Updated:
The 98
The 98 was established in 2015 by Benoit and Marie Dageville, following Benoit's co-founding of Snowflake Computing, the cloud data platform that went...
The 98
The 98 was established in 2015 by Benoit and Marie Dageville, following Benoit's co-founding of Snowflake Computing, the cloud data platform that went public in 2020 in the largest software IPO on record at the time. The wealth originates primarily from Benoit's Snowflake equity, with Marie Dageville, a former technology executive herself, serving as a co-founder and active principal in the family office's design and philanthropic direction. Deployment spans direct venture capital, fund commitments, and significant philanthropic catalytic giving. The 98 has made direct technology investments in software infrastructure and AI/ML, consistent with the Dagevilles' deep operator roots. Confirmed portfolio positions include stakes in enterprise software and climate technology ventures, per the firm's official communications. The family office operates across a deliberate geographic spread — with offices in New York, Menlo Park, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Decatur, Greenwich, and Madison — reflecting a multi-hub posture that enables sourcing through operator networks in both coastal tech hubs and under-covered domestic innovation corridors. The Dagevilles have publicly committed to deploying the majority of their wealth toward philanthropic and impact-oriented initiatives, organized through The 98 and its affiliated giving structures. Benoit and Marie formalized their intent in 2021 by publicly joining The Giving Pledge, a move that sets an explicit deployment trajectory for the family's capital and signals a long-term time horizon across both investment and grant-making arms. The family office's professional team size and total deployment figures remain undisclosed (Altss estimate places the total pool under management between $500M and $1B based on Snowflake equity value, liquidity events, and observable activity). What structurally differentiates The 98 is its integration of an express Giving Pledge mandate directly into the family office's core — the investment function and philanthropic operation run as coordinated allocations toward a stated goal of giving away the majority of the fortune within the principals' lifetimes. This design reduces the common separation between a family's financial investment vehicle and its later-life foundation, making The 98 operate as a single, time-bound deployment engine spanning venture, fund commitments, and direct catalytic grants rather than a perpetual capital preservation vehicle.
General information
Firm type
Multi Family Office
Year founded
2015
AUM
$500M - $1B (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
New York, NY, United States
Additional offices
Decatur, GA · Los Angeles, CA · Atlanta, GA · Menlo Park, CA · Chicago, IL · Greenwich, CT · Madison, WI
Principals
Marie Dageville
Co-Founder
Benoit Dageville
Co-Founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at The 98?
Benoit and Marie Dageville serve as principals and co-founders of The 98, with investment decisions made through the family office's internal team operating across multiple US offices. The specific CIO or investment committee structure is not publicly detailed, consistent with the firm's low-profile posture.
Where does the underlying wealth at The 98 come from?
The wealth originates from Benoit Dageville's role as co-founder and President of Products of Snowflake Computing, the cloud data warehousing company he launched in 2012 with Thierry Cruanes and Marcin Żukowski. Snowflake's September 2020 IPO — the largest software IPO on record at the time — generated the liquidity that funds The 98's investment and philanthropic activity.
Is The 98 structured as a single family office or does it serve other families?
The 98 operates as a multi-family office, though its public-facing activity is anchored in the Dageville family's capital and giving. The multi-family designation suggests that additional principals — likely other Snowflake early executives or technology operators — participate in the office's investment and co-investment structures.
How is The 98 related to the Dagevilles' Giving Pledge commitment?
Benoit and Marie Dageville joined The Giving Pledge in 2021, committing to give away the majority of their wealth during their lifetimes. The 98 serves as the primary vehicle through which both investment returns and philanthropic grant-making are coordinated, rather than maintaining a separate foundation that operates independently from the family office.
Does The 98 make direct investments or commit to external funds?
The 98 participates in both direct venture investments and external fund commitments. The family office's operator background — Benoit Dageville's decades in enterprise software architecture — informs a direct-investment capability in software infrastructure and AI/ML, while its multi-office network enables fund-manager access across coastal and inland US geographies.
Which investment stages and sectors does The 98 target?
The family office invests across early-stage and growth-stage venture, concentrated in enterprise software, AI/ML, climate technology, and the energy transition — sectors that align with Benoit Dageville's technical operator background. The firm's public grant-making activity also extends to education access and digital health.
What is The 98's geographic footprint, and how does it shape deal sourcing?
The 98 maintains eight offices across the US: New York, Menlo Park, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Decatur (GA), Greenwich (CT), and Madison (WI). This multi-hub structure combines presence in traditional venture centers with offices in the Southeast, Midwest, and smaller innovation corridors, providing access to founder networks outside the typical Sand Hill Road orbit.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on family offices?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: