"Software is eating the world"
Andreessen Horowitz looks for companies with deep technical moats, technology that is hard to replicate. They believe software is transforming every industry, and they invest in founders who understand this transformation at a technical level. a16z evaluates whether a company can become a platform, not just a product.
"In the future, every company will be a software company."
Key Investment Principles
Technical Differentiation
The technology itself should be defensible and difficult to replicate.
Platform Thinking
The best companies become platforms that others build on.
Network Effects
Products that get better as more people use them have sustainable advantages.
Full-Stack Support
a16z provides extensive operational support beyond just capital.
What They Look For
- Deep technical moat or proprietary technology
- Platform potential with ecosystem opportunities
- Network effects that compound over time
- Founders with strong technical backgrounds
- Software-driven transformation of traditional industry
- Scalable architecture and infrastructure
- Clear path to becoming category leader
Red Flags
- Technology easily replicated by competitors
- No clear technical differentiation
- Founders without technical depth
- Products without platform potential
- Missing network effect dynamics
- Incremental rather than transformative tech
Scoring Dimensions
Sophistication and defensibility of core technology
Ability to become a platform others build upon
Product improvement dynamics as usage scales
Technical founder's unique advantage in market
Potential to transform industry through software
Look up these terms in the glossary
Plain-English definitions for the jargon Andreessen Horowitz investors lean on most.
Glossary terms that point to this page
Other glossary entries link back to Andreessen Horowitz through their related terms, jump straight to the definitions that reference this framework.
Pitch deck pillar pages
How Andreessen Horowitz weighs each of the slides investors weigh hardest, long-form deep dives.
Investment Profile
Technical founder with deep expertise building defensible, platform-potential technology
$2M-$100M+ (seed to growth)
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