Updated:
Time Ventures
Marc Benioff's personal venture arm, with a portfolio of over 200 early-stage companies spanning enterprise AI, climate, and space.
Time Ventures
Time Ventures is the personal venture capital vehicle of Salesforce co-founder and CEO Marc Benioff. Launched in the mid-2010s, the firm channels Benioff's personal capital into early-stage companies, often co-investing alongside top-tier institutional VCs. While Benioff's name provides a gravitational pull, the firm operates with a lean structure, leveraging his personal network and the broader Salesforce ecosystem to access deals. The firm deploys primarily at the Seed and Series A stages, with an occasional later-stage follow-on. Sectors map closely to Benioff's known interests and Salesforce's adjacency: enterprise software, AI/ML infrastructure, digital health, and climate technology. The portfolio is notably broad; confirmed positions include Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a nuclear fusion developer; SpaceX, where Time Ventures participated alongside other prominent private investors; and carbon-removal company Charm Industrial. Geographic deployment concentrates on the US, particularly the Bay Area, though climate and deep-tech bets have a broader continental footprint. Benioff runs Time Ventures alongside his duties at Salesforce, with a small team managing deal flow, diligence, and portfolio support. The firm does not disclose assets under management or a fixed fund size, operating instead as a flexible allocation from his personal balance sheet. Time Ventures also coordinates with Benioff's philanthropic initiatives, notably the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory and his widely publicized commitments to reforestation and ocean health via the Benioffs' giving pledge. In 2024, Time Ventures continued activity with investments in AI-powered enterprise tools and expanded climate-tech positions (per public record, 2024). What distinguishes Time Ventures structurally is its origin: not a spun-out wealth management team or a family office formalized across generations, but a first-generation tech founder deploying his own liquidity at the intersection of his commercial and philanthropic thesis. The firm can move quickly, write checks against conviction rather than a fund mandate, and provide portfolio companies access to one of the most influential networks in enterprise software without the signaling risk of a corporate venture arm. Succession and long-term structure remain private matters, as the vehicle reflects the ongoing investment posture of its single principal.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Francisco
Corporate office
San Francisco, CA, United States
Principals
Marc Benioff
Founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who makes investment decisions at Time Ventures?
Marc Benioff is the central decision-maker. Time Ventures is his personal venture capital vehicle, and he is reported to take an active role in investment decisions. The firm does not publicly disclose an investment committee or other named partners, operating instead through a small team that manages deal flow on his behalf.
How does Time Ventures source its deals?
Deal flow is heavily driven by Benioff's personal network as the CEO of Salesforce and a prominent Silicon Valley figure. The firm typically co-invests alongside established venture capital firms, which provides both sourced opportunities and external due-diligence validation. Founders in the Salesforce ecosystem also represent a network-based sourcing channel.
Does Time Ventures operate as a corporate venture arm of Salesforce?
No. Time Ventures is a personal investment vehicle for Marc Benioff and is structurally separate from Salesforce Ventures, the company's formal corporate venture arm. This independence allows Time Ventures to invest without the strategic signaling or balance-sheet constraints that can accompany a corporate venture capital unit, even though the portfolio often aligns with enterprise software and cloud infrastructure themes.
What investment stages does Time Ventures target?
Time Ventures primarily targets early-stage rounds, including Seed and Series A. The firm will occasionally participate in later-stage funding rounds for existing portfolio companies. Its check sizes are not publicly standardized, and deployment reflects the flexibility of a personal balance-sheet vehicle rather than a fixed fund structure.
Is there a connection between Time Ventures and Marc Benioff's philanthropy?
While Time Ventures is a for-profit investment vehicle, its capital allocation overlaps with Benioff's philanthropic focus areas — particularly climate and ocean health. These commitments are made alongside the Benioff family's significant grant-making and giving-pledge activity, though the venture investments pursue financial returns rather than a program-related or concessionary investment mandate.
Does Time Ventures accept outside capital?
No. Time Ventures deploys Marc Benioff's personal capital exclusively. It does not raise funds from institutional limited partners or high-net-worth individuals, and is not structured as a multi-family office or registered investment advisor open to external allocators.
How large is the Time Ventures portfolio?
The portfolio is reported to include over 200 companies, spanning sectors from enterprise software and AI to climate technology and aerospace. The firm does not disclose total invested capital or a specific net asset value, and holdings are tracked through regulatory filings and public announcements rather than a centralized directory.
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 venture capital firms?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: