After two years as a enterprise capitalist for top-shelf agency Benchmark, Victor Lazarte is leaving that firm to begin his personal investing gig, he introduced on X on Thursday.
Lazarte turned identified in tech for co-founding cellular gaming firm Wildlife Studios, which was final valued at an estimated $3 billion in 2020. Wildlife raised cash from a mess of VCs, together with Benchmark.
Throughout his two years at Benchmark, Lazarte invested in recruiting and information labeling startup Mercor, AI video intelligence platform HeyGen, and AI infrastructure firm Decart AI.
Lazarte is leaving Benchmark to “construct a brand new funding follow,” he wrote within the publish. He had just lately knowledgeable his portfolio firms about his plans to depart Benchmark, in keeping with a supply.
Lazarte is the second investor to step down from Benchmark’s partnership this 12 months. Sarah Tavel introduced in April that she is transitioning to a enterprise companion.
After Lazarte’s departure, remaining companions on the storied agency embrace Peter Fenton, Eric Vishria, and Chetan Puttagunta.
In contrast to most VC companies, the place senior companions usually obtain a higher share of administration charges and income, Benchmark operates as an equal partnership, with all common companions dividing charges and returns equally. Benchmark and Lazarte didn’t instantly reply to our request for extra remark.
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