Accel, formerly known as Accel Partners, is a global venture capital firm. The company has offices in Palo Alto, California and San Francisco, California, with additional offices in London, and India. The company's most notable investment was a $12.7 million investment in Facebook in May 2005 for 10% of the company, before the company had revenue.
Accel invests in enterprise, SaaS, and consumer companies in seed, early, and growth-stage worldwide.
In 1983, Accel was founded by Arthur Patterson and Jim Swartz. The co-founders developed the firm's "prepared mind" investment philosophy based on the Louis Pasteur quote "chance favors the prepared mind", which they say requires "deep focus" and a disciplined and informed approach to investing.
In 2000, Accel and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts formed Accel-KKR, an independently operated technology-focused private equity investment firm focused on control investments in middle-market companies. In the same year, Accel partnered with IDG Capital to create IDG-Accel, a joint venture focusing on early-stage and growth investments in the Chinese market.
In May 2005, Accel, under the leadership of Jim Breyer, invested $12.7 million for 10% of Facebook, before the company had revenue. This investment became one of the most lucrative in venture capital history and was worth $6.6 billion at the time of the company's initial public offering in 2012.
In December 2019, the company raised $550 million in its 6th investment fund focused on India.
In May 2024, Accel raised a $650 million fund to invest in early-stage companies across Europe and Israel, with a focus on artificial intelligence and computer security. Fundraising was facilitated, in part, by the establishment of Accel's London office in 2000.
In January 2025, Accel raised a $650 million early stage fund for startups in India and South East Asia. This was the firm's 8th fund focused on India.