Redpoint Entrepreneur-In-Residence Program

There is only one way to build great companies. You have to start with great entrepreneurs. We have a successful history of partnering with outstanding entrepreneurs through our Entrepreneur-in-Residence program. Teaming up early on allows us to accelerate the time it takes to identify a large market opportunity—and build a great company to go after it.

EIR offers select entrepreneurs (visionaries; well-known in their segment area; people magnets) the opportunity to tap into our domain knowledge and network as well as our deal flow and deep understanding of early-stage dynamics. EIRs typically join with a vision in a specific area, which they develop and hone with one or more of the Redpoint partners. They work as a cohesive team with Redpoint partners adding insights, filling gaps in talent, and helping create a business plan. Additionally, EIRs gain access to the entire Redpoint network of CEOs, entrepreneurs, and experts.

“It was great hanging with the Redpoint partners brainstorming ideas and looking at different sectors and disruptive plays as well as helping them with their diligence process. I spent quite some time with the Redpoint guys before I started Clicker. I highly recommend the EIR program.”

Jim Lanzone
CEO/Founder of Clicker

A valuable extension of the program taps another kind of EIR—the Executive-in-Residence. These leaders (who may have been entrepreneurs themselves) are established experts in their field and contribute to this specific area while at Redpoint. Their vital involvement often leads to a position on the senior management team or serving as the CEO.

We benefit from each of our EIR’s hands-on experience taking companies from concept to reality, building world-class management teams, and executing flawlessly. EIRs, who sit alongside partners, help examine and strategize on the strengths and weaknesses of deals we see in their segment area.

It’s a partnership that works. Satish Dharmaraj—one of the original Java architects at Sun Microsystems—joined us as an EIR in 2003 to incubate an enterprise messaging and collaboration platform. The concept became Zimbra and Redpoint supported Satish with key executive talent and led the first round of funding. Zimbra became one of the most exciting open source companies with a world-class management team and was acquired by Yahoo! for $350 million in 2007.

Zimbra is only one example. Turnstone is another. There’s also Shasta, OneBox, Strangeberry, and Rapid City Communications. We’ve seen again and again how bold ideas supported by the appropriate resources and nurtured by the right people can create great companies that change the world. If you’d like to partner with us in this way, drop one of us a line.