Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is a privately-held American venture capital firm founded in 2009 by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. The firm invests in technology companies from seed to growth stages, with a focus on areas such as AI, bio + healthcare, consumer, crypto, enterprise, fintech, games, infrastructure, and companies building toward American Dynamism. a16z pioneered the 'platform model' in venture capital, providing extensive operational support to founders through dedicated teams in marketing, talent, legal, and policy. The firm operates with the conviction that software will continue to 'eat the world' and aims to empower entrepreneurs building the future through technology.