Benchmark
About Benchmark
Benchmark is headquartered in San Francisco, US. The founding date, founding partners and the partners who lead its AI investing were not confirmed in our research, so they are not listed here. The firm's website and LinkedIn page are the places to check for team details.
The Lounge deals desk records several AI rounds with Benchmark as lead. These are Instinct's Series B of $250M (August 2026) and Series C of $1B (September 2026), Decade's $85M seed round (August 2026), Eigen's $15M seed round (April 2026) and Hone's $60M seed round (October 2026). The desk also records Benchmark in Cerebras Systems' $1B Series H (February 2026) and Legora's $550M Series E (October 2026), but it does not show a lead for those two rounds. Round sizes shown here belong to the companies, not to Benchmark's own checks.
Benchmark's focus tags on Lounge are Seed, Series A and Series B. Its check sizes are not public in the sources we reviewed, so none are stated here.
- Instinct: description not confirmed in our research. Series C of $1B (2026-09), led by Benchmark, after a Series B of $250M (2026-08), also led by Benchmark.
- Decade: description not confirmed in our research. Seed round of $85M (2026-08), led by Benchmark.
- Eigen: description not confirmed in our research. Seed round of $15M (2026-04), led by Benchmark.
- Hone: description not confirmed in our research. Seed round of $60M (2026-10), led by Benchmark.
- Cerebras Systems: Series H of $1B (2026-02). Benchmark's role in this round is not recorded on Lounge.
- Legora: Series E of $550M (2026-10). Benchmark's role in this round is not recorded on Lounge.
Investing activity
Benchmark appears in 7 AI deals tracked by the AI Lounge deals desk, rounds totalling $2.96B, and led 5 of them. The rounds are mostly Seed, Series E and Series C, with a median round size of $250M and the largest at $1B. The most recent are Legora (Series E, $550M, Oct 2026), Hone (Seed, $60M, Oct 2026) and Instinct (Series C, $1B, Sep 2026).
Benchmark most often invests alongside Atreides Management, Index Ventures, SV Angel and Coatue, and the companies it backs on AI Lounge are mostly in AI, Consumer AI agent and Legal AI.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Benchmark
Does Benchmark invest in AI startups?
Yes. The Lounge deals desk lists Benchmark in several AI rounds from 2026, including Instinct, Decade, Eigen and Hone, where it is recorded as lead.
What stages does Benchmark invest in?
Benchmark's focus tags on Lounge include Seed, Series A and Series B. Its check sizes are not public, so the firm's website is the best place to check current criteria.
Where is Benchmark based?
Benchmark is headquartered in San Francisco, US, according to the Lounge profile.
What is Benchmark's fund size?
Fund sizes were not confirmed in our research, so none are listed here. Founders should check the firm's website or fund filings for current figures.
Who leads Benchmark's AI investing?
The partners who lead AI investing were not confirmed in our research. The firm's website and LinkedIn page are the best sources for current partner names.
What AI companies has Benchmark invested in?
Benchmark's AI investments include Legora, Hone, Instinct, Decade, Eigen and Cerebras Systems. The 7 rounds on AI Lounge are listed on this page with amounts, dates and co-investors.
What stage does Benchmark invest at?
In the rounds tracked on AI Lounge, Benchmark has invested at Seed, Series E, Series C and Series B, with a median round of $250M. Benchmark led 5 of those rounds.
Who does Benchmark co-invest with?
Benchmark's most frequent co-investors on AI Lounge are Atreides Management (2 deals), Index Ventures (2 deals), SV Angel (2 deals), Coatue (2 deals) and JPMorgan Chase (1 deal).
How can founders reach Benchmark?
Founders on AI Lounge can see Benchmark's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with the firm under Warm Paths, and add Benchmark to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.