Kamala Harris Gains Support from 100+ VCs and Tech Execs in Pledge

Kamala Harris has received support from over 100 venture capitalists and tech executives who have united in an online pledge. This backing from key figures in the tech industry underscores her growing influence and support within this sector. The pledge highlights their confidence in her leadership and vision, marking a significant endorsement from influential voices in the technology and venture capital communities.

After Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, gained vocal support from a segment of the tech investing community, a large group of venture capitalists united to support the opposition.

On Wednesday, over 100 VCs pledged their support to Vice President Kamala Harris, the de facto Democratic nominee, as she intensifies her campaign to challenge Trump in the November election.

The group, named VCs for Kamala, includes investors and entrepreneurs from a variety of established and emerging funds, and different demographic groups. Notable members include Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban, Aileen Lee, founder of Cowboy Ventures, and Rebecca Kaden, a partner at Union Square Ventures.

“We spend our days looking for, investing in, and supporting entrepreneurs who are building the future,” the group stated in its pledge. “We are pro-business, pro-American dream, pro-entrepreneurship, and pro-technological progress. We also believe in democracy as the backbone of our nation. We believe that strong, trustworthy institutions are a feature, not a bug, and that our industry — and every other industry — would collapse without them.”

The VCs for Kamala list underscores a growing political divide in Silicon Valley and the broader tech industry. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been vocal in supporting Trump, publicly endorsing him shortly after an assassination attempt earlier this month, while VCs Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz have also declared their support for Trump, claiming his policies would benefit “little tech.”

Musk is also reportedly planning to donate millions to a pro-Trump political action committee, America PAC, along with Sequoia Capital’s Shaun Maguire and 8VC’s Joe Lonsdale. Musk’s close friend and former PayPal colleague David Sacks, co-founder at Craft Ventures, is a strong Trump supporter and spoke at the Republican National Convention earlier this month.

Hoffman, a longtime Democratic donor and partner at venture firm Greylock, shared a link to the pro-Harris pledge on X, the social media site owned by Musk. “Proud to sign the #vcsforkamala pledge,” Hoffman wrote. “It’s an investment in our democratic future.” Erika Lucas, General Partner at VEST Her Ventures, wrote on LinkedIn that there were “a lot of women, particularly Black Women VCs,” behind the pledge, adding, “I’m proud to serve and organize with them as well as our male colleagues. We understand the assignment.”

Leslie Feinzaig, founder of venture fund Graham & Walker and the Female Founders Alliance, is credited with starting VCs for Kamala. She wrote on LinkedIn that investors who signed the pledge manage over $150 billion in assets and include Democrats, moderates, and independents. “Silicon Valley power players that have lost touch with the rest of us don’t speak for all of us,” she wrote. The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to take place in Chicago starting August 19.

For questions or comments write to writers@bostonbrandmedia.com

SOurce: CNBC‍