Peter Fenton

Peter Fenton
Born	Template:Birth year and age
Nationality	American
Occupation	Venture capitalist
Employer	Benchmark
Known for	General Partner at Benchmark

Peter Fenton (born 1972) is an American venture capitalist and general partner at Benchmark, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm known for its equal-partnership structure and early-stage technology investments. Fenton has been a prominent figure in the technology investment landscape for over two decades, with a portfolio that has included investments in numerous notable technology companies. In 2025, he was ranked number 56 on the Forbes Midas List of top technology investors, a ranking that tracks the most successful venture capitalists in the industry. As of late 2025, Fenton remained active in venture investing, participating in funding rounds for companies across the technology sector, including firms operating in the artificial intelligence space.

Career

Benchmark

Peter Fenton serves as a general partner at Benchmark, one of the most established venture capital firms in Silicon Valley. Benchmark is known for its distinctive organizational model, in which all partners share equally in the firm's profits, and for its focus on early-stage technology investments. Fenton has been a central figure at the firm, participating in investments across a range of technology sectors.

Fenton's career at Benchmark has spanned a period of significant transformation in the technology industry, from the growth of open-source software and enterprise platforms to the rise of social media, cloud computing, and, more recently, artificial intelligence. His ranking at number 56 on the 2025 Forbes Midas List reflects a sustained track record of identifying and backing technology companies that have achieved significant valuations or successful public market exits.

Investments and Portfolio Activity

Fenton has maintained an active investment pace throughout his career. In October 2025, it was reported that he participated in the extension of a Series B funding round for Katana, a manufacturing enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform. The round, which totaled €14 million, was led by Cogito Capital Partners, with Fenton joining as a participant representing Benchmark. Katana provides cloud-based software designed to help manufacturers manage their production, inventory, and sales operations.

Views on Artificial Intelligence

In September 2025, Bloomberg reported on Fenton's perspective regarding the rapid growth of investment in artificial intelligence. In a newsletter feature titled "Benchmark's Peter Fenton Isn't Ready to Call This an AI Bubble," Fenton shared his assessment of the AI investment landscape. At a time when many observers in the technology and financial sectors were debating whether AI-related valuations had reached unsustainable levels, Fenton expressed a view that the current cycle of AI investment did not yet constitute a speculative bubble. This stance was notable given the broader context of significant capital inflows into AI startups and infrastructure companies during 2024 and 2025, and it reflected Benchmark's continued engagement with AI-related investment opportunities.

Recognition

Fenton has received recognition within the venture capital industry for his investment track record. In 2025, Forbes ranked him at number 56 on its annual Midas List, which identifies the top technology investors globally. The Midas List is considered one of the most prominent rankings of venture capitalists and is compiled based on the performance of investors' portfolio companies, including metrics such as initial public offerings, acquisitions, and valuation growth.

Fenton's consistent presence among ranked technology investors reflects his long-term involvement with companies that have achieved notable outcomes in the public or private markets. His inclusion on the 2025 list placed him among a cohort of investors recognized for their influence on the technology sector's development.