Source: Axios
Summary
Andreessen Horowitz partners Ben Horowitz and Martin Casado sit on the boards of Databricks and Fivetran, respectively. The Department of Justice has reportedly been investigating the arrangement for nearly a year. The case involves a rarely used 112-year-old antitrust law. The companies were not direct competitors when a16z invested. The situation highlights potential conflicts of interest in venture capital.
Our Reading
“The launch follows a familiar script.”
Horowitz and Casado on rival boards. DOJ digging into old laws. Startups not direct rivals yet. VC conflicts nothing new. Justice taking a long look at a16z’s moves.
It’s like a boardroom version of a high school drama, but with more legal jargon and fewer detention slips.
Nothing too scandalous on the surface, but the DOJ is playing the long game.
It’s not the first time VCs have found themselves in tricky positions, but this one feels like a slow burn.
Author: Evan Null
