MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--USVP, a top-tier early-stage venture capital firm, has announced the passing of founder and inspirational leader, William K. Bowes, Jr., known affectionately by everyone as just “Bill.” Bill passed away peacefully in his home on Wednesday, December 28.
Bill was not only the founder of U.S. Venture Partners (“USVP”), he was one of the true pioneers of Silicon Valley and venture capital, bringing wealth and prominence to California and the U.S. economy as a whole. As a senior partner in corporate finance at Blyth & Co., Bill was the lead underwriter of both Hewlett-Packard and Raychem. He was also a personal investor in many of the earliest startups that later defined Silicon Valley.
“Bill’s humble quiet leadership style and impeccable ethics came to define the ‘class act’ investor that he was,” said Phil Young, General Partner. “We will dearly miss Bill’s presence, mentoring, leadership and participation in our partners’ meetings. His inspiration will remain a guiding principle in all of our activities as we seek to continue that legacy in the years ahead. Today, almost 40 years after he founded USVP, we believe the wisdom and culture Bill Bowes inculcated in USVP will remain alive and well in our current partnership.”
Bill originally founded USVP in response to requests from a number of investors in Europe who wanted a way to participate in the emerging venture capital market in the United States. Personifying his visionary leadership style, Bill’s first move was to recruit two seasoned operating executives, from retail and technology industries, to join him as his two senior partners. Though commonplace now, it was unusual at the time for a venture firm to seek and involve operating executives. Before then, venture investing was largely being done by those with financial or investment management backgrounds.
The wisdom of this pioneering personnel strategy is now evident throughout the Valley. Bill maintained that philosophy when he recruited successor generations at USVP, bringing in seasoned operating executives from the semiconductor, computer and medical device industries. The proven value of former operating executives with domain expertise in senior partnership positions continues as a major part of the culture at USVP today, thanks to Bill’s vision and quiet leadership.
U.S. Venture Partners (USVP) is a leading Silicon Valley venture capital firm, partnering with entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into world-changing companies. USVP has invested in over 400 companies spanning three decades, including: Box, Castlight Health, Check Point Software, Concur, GoPro, Guidewire Software, HotelTonight, Imperva, InsideSales.com, Intersect ENT, Omada Health, OncoMed, SanDisk, Sun Microsystems, Trunk Club, Trusteer, Yammer, and Zerto. USVP focuses on early-stage start-ups that transform cybersecurity, enterprise software, consumer mobile and e-commerce, and healthcare. The USVP team consists of former entrepreneurs, technologists, corporate executives, and financial professionals who assist with strategy, scaling, team building, product development, and business development. USVP is based in Menlo Park, California. More information can be found at www.usvp.com.
