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{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name         = Marc Andreessen
| name = Marc Andreessen
| birth_name   = Marc Lowell Andreessen
| birth_name = Marc Lowell Andreessen
| birth_date   = {{Birth date and age|1971|7|9}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|7|9}}
| birth_place = [[Cedar Falls, Iowa]], U.S.
| birth_place = Cedar Falls, Iowa, U.S.
| nationality = American
| nationality = American
| education   = [[University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign]] (BS)
| education = University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (BS)
| occupation   = Venture capitalist, businessman, software engineer
| occupation = Venture capitalist, businessman, software engineer
| known_for   = Co-creator of [[Mosaic (web browser)|Mosaic]], co-founder of [[Netscape]], co-founder of [[Andreessen Horowitz]]
| known_for = Co-creator of Mosaic, co-founder of Netscape, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz
| awards       = [[Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering]]
| awards = Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering
| website =
}}
}}


'''Marc Lowell Andreessen''' (born July 9, 1971) is an American businessman, [[venture capitalist]], and former [[software engineer]] who played a formative role in the development of the [[World Wide Web]]. As the co-author of [[Mosaic (web browser)|Mosaic]], the first widely used web browser capable of displaying inline images alongside text, Andreessen helped transform the internet from an academic tool into a mass medium.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marc Andreessen {{!}} Biography & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marc-Andreessen |publisher=Britannica |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> He subsequently co-founded [[Netscape Communications Corporation]], whose Netscape Navigator browser became the dominant gateway to the web in the mid-1990s and whose initial public offering in August 1995 is often cited as the event that ignited the [[dot-com boom]]. Andreessen appeared on the cover of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine in February 1996, symbolizing the ascent of a new generation of technology entrepreneurs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Time Magazine Cover: Marc Andreessen |url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101960219,00.html |publisher=Time Inc. |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
'''Marc Lowell Andreessen''' (born July 9, 1971) is an American businessman, venture capitalist, and former software engineer who helped shape the commercial internet through a series of consequential software and business ventures beginning in the early 1990s. He is best known as the co-author of [[Mosaic (web browser)|Mosaic]], the first widely used web browser capable of displaying inline images, and as the co-founder of [[Netscape|Netscape Communications Corporation]], whose Netscape Navigator browser became the dominant gateway to the World Wide Web during the mid-1990s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marc Andreessen {{!}} Biography & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marc-Andreessen |publisher=Britannica |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Andreessen later co-founded the software company Loudcloud (subsequently renamed Opsware), which was acquired by Hewlett-Packard, and the social networking platform Ning. In 2009, he co-founded [[Andreessen Horowitz]], a Silicon Valley venture capital firm that has become one of the most prominent technology investment firms in the world. Over the course of his career, Andreessen has served on the boards of several major technology companies, including Facebook. His 2011 essay "Why Software Is Eating the World" articulated a thesis about the centrality of software to the modern economy that has remained influential in technology and business circles.<ref>{{cite news |date=2026-02-13 |title=Marc Andreessen made a dire software prediction 15 years ago. Now it's happening in a way nobody imagined |url=https://fortune.com/2026/02/13/marc-andreessen-software-eating-the-world-saaspocalypse-morgan-stanley-gut-check-displaced-labor/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> In recent years, Andreessen has emerged as a vocal commentator on artificial intelligence, economic productivity, and technology policy, including serving as an advisor to President Donald Trump beginning in 2024.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-11-05 |title=Tech Billionaire Marc Andreessen Bet Big on Trump. It's Paying Off for Silicon Valley. |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-cfpb-marc-andreessen-silicon-valley |work=ProPublica |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
 
After Netscape's acquisition by [[AOL]], Andreessen co-founded several additional technology companies, including [[Loudcloud]] (later renamed [[Opsware]]), which was sold to [[Hewlett-Packard]], and [[Ning]], a platform for creating social networking websites. In 2009, he co-founded the venture capital firm [[Andreessen Horowitz]] (also known as "a16z") with longtime business partner [[Ben Horowitz]]. The firm grew into one of the most prominent investment vehicles in [[Silicon Valley]], backing companies across software, cryptocurrency, and [[artificial intelligence]]. In 2011, Andreessen authored the influential essay "Why Software Is Eating the World," which argued that software companies were poised to disrupt and dominate large sectors of the economy.<ref>{{cite news |title=Marc Andreessen made a dire software prediction 15 years ago. Now it's happening in a way nobody imagined |url=https://fortune.com/2026/02/13/marc-andreessen-software-eating-the-world-saaspocalypse-morgan-stanley-gut-check-displaced-labor/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


== Early Life ==
== Early Life ==


Marc Lowell Andreessen was born on July 9, 1971, in [[Cedar Falls, Iowa]]. He grew up in the Midwestern United States. Details about his parents and family background remain limited in published sources, though his childhood in a small Iowa city has been noted by biographers as an unlikely origin point for someone who would become one of the central figures of the internet revolution.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marc Andreessen {{!}} Biography & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marc-Andreessen |publisher=Britannica |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Marc Lowell Andreessen was born on July 9, 1971, in Cedar Falls, Iowa.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marc Andreessen {{!}} Biography & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marc-Andreessen |publisher=Britannica |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> He grew up in New Lisbon, Wisconsin, a small town in the rural Midwest. From an early age, Andreessen demonstrated an interest in computers and technology. As a child, he taught himself BASIC programming using a library book, initially working on a Commodore 64 home computer. This early self-directed education in computing foreshadowed the technical aptitude that would define his career.


Andreessen developed an early interest in computing and technology. He taught himself to program during his youth, a pursuit that would later prove foundational to his career in software development. His upbringing in the American Midwest, far from the technology corridors of California or the East Coast, gave little outward indication of the trajectory his career would take.
Andreessen's upbringing in the Midwest, far from the technology centers of Silicon Valley or the East Coast research universities, gave him an outsider's perspective that he has referenced throughout his career. His interest in computing persisted through his adolescence, and he pursued this interest formally when he enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.


== Education ==
== Education ==


Andreessen attended the [[University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign]], where he earned a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in [[computer science]]. While an undergraduate, he worked at the university's [[National Center for Supercomputing Applications]] (NCSA), a federally funded research center that was at the forefront of high-performance computing and networking research.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marc Andreessen {{!}} Biography & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marc-Andreessen |publisher=Britannica |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Andreessen attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marc Andreessen {{!}} Biography & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marc-Andreessen |publisher=Britannica |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> While a student there, he worked at the university's National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), one of the original centers established by the National Science Foundation's supercomputing initiative. It was at NCSA that Andreessen, together with programmer Eric Bina, developed the Mosaic web browser, a project that would prove foundational to the commercialization of the internet. The work at NCSA placed Andreessen at the intersection of academic research and practical software development at a moment when the World Wide Web, invented by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN, was beginning to expand beyond the scientific community.
 
It was at the NCSA that Andreessen, together with programmer [[Eric Bina]], developed the Mosaic web browser. The project, begun in late 1992 and released in 1993, represented a significant advance in the usability of the World Wide Web by integrating images directly into the browsing experience, rather than requiring users to open them in separate windows. Mosaic's graphical interface made the web accessible to non-technical users for the first time and contributed substantially to the rapid growth of internet adoption in the early 1990s.<ref>{{cite web |title=The History of the Net — Chapter 4 |url=http://www.netvalley.com/cgi-bin/intval/net_history.pl?chapter=4 |publisher=Net Valley |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


== Career ==
== Career ==
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=== Mosaic and the Birth of the Web Browser ===
=== Mosaic and the Birth of the Web Browser ===


Andreessen's work on the Mosaic web browser at the NCSA marked his first major contribution to the technology industry. Mosaic was not the first web browser—earlier browsers such as [[WorldWideWeb (browser)|WorldWideWeb]] and [[Line Mode Browser]] had been created by [[Tim Berners-Lee]] and others at [[CERN]]—but it was the first to combine text and images on a single page in an intuitive graphical interface. Released in 1993 for [[Unix]], [[Windows]], and [[Macintosh]] platforms, Mosaic spread rapidly among academic and then general audiences.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marc Andreessen {{!}} Biography & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marc-Andreessen |publisher=Britannica |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
In 1993, while working at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois, Andreessen and Eric Bina created Mosaic, a graphical web browser that represented a significant advance in making the World Wide Web accessible to non-technical users.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marc Andreessen {{!}} Biography & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marc-Andreessen |publisher=Britannica |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Prior to Mosaic, web browsers were largely text-based and required considerable technical knowledge to operate. Mosaic was the first browser to display images inline with text on the same page, rather than in separate windows, a design decision that made web pages visually coherent and intuitive for mainstream users.<ref>{{cite web |title=Net History |url=http://www.netvalley.com/cgi-bin/intval/net_history.pl?chapter=4 |publisher=Net Valley |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


The browser's popularity demonstrated the commercial potential of the World Wide Web and attracted the attention of [[Jim Clark]], the founder of [[Silicon Graphics]]. Clark approached Andreessen in early 1994 with a proposal to start a new company that would build on the concepts pioneered in Mosaic.
Mosaic was released for multiple operating systems, including Unix, Windows, and Macintosh, which broadened its reach. The browser's user-friendly graphical interface contributed to a rapid expansion in the number of people using the World Wide Web. It is credited with playing a key role in popularizing the internet beyond academic and government circles, helping to launch the era of commercial web activity that followed in the mid-to-late 1990s.


=== Netscape Communications ===
=== Netscape Communications ===


In April 1994, Andreessen and Jim Clark co-founded Mosaic Communications Corporation, which was soon renamed [[Netscape Communications Corporation]] to avoid trademark disputes with the University of Illinois. The company developed [[Netscape Navigator]], a commercial web browser that improved upon the Mosaic concept with greater speed, stability, and features. Navigator quickly captured a dominant share of the browser market, reportedly reaching over 80 percent usage at its peak.
After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1993, Andreessen moved to California, where he was recruited by Jim Clark, the founder of Silicon Graphics, to start a new company. Together, they co-founded Mosaic Communications Corporation in April 1994, which was later renamed Netscape Communications Corporation to avoid trademark disputes with the University of Illinois and NCSA.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marc Andreessen {{!}} Biography & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marc-Andreessen |publisher=Britannica |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Netscape's [[initial public offering]] on August 9, 1995, became one of the landmark events in technology business history. The stock, initially priced at $28 per share, soared to $75 on its first day of trading before closing at $58.25. The IPO valued the company at approximately $2.9 billion, a remarkable figure for a firm that had yet to turn a profit. The event is frequently cited as the catalyst for the broader [[dot-com bubble]], drawing widespread public and investor attention to the commercial possibilities of the internet.<ref>{{cite web |title=BusinessWeek: Netscape |url=http://www.businessweek.com/1998/15/topstory.htm |publisher=BusinessWeek |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Netscape developed and released Netscape Navigator, a commercial web browser that built upon and improved the concepts Andreessen and his team had pioneered with Mosaic. Navigator quickly captured a dominant share of the web browser market and became the primary means by which millions of people accessed the internet during the mid-1990s. The company's initial public offering (IPO) on August 9, 1995, was one of the most notable events of the early internet era. Netscape's stock price soared on its first day of trading, an event that is often cited as a catalyst for the dot-com boom.


Andreessen, then 24 years old, became the public face of the internet boom. He appeared on the cover of ''Time'' magazine on February 19, 1996, barefoot and seated on a throne-like chair, an image that came to symbolize the brash confidence of the first generation of internet entrepreneurs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Time Magazine Cover: Marc Andreessen |url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101960219,00.html |publisher=Time Inc. |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Andreessen, then only 24 years old, appeared on the cover of ''Time'' magazine in February 1996, an indication of the public fascination with both the internet and its young entrepreneurs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Time Magazine Cover: Marc Andreessen |url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101960219,00.html |publisher=Time Inc. |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> He served as Netscape's chief technology officer and later as executive vice president.


Netscape subsequently engaged in the so-called [[browser wars]] with [[Microsoft]], whose [[Internet Explorer]] browser was bundled with the [[Windows]] operating system beginning in 1995. Microsoft's aggressive distribution strategy eroded Netscape's market share over the following years. In 1998, Netscape released the source code of its browser under an open-source license, creating the [[Mozilla]] project. Later that year, [[AOL]] acquired Netscape for approximately $4.2 billion in stock.<ref>{{cite web |title=BusinessWeek: Netscape and AOL |url=http://www.businessweek.com/1998/15/b3573002.htm |publisher=BusinessWeek |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Netscape's dominance was challenged by Microsoft, which bundled its Internet Explorer browser with the Windows operating system, sparking what became known as the "browser wars." The competitive pressure from Microsoft contributed to Netscape's declining market share. In 1998, Netscape was acquired by America Online (AOL) in a deal valued at approximately $4.2 billion.<ref>{{cite news |title=Netscape-AOL Deal |url=http://www.businessweek.com/1998/15/topstory.htm |work=BusinessWeek |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Netscape-AOL Coverage |url=http://www.businessweek.com/1998/15/b3573002.htm |work=BusinessWeek |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Before the acquisition, Netscape had released the source code of its browser under an open-source license, a decision that eventually led to the creation of the Mozilla project and, subsequently, the Firefox browser.


=== Loudcloud and Opsware ===
=== Loudcloud and Opsware ===


After leaving Netscape, Andreessen co-founded [[Loudcloud]] in 1999 with [[Ben Horowitz]], [[Tim Howes]], and [[In Sik Rhee]]. Loudcloud was a cloud computing infrastructure company that provided managed hosting services, a concept that was ahead of its time but proved difficult to sustain through the dot-com crash of 2000–2001.
Following his time at Netscape, Andreessen co-founded Loudcloud in 1999 with Ben Horowitz, Tim Howes, and In Sik Rhee. Loudcloud was a cloud computing and managed services company that provided infrastructure services for internet businesses during the dot-com era. The company went public in 2001, but the collapse of the dot-com bubble severely affected its customer base and business model.


In 2002, the company sold its managed services business to [[Electronic Data Systems]] (EDS) and pivoted to enterprise software, renaming itself [[Opsware]]. The company developed software for automating data center operations. In 2007, [[Hewlett-Packard]] acquired Opsware for approximately $1.6 billion, providing a significant return for Andreessen and his co-founders and validating the enterprise software strategy they had adopted after the dot-com downturn.<ref>{{cite web |title=Andreessen Horowitz — Private Company Information |url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=97899&privcapId=35135559&previousCapId=108856&previousTitle=Hewlett-Packard%20Co |publisher=BusinessWeek |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
In response to changing market conditions, Loudcloud sold its managed services business to Electronic Data Systems (EDS) and pivoted to become Opsware, an enterprise software company focused on data center automation. Under the leadership of Andreessen and CEO Ben Horowitz, Opsware developed software tools that allowed companies to automate the management of their servers and data centers. In 2007, Hewlett-Packard acquired Opsware for approximately $1.6 billion, providing a significant return for its investors and founders.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marc Andreessen Profile |url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=97899&privcapId=35135559&previousCapId=108856&previousTitle=Hewlett-Packard%20Co |publisher=Bloomberg Businessweek |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


=== Ning ===
=== Ning ===


Andreessen co-founded [[Ning]] in 2005, a platform that allowed users to create their own custom social networking websites. The company aimed to democratize social networking by enabling anyone to build a community-oriented site without programming knowledge. Ning attracted millions of users and hosted hundreds of thousands of social networks on its platform.
Andreessen co-founded Ning in 2004, a platform that allowed users to create their own custom social networking websites. The service was intended to democratize social networking by enabling anyone to build a niche community site without needing technical expertise. Ning attracted millions of users who created networks around specific interests, organizations, and causes.


In 2011, Ning was merged with [[Glam Media]], an online media company.<ref>{{cite web |title=Merging Glam and Ning |url=http://blog.pmarca.com/2011/09/20/merging-glam-and-ning/ |publisher=Blog.pmarca.com |date=2011-09-20 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ning Merges with Glam Media |url=http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-09-20/tech/30179213_1_loudcloud-social-networks-online-publishing |work=Business Insider |date=2011-09-20 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
In 2011, Ning was merged with Glam Media, an online publishing network, as part of a strategic realignment.<ref>{{cite web |title=Merging Glam and Ning |url=http://blog.pmarca.com/2011/09/20/merging-glam-and-ning/ |publisher=pmarca blog |date=2011-09-20 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Loudcloud, Social Networks, Online Publishing |url=http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-09-20/tech/30179213_1_loudcloud-social-networks-online-publishing |work=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


=== Andreessen Horowitz ===
=== Andreessen Horowitz ===


In July 2009, Andreessen and Ben Horowitz co-founded [[Andreessen Horowitz]], a venture capital firm based in [[Menlo Park, California]]. The firm, often referred to by its abbreviation "a16z," launched with an initial fund of $300 million and a distinctive approach to venture capital that emphasized providing portfolio companies not only with funding but also with operational support, including assistance with recruiting, marketing, and business development.<ref>{{cite web |title=Engineer Alumni Profile: Ben Horowitz |url=http://www.engineer.ucla.edu/visitor-links/alumni-parents-friends/alumni-profiles-1/ben-horowitz-ms-201990 |publisher=UCLA Engineering |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
In July 2009, Andreessen and Ben Horowitz co-founded Andreessen Horowitz (often abbreviated as "a16z"), a venture capital firm based in Menlo Park, California. The firm was established with the goal of providing not only capital but also operational support and expertise to technology startups. Andreessen Horowitz distinguished itself from traditional venture capital firms by building a large team of operational partners, executives, and subject-matter experts who could assist portfolio companies with recruiting, marketing, business development, and other functions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Series Seed Documents |url=http://kara.allthingsd.com/20100301/series-seed-documents-with-a-big-assist-from-andreessen-horowitz-set-to-launch-to-help-entrepreneurs-with-legal-hairballs/ |publisher=AllThingsD |date=2010-03-01 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
 
The firm's early investments included stakes in companies such as Facebook, Twitter, GitHub, Airbnb, Lyft, and numerous other technology companies. One of the firm's notable early investments was in Meteor, a web application development platform, as part of a $11.2 million funding round alongside Matrix Partners.<ref>{{cite news |title=Andreessen Horowitz, Matrix Partners invest $11.2 million in Meteor |url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/andreessen-horowitz-matrix-partners-invest-112-million-in-meteor-2012-07-25 |work=MarketWatch |date=2012-07-25 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Andreessen Horowitz made early or significant investments in a range of technology companies that became major enterprises, including [[Facebook]], [[Twitter]], [[GitHub]], [[Airbnb]], [[Lyft]], [[Coinbase]], and many others. The firm also invested in emerging areas such as [[cryptocurrency]] and [[blockchain]] technology. In 2012, the firm participated in a $11.2 million investment round in [[Meteor (web framework)|Meteor]], a web development platform.<ref>{{cite web |title=Andreessen Horowitz, Matrix Partners Invest $11.2 Million in Meteor |url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/andreessen-horowitz-matrix-partners-invest-112-million-in-meteor-2012-07-25 |publisher=MarketWatch |date=2012-07-25 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Andreessen Horowitz has expanded from its initial focus on software and internet companies into areas including cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, bio-technology, and financial technology. The firm has raised multiple funds totaling billions of dollars. Andreessen has served as general partner of the firm since its founding and has been involved in shaping its investment thesis and public positioning.


The firm also worked to standardize and simplify the legal processes involved in early-stage investing. In 2010, Andreessen Horowitz played a role in the development and launch of "Series Seed" documents, a set of simplified legal templates designed to reduce the cost and complexity of seed-stage financing for entrepreneurs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Series Seed Documents Launch |url=http://kara.allthingsd.com/20100301/series-seed-documents-with-a-big-assist-from-andreessen-horowitz-set-to-launch-to-help-entrepreneurs-with-legal-hairballs/ |publisher=AllThingsD |date=2010-03-01 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
In recent years, the firm's investments and Andreessen's advocacy have extended into the area of cryptocurrency and decentralized finance. Andreessen had expressed early interest in Bitcoin, writing about the digital currency's potential as early as 2014.<ref>{{cite news |title=Marc Andreessen On Why Bitcoin Is Worth Money |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/marc-andreessen-on-why-bitcoin-is-worth-money-2014-1?op=1&IR=T |work=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Andreessen has served on the board of directors of several prominent technology companies. He joined the board of [[Facebook]] (now [[Meta Platforms]]) in 2008, bringing his experience as both an entrepreneur and investor to the social media company during a period of rapid growth.<ref>{{cite news |title=Marc Andreessen Joins Facebook Board |url=http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/6/marc-andreessen-joins-facebook-board |work=Business Insider |date=2008-06 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
According to Reuters, as of late 2025, there was speculation about Andreessen Horowitz potentially pursuing activities in New York related to public markets, reflecting the firm's evolving ambitions beyond traditional venture capital.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-12-22 |title=Breakingviews - Marc Andreessen will summon NYC swagger for IPO |url=https://www.reuters.com/commentary/breakingviews/marc-andreessen-will-summon-nyc-swagger-ipo-2025-12-23/ |work=Reuters |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


=== "Why Software Is Eating the World" ===
=== "Why Software Is Eating the World" ===


On August 20, 2011, Andreessen published an essay in ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' titled "Why Software Is Eating the World." The piece argued that software companies were increasingly disrupting and displacing established industries across the economy, from retail and entertainment to healthcare and defense. The essay became one of the most widely cited pieces of technology commentary of the decade, and the phrase "software is eating the world" entered common usage in business and technology discourse.<ref>{{cite news |title=Marc Andreessen made a dire software prediction 15 years ago. Now it's happening in a way nobody imagined |url=https://fortune.com/2026/02/13/marc-andreessen-software-eating-the-world-saaspocalypse-morgan-stanley-gut-check-displaced-labor/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
On August 20, 2011, Andreessen published an essay titled "Why Software Is Eating the World" in ''The Wall Street Journal''. The essay argued that software companies were poised to take over large swaths of the economy, disrupting industries from entertainment to defense to agriculture. Andreessen contended that the increasing power and ubiquity of computing, combined with widespread internet access, meant that software-driven businesses would replace traditional companies across virtually every sector.<ref>{{cite news |date=2026-02-13 |title=Marc Andreessen made a dire software prediction 15 years ago. Now it's happening in a way nobody imagined |url=https://fortune.com/2026/02/13/marc-andreessen-software-eating-the-world-saaspocalypse-morgan-stanley-gut-check-displaced-labor/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
 
The essay became one of the most cited and discussed pieces of technology commentary of the decade. Its central thesis — that software would become the dominant medium through which economic value was created and delivered — influenced investment strategies, corporate strategy, and public discourse about technology's role in the economy. As of 2026, observers continued to revisit and reassess the essay's predictions, particularly in light of the rise of artificial intelligence and the potential displacement of software-as-a-service (SaaS) business models by AI-driven alternatives.<ref>{{cite news |date=2026-02-13 |title=Marc Andreessen made a dire software prediction 15 years ago. Now it's happening in a way nobody imagined |url=https://fortune.com/2026/02/13/marc-andreessen-software-eating-the-world-saaspocalypse-morgan-stanley-gut-check-displaced-labor/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
 
=== Board Memberships ===


As of 2026, the essay's thesis has continued to be debated and reinterpreted, particularly in the context of the rise of [[artificial intelligence]]. A 2026 analysis in ''Fortune'' noted that the essay's predictions were materializing in ways that were not fully anticipated at the time, with software increasingly automating functions that had previously required human labor, a trend accelerated by AI technologies.<ref>{{cite news |title=Marc Andreessen made a dire software prediction 15 years ago. Now it's happening in a way nobody imagined |url=https://fortune.com/2026/02/13/marc-andreessen-software-eating-the-world-saaspocalypse-morgan-stanley-gut-check-displaced-labor/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Andreessen has served on the boards of directors of several major technology companies. In 2008, he joined the board of Facebook (later renamed Meta Platforms), where he advised CEO Mark Zuckerberg on corporate strategy and growth.<ref>{{cite news |title=Marc Andreessen Joins Facebook Board |url=http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/6/marc-andreessen-joins-facebook-board |work=Alley Insider |date=2008-06 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> He served on the Facebook board for several years.


=== Views on Cryptocurrency ===
=== Artificial Intelligence Advocacy ===


Andreessen has been a vocal advocate for [[Bitcoin]] and [[cryptocurrency]] as a technology category. In early 2014, he articulated his case for Bitcoin's value and potential, arguing that the underlying technology could transform financial services and payments.<ref>{{cite news |title=Marc Andreessen on Why Bitcoin Is Worth Money |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/marc-andreessen-on-why-bitcoin-is-worth-money-2014-1?op=1&IR=T |work=Business Insider |date=2014-01 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> Andreessen Horowitz has made substantial investments in cryptocurrency and blockchain-related companies, including the cryptocurrency exchange [[Coinbase]], which went public in 2021.
In the 2020s, Andreessen became an outspoken advocate for the development and deployment of artificial intelligence. In 2023, he published "The Techno-Optimist Manifesto," which argued against what he characterized as excessive caution and regulation of emerging technologies, including AI. He has argued that AI represents a transformative technology comparable to the internet itself.


=== Views on Artificial Intelligence ===
In early 2026, Andreessen publicly stated that AI was arriving at a critical moment to offset shrinking workforces and decades of weak productivity growth, framing the technology as an economic necessity rather than a threat to employment.<ref>{{cite news |date=2026-01 |title=Marc Andreessen says the real crisis isn't AI job losses — it's what would have happened without AI |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/marc-andreessen-says-ai-wont-kill-jobs-may-save-economy-2026-1 |work=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref> He has compared AI to a "philosopher's stone" capable of "transmuting cheap sand into expensive thought," according to commentary on his public remarks.<ref>{{cite web |title=Time to Build: Marc Andreessen on a World in Transition |url=https://jakobnielsenphd.substack.com/p/time-to-build |publisher=Jakob Nielsen PhD Substack |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


In the mid-2020s, Andreessen became an outspoken commentator on the potential of [[artificial intelligence]]. In public statements reported in early 2026, he argued that AI was arriving at a critical moment to offset shrinking workforces and decades of weak productivity growth, contending that the primary concern should not be AI-driven job losses but rather what would have happened to the economy without AI.<ref>{{cite news |title=Marc Andreessen says the real crisis isn't AI job losses — it's what would have happened without AI |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/marc-andreessen-says-ai-wont-kill-jobs-may-save-economy-2026-1 |work=Business Insider |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
=== Political Activity and Policy Influence ===


=== Political Engagement ===
Andreessen historically supported candidates of the Democratic Party. However, beginning in 2024, he shifted his political alignment and became an advisor to Donald Trump's presidential campaign and subsequent administration.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-11-05 |title=Tech Billionaire Marc Andreessen Bet Big on Trump. It's Paying Off for Silicon Valley. |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-cfpb-marc-andreessen-silicon-valley |work=ProPublica |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Andreessen supported candidates of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] until 2016. In 2024, he became an advisor to [[Donald Trump]], representing a notable shift in his political alignment. Reporting by [[ProPublica]] in November 2025 documented how the [[Trump administration]]'s regulatory decisions, including the reduction of the [[Consumer Financial Protection Bureau]]'s oversight activities, had benefited venture capitalists including Andreessen.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tech Billionaire Marc Andreessen Bet Big on Trump. It's Paying Off for Silicon Valley. |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-cfpb-marc-andreessen-silicon-valley |work=ProPublica |date=2025-11-05 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
According to ProPublica, Andreessen's support for Trump aligned with policy outcomes favorable to Silicon Valley venture capitalists, including the gutting of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). ProPublica reported that the Trump administration's actions regarding the CFPB benefited venture capitalists like Andreessen, whose portfolio companies operate in financial technology and other regulated industries.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-11-05 |title=Tech Billionaire Marc Andreessen Bet Big on Trump. It's Paying Off for Silicon Valley. |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-cfpb-marc-andreessen-silicon-valley |work=ProPublica |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


== Personal Life ==
== Personal Life ==


Andreessen resides in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]]. He has been described as an avid reader and consumer of information. A 2026 report in ''Fortune'' noted that he spends approximately three hours per day listening to podcasts and audiobooks, a habit he shares with other prominent business figures such as [[Bill Gates]] and [[Mark Cuban]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Billionaire Marc Andreessen spends 3 hours a day listening to podcasts and audiobooks |url=https://fortune.com/2026/01/20/billionaire-marc-andreessen-reading-listening-to-books-habit-of-high-success-like-bill-gates-mark-cuban/ |work=Fortune |date=2026-01-20 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Andreessen is known as an avid reader and consumer of information. As of 2026, he reported spending approximately three hours per day listening to podcasts and audiobooks, a practice he has described as central to his approach to learning and staying informed.<ref>{{cite news |date=2026-01-20 |title=Billionaire Marc Andreessen spends 3 hours a day listening to podcasts and audiobooks—that's nearly an entire 24-hour day each week |url=https://fortune.com/2026/01/20/billionaire-marc-andreessen-reading-listening-to-books-habit-of-high-success-like-bill-gates-mark-cuban/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
 
Andreessen and his wife, Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, have made philanthropic contributions to various causes. In 2007, the couple made a pledge to support emergency care at Stanford Hospital.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pledge for Emergency Care |url=http://stanfordhospital.org/newsEvents/newsReleases/2007/pledgeEmergencyCare.html |publisher=Stanford Hospital |date=2007 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Andreessen has engaged in philanthropic activities. In 2007, he and his wife made a pledge to [[Stanford Hospital]] in support of emergency care services.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pledge for Emergency Care |url=http://stanfordhospital.org/newsEvents/newsReleases/2007/pledgeEmergencyCare.html |publisher=Stanford Hospital |date=2007 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Andreessen has maintained a significant public presence through blogging, social media, and podcast appearances, making him one of the most visible figures in Silicon Valley's venture capital community.


== Recognition ==
== Recognition ==


Andreessen has received numerous awards and honors over the course of his career. In 2012, ''Time'' magazine named him to its list of the 100 most influential people in the world, recognizing his impact as both a technology pioneer and an investor shaping the next generation of technology companies.<ref>{{cite web |title=Time 100 Most Influential People |url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2111975_2111976_2112116,00.html |publisher=Time Inc. |date=2012 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Andreessen has received numerous awards and forms of recognition throughout his career. ''Time'' magazine featured him on its cover in February 1996, during the height of the Netscape-driven internet boom.<ref>{{cite web |title=Time Magazine Cover: Marc Andreessen |url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101960219,00.html |publisher=Time Inc. |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
 
He was named to the ''MIT Technology Review'' TR100 list (later renamed Innovators Under 35), which recognized him as one of the top young innovators in technology.<ref>{{cite web |title=TR35 Profile: Marc Andreessen |url=http://www.technologyreview.com/tr35/profile.aspx?TRID=518 |publisher=MIT Technology Review |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


He was recognized by the ''[[MIT Technology Review]]'' as one of the top innovators under 35 (TR35), an honor that acknowledged his early contributions to internet technology.<ref>{{cite web |title=TR35 Profile: Marc Andreessen |url=http://www.technologyreview.com/tr35/profile.aspx?TRID=518 |publisher=MIT Technology Review |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
In 2012, ''Time'' magazine named Andreessen to its list of the 100 most influential people in the world, acknowledging his impact as both a technologist and an investor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Time 100 Most Influential People |url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2111975_2111976_2112116,00.html |publisher=Time Inc. |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Andreessen is also a recipient of the [[Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering]], a global prize that recognizes engineers responsible for groundbreaking innovations that have benefited humanity. The prize committee recognized his contributions to the development of the web browser and, by extension, the broader internet ecosystem.<ref>{{cite web |title=Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering |url=http://qeprize.org/ |publisher=QEPrize Foundation |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Andreessen was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, one of the most prestigious international awards in the engineering field, which recognized his contributions to the development of the internet and web browser technology.<ref>{{cite web |title=Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering |url=http://qeprize.org/ |publisher=QEPrize Foundation |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


== Legacy ==
== Legacy ==


Andreessen's career spans multiple eras of the technology industry, from the emergence of the World Wide Web in the early 1990s through the rise of social media, cloud computing, cryptocurrency, and artificial intelligence. His development of the Mosaic web browser is recognized by technology historians as a pivotal moment in making the internet accessible to a global audience. The subsequent creation and IPO of Netscape helped establish the commercial internet as an industry and inspired a generation of technology entrepreneurs and investors.
Marc Andreessen's career spans the full arc of the commercial internet, from its emergence in the early 1990s to the current era of artificial intelligence. His creation of Mosaic and Netscape helped catalyze the transformation of the internet from an academic tool into a mass medium that reshaped commerce, communication, and culture globally. The Netscape IPO in 1995 is frequently cited as a pivotal moment in the history of technology entrepreneurship and venture capital.


As a venture capitalist, Andreessen's influence has extended beyond individual investments to shape broader industry thinking about the role of software and technology in economic transformation. His 2011 essay "Why Software Is Eating the World" provided a conceptual framework that has been widely adopted in business strategy and technology investment. The essay's thesis continues to be referenced and debated, particularly as artificial intelligence introduces new dimensions to the relationship between software and economic activity.<ref>{{cite news |title=Marc Andreessen made a dire software prediction 15 years ago. Now it's happening in a way nobody imagined |url=https://fortune.com/2026/02/13/marc-andreessen-software-eating-the-world-saaspocalypse-morgan-stanley-gut-check-displaced-labor/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Through Andreessen Horowitz, he has influenced the development of the modern venture capital industry, particularly through the firm's model of providing extensive operational support alongside financial investment. The firm's investments have touched many of the most significant technology companies of the 2010s and 2020s.


Andreessen Horowitz, the firm he co-founded with Ben Horowitz, has grown from a single fund into a multi-billion-dollar investment platform with interests spanning enterprise software, consumer technology, fintech, cryptocurrency, biology, and artificial intelligence. The firm's model of providing operational support alongside capital has influenced the practices of other venture capital firms in Silicon Valley and beyond.
His 2011 essay "Why Software Is Eating the World" provided a framework for understanding the technology industry's expanding influence over the broader economy that has been widely adopted by investors, entrepreneurs, and corporate strategists. As of 2026, the essay continued to generate discussion, particularly as the rise of AI prompted reconsideration of whether software itself might be "eaten" by more advanced forms of automation and intelligence.<ref>{{cite news |date=2026-02-13 |title=Marc Andreessen made a dire software prediction 15 years ago. Now it's happening in a way nobody imagined |url=https://fortune.com/2026/02/13/marc-andreessen-software-eating-the-world-saaspocalypse-morgan-stanley-gut-check-displaced-labor/ |work=Fortune |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>


Andreessen's political trajectory—from supporting Democratic candidates to advising the Trump administration in 2024—has also attracted attention as emblematic of broader shifts in the political leanings of parts of the technology industry.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tech Billionaire Marc Andreessen Bet Big on Trump. It's Paying Off for Silicon Valley. |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-cfpb-marc-andreessen-silicon-valley |work=ProPublica |date=2025-11-05 |access-date=2026-02-23}}</ref>
Andreessen's shift into political engagement and AI advocacy in the 2020s marked a new phase in his public role, positioning him as one of the technology industry's most prominent voices in debates about regulation, innovation policy, and the future of work.


== References ==
== References ==
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[[Category:American computer scientists]]
[[Category:American computer scientists]]
[[Category:Netscape]]
[[Category:Netscape]]
[[Category:American technology company founders]]


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Revision as of 00:47, 24 February 2026



Marc Andreessen
BornMarc Lowell Andreessen
9 7, 1971
BirthplaceCedar Falls, Iowa, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationVenture capitalist, businessman, software engineer
Known forCo-creator of Mosaic, co-founder of Netscape, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz
EducationUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (BS)
AwardsQueen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering

Marc Lowell Andreessen (born July 9, 1971) is an American businessman, venture capitalist, and former software engineer who helped shape the commercial internet through a series of consequential software and business ventures beginning in the early 1990s. He is best known as the co-author of Mosaic, the first widely used web browser capable of displaying inline images, and as the co-founder of Netscape Communications Corporation, whose Netscape Navigator browser became the dominant gateway to the World Wide Web during the mid-1990s.[1] Andreessen later co-founded the software company Loudcloud (subsequently renamed Opsware), which was acquired by Hewlett-Packard, and the social networking platform Ning. In 2009, he co-founded Andreessen Horowitz, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm that has become one of the most prominent technology investment firms in the world. Over the course of his career, Andreessen has served on the boards of several major technology companies, including Facebook. His 2011 essay "Why Software Is Eating the World" articulated a thesis about the centrality of software to the modern economy that has remained influential in technology and business circles.[2] In recent years, Andreessen has emerged as a vocal commentator on artificial intelligence, economic productivity, and technology policy, including serving as an advisor to President Donald Trump beginning in 2024.[3]

Early Life

Marc Lowell Andreessen was born on July 9, 1971, in Cedar Falls, Iowa.[4] He grew up in New Lisbon, Wisconsin, a small town in the rural Midwest. From an early age, Andreessen demonstrated an interest in computers and technology. As a child, he taught himself BASIC programming using a library book, initially working on a Commodore 64 home computer. This early self-directed education in computing foreshadowed the technical aptitude that would define his career.

Andreessen's upbringing in the Midwest, far from the technology centers of Silicon Valley or the East Coast research universities, gave him an outsider's perspective that he has referenced throughout his career. His interest in computing persisted through his adolescence, and he pursued this interest formally when he enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Education

Andreessen attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science.[5] While a student there, he worked at the university's National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), one of the original centers established by the National Science Foundation's supercomputing initiative. It was at NCSA that Andreessen, together with programmer Eric Bina, developed the Mosaic web browser, a project that would prove foundational to the commercialization of the internet. The work at NCSA placed Andreessen at the intersection of academic research and practical software development at a moment when the World Wide Web, invented by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN, was beginning to expand beyond the scientific community.

Career

Mosaic and the Birth of the Web Browser

In 1993, while working at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois, Andreessen and Eric Bina created Mosaic, a graphical web browser that represented a significant advance in making the World Wide Web accessible to non-technical users.[6] Prior to Mosaic, web browsers were largely text-based and required considerable technical knowledge to operate. Mosaic was the first browser to display images inline with text on the same page, rather than in separate windows, a design decision that made web pages visually coherent and intuitive for mainstream users.[7]

Mosaic was released for multiple operating systems, including Unix, Windows, and Macintosh, which broadened its reach. The browser's user-friendly graphical interface contributed to a rapid expansion in the number of people using the World Wide Web. It is credited with playing a key role in popularizing the internet beyond academic and government circles, helping to launch the era of commercial web activity that followed in the mid-to-late 1990s.

Netscape Communications

After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1993, Andreessen moved to California, where he was recruited by Jim Clark, the founder of Silicon Graphics, to start a new company. Together, they co-founded Mosaic Communications Corporation in April 1994, which was later renamed Netscape Communications Corporation to avoid trademark disputes with the University of Illinois and NCSA.[8]

Netscape developed and released Netscape Navigator, a commercial web browser that built upon and improved the concepts Andreessen and his team had pioneered with Mosaic. Navigator quickly captured a dominant share of the web browser market and became the primary means by which millions of people accessed the internet during the mid-1990s. The company's initial public offering (IPO) on August 9, 1995, was one of the most notable events of the early internet era. Netscape's stock price soared on its first day of trading, an event that is often cited as a catalyst for the dot-com boom.

Andreessen, then only 24 years old, appeared on the cover of Time magazine in February 1996, an indication of the public fascination with both the internet and its young entrepreneurs.[9] He served as Netscape's chief technology officer and later as executive vice president.

Netscape's dominance was challenged by Microsoft, which bundled its Internet Explorer browser with the Windows operating system, sparking what became known as the "browser wars." The competitive pressure from Microsoft contributed to Netscape's declining market share. In 1998, Netscape was acquired by America Online (AOL) in a deal valued at approximately $4.2 billion.[10][11] Before the acquisition, Netscape had released the source code of its browser under an open-source license, a decision that eventually led to the creation of the Mozilla project and, subsequently, the Firefox browser.

Loudcloud and Opsware

Following his time at Netscape, Andreessen co-founded Loudcloud in 1999 with Ben Horowitz, Tim Howes, and In Sik Rhee. Loudcloud was a cloud computing and managed services company that provided infrastructure services for internet businesses during the dot-com era. The company went public in 2001, but the collapse of the dot-com bubble severely affected its customer base and business model.

In response to changing market conditions, Loudcloud sold its managed services business to Electronic Data Systems (EDS) and pivoted to become Opsware, an enterprise software company focused on data center automation. Under the leadership of Andreessen and CEO Ben Horowitz, Opsware developed software tools that allowed companies to automate the management of their servers and data centers. In 2007, Hewlett-Packard acquired Opsware for approximately $1.6 billion, providing a significant return for its investors and founders.[12]

Ning

Andreessen co-founded Ning in 2004, a platform that allowed users to create their own custom social networking websites. The service was intended to democratize social networking by enabling anyone to build a niche community site without needing technical expertise. Ning attracted millions of users who created networks around specific interests, organizations, and causes.

In 2011, Ning was merged with Glam Media, an online publishing network, as part of a strategic realignment.[13][14]

Andreessen Horowitz

In July 2009, Andreessen and Ben Horowitz co-founded Andreessen Horowitz (often abbreviated as "a16z"), a venture capital firm based in Menlo Park, California. The firm was established with the goal of providing not only capital but also operational support and expertise to technology startups. Andreessen Horowitz distinguished itself from traditional venture capital firms by building a large team of operational partners, executives, and subject-matter experts who could assist portfolio companies with recruiting, marketing, business development, and other functions.[15]

The firm's early investments included stakes in companies such as Facebook, Twitter, GitHub, Airbnb, Lyft, and numerous other technology companies. One of the firm's notable early investments was in Meteor, a web application development platform, as part of a $11.2 million funding round alongside Matrix Partners.[16]

Andreessen Horowitz has expanded from its initial focus on software and internet companies into areas including cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, bio-technology, and financial technology. The firm has raised multiple funds totaling billions of dollars. Andreessen has served as general partner of the firm since its founding and has been involved in shaping its investment thesis and public positioning.

In recent years, the firm's investments and Andreessen's advocacy have extended into the area of cryptocurrency and decentralized finance. Andreessen had expressed early interest in Bitcoin, writing about the digital currency's potential as early as 2014.[17]

According to Reuters, as of late 2025, there was speculation about Andreessen Horowitz potentially pursuing activities in New York related to public markets, reflecting the firm's evolving ambitions beyond traditional venture capital.[18]

"Why Software Is Eating the World"

On August 20, 2011, Andreessen published an essay titled "Why Software Is Eating the World" in The Wall Street Journal. The essay argued that software companies were poised to take over large swaths of the economy, disrupting industries from entertainment to defense to agriculture. Andreessen contended that the increasing power and ubiquity of computing, combined with widespread internet access, meant that software-driven businesses would replace traditional companies across virtually every sector.[19]

The essay became one of the most cited and discussed pieces of technology commentary of the decade. Its central thesis — that software would become the dominant medium through which economic value was created and delivered — influenced investment strategies, corporate strategy, and public discourse about technology's role in the economy. As of 2026, observers continued to revisit and reassess the essay's predictions, particularly in light of the rise of artificial intelligence and the potential displacement of software-as-a-service (SaaS) business models by AI-driven alternatives.[20]

Board Memberships

Andreessen has served on the boards of directors of several major technology companies. In 2008, he joined the board of Facebook (later renamed Meta Platforms), where he advised CEO Mark Zuckerberg on corporate strategy and growth.[21] He served on the Facebook board for several years.

Artificial Intelligence Advocacy

In the 2020s, Andreessen became an outspoken advocate for the development and deployment of artificial intelligence. In 2023, he published "The Techno-Optimist Manifesto," which argued against what he characterized as excessive caution and regulation of emerging technologies, including AI. He has argued that AI represents a transformative technology comparable to the internet itself.

In early 2026, Andreessen publicly stated that AI was arriving at a critical moment to offset shrinking workforces and decades of weak productivity growth, framing the technology as an economic necessity rather than a threat to employment.[22] He has compared AI to a "philosopher's stone" capable of "transmuting cheap sand into expensive thought," according to commentary on his public remarks.[23]

Political Activity and Policy Influence

Andreessen historically supported candidates of the Democratic Party. However, beginning in 2024, he shifted his political alignment and became an advisor to Donald Trump's presidential campaign and subsequent administration.[24]

According to ProPublica, Andreessen's support for Trump aligned with policy outcomes favorable to Silicon Valley venture capitalists, including the gutting of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). ProPublica reported that the Trump administration's actions regarding the CFPB benefited venture capitalists like Andreessen, whose portfolio companies operate in financial technology and other regulated industries.[25]

Personal Life

Andreessen is known as an avid reader and consumer of information. As of 2026, he reported spending approximately three hours per day listening to podcasts and audiobooks, a practice he has described as central to his approach to learning and staying informed.[26]

Andreessen and his wife, Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, have made philanthropic contributions to various causes. In 2007, the couple made a pledge to support emergency care at Stanford Hospital.[27]

Andreessen has maintained a significant public presence through blogging, social media, and podcast appearances, making him one of the most visible figures in Silicon Valley's venture capital community.

Recognition

Andreessen has received numerous awards and forms of recognition throughout his career. Time magazine featured him on its cover in February 1996, during the height of the Netscape-driven internet boom.[28]

He was named to the MIT Technology Review TR100 list (later renamed Innovators Under 35), which recognized him as one of the top young innovators in technology.[29]

In 2012, Time magazine named Andreessen to its list of the 100 most influential people in the world, acknowledging his impact as both a technologist and an investor.[30]

Andreessen was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, one of the most prestigious international awards in the engineering field, which recognized his contributions to the development of the internet and web browser technology.[31]

Legacy

Marc Andreessen's career spans the full arc of the commercial internet, from its emergence in the early 1990s to the current era of artificial intelligence. His creation of Mosaic and Netscape helped catalyze the transformation of the internet from an academic tool into a mass medium that reshaped commerce, communication, and culture globally. The Netscape IPO in 1995 is frequently cited as a pivotal moment in the history of technology entrepreneurship and venture capital.

Through Andreessen Horowitz, he has influenced the development of the modern venture capital industry, particularly through the firm's model of providing extensive operational support alongside financial investment. The firm's investments have touched many of the most significant technology companies of the 2010s and 2020s.

His 2011 essay "Why Software Is Eating the World" provided a framework for understanding the technology industry's expanding influence over the broader economy that has been widely adopted by investors, entrepreneurs, and corporate strategists. As of 2026, the essay continued to generate discussion, particularly as the rise of AI prompted reconsideration of whether software itself might be "eaten" by more advanced forms of automation and intelligence.[32]

Andreessen's shift into political engagement and AI advocacy in the 2020s marked a new phase in his public role, positioning him as one of the technology industry's most prominent voices in debates about regulation, innovation policy, and the future of work.

References

  1. ↑ "Marc Andreessen | Biography & Facts".Britannica.https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marc-Andreessen.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  2. ↑ "Marc Andreessen made a dire software prediction 15 years ago. Now it's happening in a way nobody imagined".Fortune.2026-02-13.https://fortune.com/2026/02/13/marc-andreessen-software-eating-the-world-saaspocalypse-morgan-stanley-gut-check-displaced-labor/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  3. ↑ "Tech Billionaire Marc Andreessen Bet Big on Trump. It's Paying Off for Silicon Valley.".ProPublica.2025-11-05.https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-cfpb-marc-andreessen-silicon-valley.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  4. ↑ "Marc Andreessen | Biography & Facts".Britannica.https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marc-Andreessen.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  5. ↑ "Marc Andreessen | Biography & Facts".Britannica.https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marc-Andreessen.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  6. ↑ "Marc Andreessen | Biography & Facts".Britannica.https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marc-Andreessen.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  7. ↑ "Net History".Net Valley.http://www.netvalley.com/cgi-bin/intval/net_history.pl?chapter=4.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  8. ↑ "Marc Andreessen | Biography & Facts".Britannica.https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marc-Andreessen.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  9. ↑ "Time Magazine Cover: Marc Andreessen".Time Inc..http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101960219,00.html.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  10. ↑ "Netscape-AOL Deal".BusinessWeek.http://www.businessweek.com/1998/15/topstory.htm.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  11. ↑ "Netscape-AOL Coverage".BusinessWeek.http://www.businessweek.com/1998/15/b3573002.htm.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  12. ↑ "Marc Andreessen Profile".Bloomberg Businessweek.http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=97899&privcapId=35135559&previousCapId=108856&previousTitle=Hewlett-Packard%20Co.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  13. ↑ "Merging Glam and Ning".pmarca blog.2011-09-20.http://blog.pmarca.com/2011/09/20/merging-glam-and-ning/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  14. ↑ "Loudcloud, Social Networks, Online Publishing".Business Insider.http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-09-20/tech/30179213_1_loudcloud-social-networks-online-publishing.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  15. ↑ "Series Seed Documents".AllThingsD.2010-03-01.http://kara.allthingsd.com/20100301/series-seed-documents-with-a-big-assist-from-andreessen-horowitz-set-to-launch-to-help-entrepreneurs-with-legal-hairballs/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  16. ↑ "Andreessen Horowitz, Matrix Partners invest $11.2 million in Meteor".MarketWatch.2012-07-25.http://www.marketwatch.com/story/andreessen-horowitz-matrix-partners-invest-112-million-in-meteor-2012-07-25.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  17. ↑ "Marc Andreessen On Why Bitcoin Is Worth Money".Business Insider.http://www.businessinsider.com/marc-andreessen-on-why-bitcoin-is-worth-money-2014-1?op=1&IR=T.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  18. ↑ "Breakingviews - Marc Andreessen will summon NYC swagger for IPO".Reuters.2025-12-22.https://www.reuters.com/commentary/breakingviews/marc-andreessen-will-summon-nyc-swagger-ipo-2025-12-23/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  19. ↑ "Marc Andreessen made a dire software prediction 15 years ago. Now it's happening in a way nobody imagined".Fortune.2026-02-13.https://fortune.com/2026/02/13/marc-andreessen-software-eating-the-world-saaspocalypse-morgan-stanley-gut-check-displaced-labor/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  20. ↑ "Marc Andreessen made a dire software prediction 15 years ago. Now it's happening in a way nobody imagined".Fortune.2026-02-13.https://fortune.com/2026/02/13/marc-andreessen-software-eating-the-world-saaspocalypse-morgan-stanley-gut-check-displaced-labor/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  21. ↑ "Marc Andreessen Joins Facebook Board".Alley Insider.2008-06.http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/6/marc-andreessen-joins-facebook-board.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  22. ↑ "Marc Andreessen says the real crisis isn't AI job losses — it's what would have happened without AI".Business Insider.2026-01.https://www.businessinsider.com/marc-andreessen-says-ai-wont-kill-jobs-may-save-economy-2026-1.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  23. ↑ "Time to Build: Marc Andreessen on a World in Transition".Jakob Nielsen PhD Substack.https://jakobnielsenphd.substack.com/p/time-to-build.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  24. ↑ "Tech Billionaire Marc Andreessen Bet Big on Trump. It's Paying Off for Silicon Valley.".ProPublica.2025-11-05.https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-cfpb-marc-andreessen-silicon-valley.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  25. ↑ "Tech Billionaire Marc Andreessen Bet Big on Trump. It's Paying Off for Silicon Valley.".ProPublica.2025-11-05.https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-cfpb-marc-andreessen-silicon-valley.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  26. ↑ "Billionaire Marc Andreessen spends 3 hours a day listening to podcasts and audiobooks—that's nearly an entire 24-hour day each week".Fortune.2026-01-20.https://fortune.com/2026/01/20/billionaire-marc-andreessen-reading-listening-to-books-habit-of-high-success-like-bill-gates-mark-cuban/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  27. ↑ "Pledge for Emergency Care".Stanford Hospital.2007.http://stanfordhospital.org/newsEvents/newsReleases/2007/pledgeEmergencyCare.html.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  28. ↑ "Time Magazine Cover: Marc Andreessen".Time Inc..http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101960219,00.html.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  29. ↑ "TR35 Profile: Marc Andreessen".MIT Technology Review.http://www.technologyreview.com/tr35/profile.aspx?TRID=518.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  30. ↑ "Time 100 Most Influential People".Time Inc..http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2111975_2111976_2112116,00.html.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  31. ↑ "Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering".QEPrize Foundation.http://qeprize.org/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  32. ↑ "Marc Andreessen made a dire software prediction 15 years ago. Now it's happening in a way nobody imagined".Fortune.2026-02-13.https://fortune.com/2026/02/13/marc-andreessen-software-eating-the-world-saaspocalypse-morgan-stanley-gut-check-displaced-labor/.Retrieved 2026-02-23.

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