Mark Suster

Mark Suster is a Managing Partner at Upfront Ventures, the largest venture capital firm in Los Angeles. He joined the firm in 2007 after having previously worked with Upfront Ventures for nearly 8 years as a two-time entrepreneur.

Before joining Upfront, Suster was at the helm of two successful enterprises. His first company, a construction collaboration technology business named BuildOnline, merged with US-based rival Citadon in December 2006. Suster then established a second company, Koral, a content collaboration software business, that was acquired by Salesforce.com in April 2007, where he served as Vice President, Product Management post-acquisition. Suster's early career includes nearly ten years with Accenture in Europe, Japan, and the U.S.

Suster is known for his active involvement in the American high-technology startup scene and the venture capital world. He has led significant investments in companies including Ring, Bird, Invoca, ThreadUp, MakeSpace, mitu, Nanit, Osmo, Tact, and uBeam. Suster's eye for potential can be seen in his initial funding round for Maker Studios, a company that was later acquired by Disney in 2014, and his early investment in the online car-shopping system TrueCar, which went public the same year.

An acclaimed blogger, Suster often shares his insights and perspectives on the startup market. In 2023, he warned about an excess of capital in the startup market potentially leading to business risks for startups. Also, Suster called for a level-headed approach among investors concerning the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in March 2023. In addition to his investment activities, Suster and Upfront annually host the invite-only Upfront Summit in Los Angeles, a prominent VC conference attracting over 1,000 attendees at renowned locations such as Paramount Studios, the Rose Bowl, and the Dolby Theatre.

Suster received a BA in Economics from the University of California, San Diego, and an MBA from the University of Chicago.