a strong focus on backing visionary founders, leading breakthrough companies developing innovative solutions to real-world problems.

About Menlo Ventures
Menlo Ventures is a venture capital firm that strives to have a positive impact on everything we do. That’s why we support businesses, including Abnormal Security, Anthropic, Benchling, Carta, Chime, Harness, Poshmark, PillPack, Pinecone, Roku, Rover, Uber, and Warby Parker, that are reimagining life and work for the better. Over 47 years, we’ve grown a portfolio that includes more than 80 public companies, over 165 mergers and acquisitions, and currently have $5.8 billion under management. We invest at every stage and in every sector, with expertise in Consumer, Enterprise, and Healthcare. From developing market strategies to creating communities, we provide real impact where entrepreneurs need it most. When we’re in, we’re ALL IN.
www.menlovc.com
@MenloVentures

Media Contact:
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menlo@nectarpr.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d45f5fc3-1163-40c1-b147-8f3da8a608b0


Rama Sekhar, Partner, Menlo Ventures