Venture capital firm a16z often refers to itself as a media company that monetizes through investing. This is one of the reasons why the firm decided to bring in Erik Torenberg, who has been focused on the intersection of investing and media over the last decade.
Torenberg was part of the team that built Product Hunt, On Deck, Village Global, and Turpentine. The a16z team got to know Torenberg since they invested in Product Hunt in 2014. a16z co-founder and general partner Marc Andreessen said that he has been speaking to Torenberg nearly every day in group chats and collaborating with him on several co-investments.
“In that time, I’ve grown to respect his positive-sum nature, his ability to be on the pulse of interesting people and ideas, and his uncanny nose for talent and opportunity. Many people in the tech ecosystem are grateful for Erik’s support at a critical juncture, whether through his counsel, a key introduction, or help getting their startup or careers off the ground,” wrote Andreessen in a statement.
Through Turpentine, Torenberg has created one of the fastest-growing tech podcast networks for vertical expertise across positions and sectors. a16z is buying Turpentine to scale its media and network efforts.
Since a16z launched in 2009, it has set up $45 billion in committed capital across multiple funds.
