# Kohlberg Ventures

Kohlberg Ventures is a Venture Capital based in Portola Valley, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Venture Capital
- **Headquarters:** Portola Valley, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Portola Valley, CA, United States
- **Founded:** 2008
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** kohlbergventures.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/kohlberg-ventures

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Kohlberg Ventures invests in early stage digital media, consumer product, and clean tech companies. The firm makes individual investments ranging from $100,000 to $10 million based on company needs and opportunity size. Kohlberg Ventures is currently investing from its $25 million KV2 fund, having made 28 investments and 8 portfolio exits.

## Sectors

- CleanTech
- Energy Transition & Renewables
- Enterprise Software

## People

- James Kohlberg — Founder and Chairman

## Questions

### How is Kohlberg Ventures related to KKR and Kohlberg & Company?

James Kohlberg is the son of Jerome Kohlberg Jr., who co-founded KKR in 1976 before leaving to establish Kohlberg & Company. Kohlberg Ventures is James Kohlberg's personal investment office, entirely separate from both firms. His brother, Jerome Kohlberg III, also operates a distinct investment entity, Kohlberg Management. The three organizations share a surname and private equity DNA but no overlapping management, commingled funds, or strategic coordination.

### What is Kohlberg Ventures' investment focus?

The firm concentrates on early-stage companies in the energy transition and electrification sectors. Its most publicly recognized positions are in battery technology, residential solar, and grid-scale storage. QuantumScape and Sunrun represent the archetypes: capital-intensive hardware businesses attacking decarbonization at different points in the energy stack. Select enterprise software investments also appear in the portfolio.

### Has Kohlberg Ventures exited any major positions?

Sunrun, one of Kohlberg Ventures' long-held portfolio companies, completed a 2015 IPO and has since grown into the largest residential solar and storage installer in the United States. The firm's stake timeline and realized returns are not publicly reported. QuantumScape's 2020 public listing through a SPAC merger provided liquidity, though Kohlberg Ventures' specific share sales or holding status remain undisclosed.

## Related profiles

- [Kohlberg & Company](https://altss.com/profile/kohlberg-and-company)

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

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