Kent Bennett

husband, venture capitalist @bessemervp, former greenskeeper

[Kent Bennett @kentbennett]

Congrats bosses.

[Ethan Kurzweil @ethankurz]

Today we’re unveiling @chemistry_fund - a new firm founded by @kshenster, @Mark_Goldberg_ and me. We’re also announcing a debut fund of $350M – dedicated to going all in with a select number of high conviction investments at the Seed and Series A. I couldn’t be more excited to team up with Mark and Kristina after the proverbial lightning bolt struck us all earlier this year: we got in a room (actually, several rooms, and offsites, and underground parking lots) and many working sessions and hummus snacks later, realized we had the exact same vision for how to build a venture firm from scratch (not to mention the chemistry to pull it off 😉). We discovered we were so remarkably aligned on what the industry needs - and let’s face it - what it does NOT need - that we had to burn the boats and build this new thing ourselves.

One thing we were certain of: this new firm would strip away the excess and instead focus maniacally on the true essence - going all in with our founders from the earliest stages. We each said out loud what had been staring us in the face: venture capital isn’t meant to scale. Committing fully and wholeheartedly to each and every one of our investments may not be a recipe for rapid growth, but it’s our north star and built into the very fabric of Chemistry.

All three of us will actively support each investment. We are the portfolio services team. No one else sits between us and our founders. We strive to bring excellence - one of our core firm values - to early-stage investing.

I can’t stress enough how thankful I am to the mentors I’ve been fortunate enough to learn from both inside and outside of Bessemer, the founders I’ve had the pleasure of working with, the seed and angel ecosystem that has served as an amazing sounding board for us along the way, and, finally, the LPs who have taken the plunge with us.

With incredible excitement for what’s to come…
https://t.co/Matk0ebT4C

[Kent Bennett @kentbennett]

@robgo big frankenstein effort from most of the investors at the firm...thank you!

[Kent Bennett @kentbennett]

RIP Legacy Cloud. We had a good run. https://t.co/uOjqtnMzYD

[Kent Bennett @kentbennett]

I miss you already. You’ve been an amazing partner and friend. You’re one of the only reasons I’d ever tweet.

[Ethan Kurzweil @ethankurz]

In summary, thank you to the entire @BessemerVP team for giving me this opportunity and then putting up with me for all of these years! I hope to make everyone at the firm proud as I step into my new role as Bessemer alum. 13/13

[Kent Bennett @kentbennett]

Despite gloomy headlines we're as optimistic about the State of the Cloud as ever thanks to the AI wave transforming the cloud economy - welcome to the Cloud Multiverse! https://t.co/jTs38d9xmC

[Kent Bennett @kentbennett]

On Wish I Knew, I talked to my business school friend—the incomparable Carolyn Childers, CEO & Co-founder of Chief—about the wild ride of entrepreneurship & what it actually takes to build a truly novel community and business model. https://t.co/TgRGOnLrbX

[Kent Bennett @kentbennett]

Special shout out to the team at @ForeVRGames
who showed us that bowling on the moon is a thing now and have us convinced that VR will be part of our future.

[Bessemer @BessemerVP]

🎮VR could be the next consumer earthquake. On our latest roadmap, we break down:

⏰ Why VR could have its moment soon
🥽 Challenges facing VR entrepreneurs
��� Ways we think VR builders will win
4️⃣ Sectors to watch in VR 1.0

Read more here: https://t.co/WlyzUpdpGm

[Kent Bennett @kentbennett]

Cloud valuations are...not great. And they were never a great way to measure the health of the Cloud anyway. That’s why in this year's report we’re introducing the Centaur (or maybe Cent-ARR?), a new club for $100M ARR SaaS businesses. @BessemerVP https://t.co/1ZAMwSg15P

[Adam Fisher @AdamRFisher]

They've always been among us. We just didn't pay attention. The Centaurs will eclipse the Unicorns. https://t.co/OMZg2qdNOP

[Kent Bennett @kentbennett]

Very excited to see what you build at @thegp Phin...best sneaker game in the business.

[Phin Barnes @phineasb]

1/Personal news: After stepping away from @firstround 18 months ago, I’m ecstatic to be joining @danportillo and the whole team from @sweatequityventures to redefine partnership in VC – building The General Partnership. Check @thegp for more on what we’re building and who we are.

[Kent Bennett @kentbennett]

Incredible outcome for an incredible team - I only wish we had more time together!

[Bessemer @BessemerVP]

3 brothers co-founded a personal finance app that changed the way millions manage subscriptions.

Today, Rocket Technologies🚀 announced its acquisition of @truebill for $1.275B.

Read the backstory on what inspired @kentbennett to invest in Truebill✍️ https://t.co/v3R9BYdy9o

[Kent Bennett @kentbennett]

When you build an incredible product for an underserved customer good things happen. Amazed by what Danielle and her team built with limited resources and excited to see what comes next!

[Bessemer @BessemerVP]

Having led the Series A for @glossgenius, we’re proud to see the business platform for beauty professionals raise $19.2M to date 🙌

At Cloud 100 this year, founder/CEO @DCohenShohet shared her mission-driven approach: https://t.co/zmih7LeJIT

Read more👇https://t.co/bUA1PiYXBC

[Alexandra Sukin @AlexandraSukin]

Congrats to the @truebill team for making @theinformation's 50 Most Promising Startups list!😍 cc @kentbennett

[Kent Bennett @kentbennett]

Chris you brought a maniacal focus on customer success that frankly wasn't like anything I'd ever seen from a software company. Congrats on this incredible day.

[Chris Comparato @ChrisComparato]

Today @toasttab makes its debut as a public company on @NYSE. Thank you to our employees, customers and investors for believing in Toast! We’ll continue on our mission of empowering the restaurant community to delight their guests, do what they love and thrive. $TOST

[Kent Bennett @kentbennett]

I’m in awe of this team's relentless obsession for improving every aspect of restaurant life. I didn't get everything right in our original memo, but one thing was spot on “We believe this is the best product team in the restaurant POS space.” It still is. https://t.co/bC3MUkZ3LU

[Kent Bennett @kentbennett]

Congrats to the @Toasttab team on this milestone! When the founders moved into the empty office next to mine, I knew they were different. They ignored the conventional wisdom that restaurant tech was too hard - they just wanted to build something great. https://t.co/MhxmcxeWiG

[Kent Bennett @kentbennett]

Congrats to the @Toasttab team on this milestone! When the founders moved into the empty office next to mine, I knew they were different. They ignored the conventional wisdom that restaurant tech was too hard - they just wanted to build something great. https://t.co/MhxmcxeWiG

[Toast @ToastTab]

And just like that, Toast is officially listed on the @NYSE. 🎉

We’re excited about this milestone, but this is only the beginning of our journey. Thank you to our customers -- you have guided, educated, and trusted us, and we look forward to our ongoing partnership. $TOST

[Toast @ToastTab]

And just like that, Toast is officially listed on the @NYSE. 🎉

We’re excited about this milestone, but this is only the beginning of our journey. Thank you to our customers -- you have guided, educated, and trusted us, and we look forward to our ongoing partnership. $TOST

[Ethan Kurzweil @ethankurz]

Today we announced our seed investment in @forevrgames. @marcussegal and @mikepagano are bringing social to VR allowing fun with friends to transcend distance. Excited to be along for the ride! https://t.co/fYqOE2RYK4 cc/ @bessemervp @SakibDadi @kentbennett

[Alexandra Sukin @AlexandraSukin]

Congratulations to the @truebill team on the announcement of their $45M Series D led by @Accel!

In a world of instant digital transactions, Truebill lets consumers take back control of their spend💸👊

cc @kentbennett @BessemerVP

https://t.co/9uwGmTfQTy

[Ethan Kurzweil @ethankurz]

My cousin Danny Fenster has been detained in Myanmar by the ruling militia. He was a journalist based in Myanmar and was in the process of flying home when he was detained at Yangon International Airport. Please share widely & keep Danny in your thoughts.