Monday, June 20, 2016

Venture Capital Pioneer David Morgenthaler Passes Away At 96

David Morgenthaler, the founder of Morgenthaler Ventures--one of the very first venture capital firms to be created--has passed away at the age of 96, according to the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). Morgenthaler--who was past Chair of the NVCA Board of Directors--was also an advisor to Brentwood Associates, an LP at Hambrecht & Quist, had had a very long history in the venture world--having founded Morgenthaler Ventures over 39 years ago. He was the President and Chairman of the NVCA between 1977 and 1979, and before that was CEO of specialty chemicals company Foseco, where he was between 1957 until 1968. Morgenthaler was based in Cleveland, although the firm he created now has a significant presence in Silicon Valley. Morgenthaler entered the technology industry after getting a BS and a MS degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1941.