Matt Cohler

Matt Cohler Matt Cohler is an American venture capitalist and technology executive known for early-stage investments and leadership roles in Silicon Valley. He served as a founding member and partner at notable venture capital firms and as an executive at landmark technology companies, participating in numerous high-profile financing rounds and corporate governance efforts. Cohler's career spans work with consumer Internet platforms, enterprise software, and biotech enterprises.

Early life and education

Cohler was born in San Francisco and raised in the Bay Area near San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. He attended public schools before matriculating at Yale University and later studied computer science at Stanford University. At Yale he engaged with campus organizations and technology initiatives influenced by alumni networks including ties to Silicon Valley startups, LinkedIn founding circles, and internship opportunities at companies such as Microsoft Corporation, Apple Inc., and Sun Microsystems. His Stanford experience connected him with entrepreneur-investors active in firms like Benchmark Capital, Sequoia Capital, and Andreessen Horowitz.

Career

Cohler began his professional career in product and engineering roles at early Internet companies, working alongside teams from Facebook, eBay, PayPal, and Flickr. He joined a major social networking company during its rapid growth phase, collaborating with executives from Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, Dustin Moskovitz, and Eduardo Saverin as the platform scaled across markets including United States, United Kingdom, and India. Later he transitioned into venture capital, becoming a partner at a leading firm where he worked with founders associated with Airbnb, Dropbox, Spotify, Uber, and Pinterest. Cohler's blend of operational experience and investing acumen put him in contact with corporate boards and leadership teams at companies such as Lyft, Snap Inc., Palantir Technologies, and Coinbase.

Investor and venture capital work

As an investor, Cohler participated in seed, Series A, and later rounds for startups across consumer Internet, enterprise software, and biotechnology. He led or co-led investments that connected him with firms like Grail, Theranos (as part of broader due diligence discussions in the industry), Stripe, Instacart, Asana, and GitHub. His venture work intersected with limited partners and co-investors including Goldman Sachs, SoftBank Group, Founders Fund, Kleiner Perkins, and Accel Partners. Cohler’s portfolio also involved companies focused on healthcare and genomics that collaborated with institutions like Harvard University, Stanford School of Medicine, and Broad Institute. He participated in secondary transactions, mergers and acquisitions with acquirers such as Google LLC, Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle Corporation, and IBM.

Board memberships and advisory roles

Cohler has served on boards and advisory councils for a range of technology firms, non-profits, and research organizations. His board service included public and private companies that engaged with governance frameworks at NASDAQ, New York Stock Exchange, and advisory committees tied to National Institutes of Health, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and university technology transfer offices. He advised executive teams that featured founders and CEOs from Marc Benioff, Reid Hoffman, Jack Dorsey, Travis Kalanick, and Brian Chesky, and collaborated with investor groups at Tiger Global Management and BlackRock. Cohler’s advisory roles extended to incubators and accelerators such as Y Combinator, Plug and Play Tech Center, and 500 Startups.

Philanthropy and political activity

Cohler has been active in philanthropic giving and civic engagement, partnering with charitable organizations and foundations including the Gates Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and regional Bay Area nonprofits. His activity has intersected with political advocacy and campaign support tied to issues addressed by groups like Democratic Party (United States), philanthropic collaborations with Obama Foundation, and policy discussions involving technology regulation with legislators in California State Legislature and federal committees including hearings in United States Congress. Cohler’s philanthropic interests have supported education initiatives at institutions such as Yale University, Stanford University, and community programs in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

Category:American venture capitalists Category:People from San Francisco Category:Yale University alumni Category:Stanford University alumni