Margit Wennmachers

Partner
Andreesen Horowitz
@wennmachers
United States

Wennmachers co-founded OutCast in 1997 and the firm went on to become Facebook’s agency and still today maintains a portfolio of the hottest emerging — and established — companies in technology. (Today OutCast’s clients include Amazon, Box, General Electric, Instagram, Lyft, Oculus, Spotify, among others). In 2005, OutCast was sold to Next 15. 

Wennmachers and Marooney cultivated some of the tech sector’s brightest stars during their 13 years running the firm that is still among the most sought-after in Silicon Valley. Wennmachers' influence within tech circles seems to have only grown since she stepped away from OutCast in 2010 and joined venture capital powerhouse Andreessen Horowitz — also known as a16z — as a partner. (OutCast clients Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreeseen convinced Wennmachers to join their VC firm.) 

As a full partner at the influential VC player, Wennmachers has played a critical role in deploying public relations as a competitive advantage, not only for a16z, but for the many startups that it funds. (The VC has investments in marquee companies such as Airbnb, Facebook, Nicira, Slack, Tanium, Walker and Company Brands, and Zenefits.) Wennmachers is a16z's chief marketer advising the firm and entrepreneurs on their communications and marketing strategies.

“At [a16z] Margit has taken the same approach she applied at OutCast of having the very best talent work with the very best clients,” Next 15 CEO Tim Dyson added. “She's obsessive about the quality of advice and execution...Her approach at [a16z] has caused just about every other VC firm to rethink its marketing. If imitation is the highest form of flattery she should be very flattered.”