David Cowan photo
Investor profile

David Cowan

Partner, Bessemer Venture Partners

About

David Cowan stands out among venture capitalists for personally co-founding three cybersecurity companies from inside Bessemer's offices—including VeriSign, where he served as founding chairman and CFO—blurring the line between investor and operator in an unusually hands-on way. He also pioneered the proactive investment roadmap approach, where he and his partners pick specific frontiers like quantum computing or space technology, then conduct deep research and seek out founders rather than waiting for deals to arrive in his inbox. David Cowan stands out among venture capitalists for personally co-founding three cybersecurity companies from inside Bessemer's offices—including VeriSign, where he served as founding chairman and CFO—blurring the line between investor and operator in an unusually hands-on way. He also pioneered the proactive investment roadmap approach, where he and his partners pick specific frontiers like quantum computing or space technology, then conduct deep research and seek out founders rather than waiting for deals to arrive in his inbox.

Works at

Investment focus

Stages
Seed
Series A
Series B+
Sectors
SaaS
FinTech
Consumer
Health
AI

Investment details

Avg check size$500K - $100M
Can lead rounds
Yes
Geographies
USA
Canada
Israel
Asia-Pacific
Europe