Why Menlo Ventures: Interviews, Careers, & Portfolio

Menlo Ventures Overview

Menlo Ventures is a venture capital firm and a veteran player in Silicon Valley. 

They invest in transformative technology companies across various stages – from seed funding to growth rounds. They are committed to backing founders who are changing the way we live and work through disruptive technologies.

The firm typically invests in sectors like consumer internet, mobile, communications infrastructure, enterprise security, and storage.

H. DuBose Montgomery founded Menlo Ventures in 1976.

Menlo Ventures AUM

According to Venture Capital Journal, Menlo Ventures has $5.8 billion in assets under management.

Menlo Ventures Interview Process & Questions

Firms may adjust their interview process for each candidate, but if you’re interviewing at Menlo Ventures (or a similar firm), here’s what you can typically expect:

• Approximately 4-6 interview rounds.
• Initial interviews are usually conducted by junior investment professionals or the HR team, while senior staff handle the later rounds.
• The entire process generally takes several weeks, unless it is part of “on-cycle” or “on-campus” recruiting.

At Menlo Ventures, interviews will include a mix of fit questions, behavioral questions, and technical/investing questions.

If you need assistance preparing for interviews, check out my Growth Equity Interview Guide.

Why Menlo Ventures

“Why this firm?” is one of the most common and crucial interview questions.

If you’ve done some networking, this is a great opportunity to mention anyone you’ve met at the firm and how they made a positive impression on you.

One of the best ways to learn about a firm is by listening to interviews with its founders or investors.

For example, here’s an interview with Menlo Ventures Partner Matt Murphy:

More Interviews

• Upfront Ventures Kobie Fuller interviews Menlo Ventures Partner Matt Murphy
• Interview with Naomi Ionita, Partner at Menlo Ventures

Menlo Ventures Case Study

Interviewees almost always encounter a case study during interviews. These case studies help firms evaluate your technical knowledge and communication skills.

At firms like Menlo Ventures, most case studies focus on financial modeling and investment recommendations. However, junior roles often include a cold calling case study as well.

If you need help preparing for case studies, check out our Growth Equity Interview Guide.

Menlo Ventures Salary & Compensation

According to publicly available data, associates at Menlo Ventures have earned salaries of $180K per year. Meanwhile, investors at Menlo Ventures have (median) salaries of $260K per year. No recent data for analyst hires.

Figure may vary depending on your experience and qualifications.

Associate

Investor

Menlo Ventures Careers, Jobs, & Internships

To find open positions at Menlo Ventures, go to our job board, which lists all available roles for them and similar firms.

Menlo Ventures Portfolio & Investments

According to Crunchbase, Menlo Ventures has made 783 investments across nine funds. Some of their notable deals include Higgsfield, Brain Jar Games, and Barnyard Games.

Notable Transaction: Kabata

Kabata dumbbells incorporate built-in sensors to facilitate velocity-based training (VBT), tracking reps, time under tension, power, and calorie expenditure.

Powered by AI-driven software, these dumbbells tailor a training regimen to users’ abilities, dynamically adjusting weights and modifying exercises based on form quality.

On May 21, 2024, the intelligent dumbbell manufacturer secured $5M in a seed funding round led by Menlo Ventures, with contributions from numerous athlete-investors, including NFL player Bradley Chubb.

Building upon a previous $2M raise two years prior, the company is gearing up to ship its inaugural units this autumn.

With the surge in strength training interest, companies that can leverage data for personalized guidance, tangible outcomes, and safety measures are poised for success. For Kabata, this entails demonstrating that AI can consistently outperform traditional methods.

Next Steps

If you want to apply as a professional investor at Menlo Ventures, I would recommend checking out my Growth Equity Interview Guide first.

This self-paced online course will help you increase your chances of securing your target role as it tackles the commonly asked topics and concepts during interviews.

See what’s inside the course and start learning today!