Don Valentine, 87, founder of venture capital firm Sequoia Capital died Oct. 25 at his home in Woodside, Calif., according to a statement on the firm's website.
"He shaped Sequoia and left his imprint not just on his family and friends and those who worked with him, or the many philanthropic institutions that have invested with Sequoia Capital, but also on the founders and leaders of some of the most significant technology companies of the later part of the 20th century," the statement said.
Mr. Valentine with money manager Capital Group, established Capital Management Services, later known as Sequoia, which formed its first $3 million venture capital fund in 1974.
Capital Management's first fund invested in videogame company Atari and a company started by a onetime Atari employee, Steve Jobs , who along with Steve Wozniak created Apple Computer.
Mr. Valentine drove investments in Oracle, LSI Logic, Microchip Technology, Linear Technology, Network Appliance and Cisco Systems.
In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to the Donald T. Valentine Memorial Fund at Stanford University, c/o Trish Gerber, office of development, Stanford University, 326 Galvez Street, Stanford CA 94305. She can be reached by phone at (650) 736-4020.
