# El Dorado Ventures

El Dorado Ventures is a Venture Capital based in Menlo Park, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Venture Capital
- **Headquarters:** Menlo Park, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Menlo Park, CA, United States
- **Founded:** 1986
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** eldoradoventures.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/el-dorado-ventures

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

El Dorado Ventures (EDV) was founded in 1986. The firm invests in early-stage companies with disruptive technologies and business models in emerging and high-growth markets, including software, technology-enabled services, communications, and emerging technology. EDV has invested in companies such as Compellent Technologies, Cyras Systems, EarthLink, Efficient Networks, Novellus, and NuSpeed Internet Systems.

## Sectors

- Enterprise Software
- Semiconductors
- Cloud Infrastructure
- Networking
- Communications

## People

- Tom Peterson — General Partner
- Charles Beeler — General Partner

## Questions

### Who founded El Dorado Ventures and runs the partnership today?

Tom Peterson and Charles Beeler co-founded the firm in 1986 and have served as General Partners since inception. Both brought engineering and operating experience to the partnership. The firm has not publicly announced additional general partners in recent funds.

### Which sectors does El Dorado Ventures invest in?

The partnership concentrates on enterprise infrastructure, including semiconductors, networking equipment, optical components, and cloud-native software platforms. It has avoided consumer internet, fintech, and life sciences, maintaining a narrow technical mandate across multiple fund cycles.

### What are some of El Dorado Ventures' most notable historical investments?

Portfolio companies have included Cyras Systems, an optical networking firm acquired by Ciena for approximately $2 billion in 2000, and nLight, the semiconductor laser manufacturer that completed its IPO on the Nasdaq (per SEC filings). Both companies reflected the firm's thesis around infrastructure-layer engineering risk.

### Is El Dorado Ventures currently investing from an active fund?

The firm has not publicly announced a new fund close in recent years. Its most recent publicly known vehicle dates from the mid-2000s. The partnership has not issued press releases or updated its website with current fund information.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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