Something Ventured is a 2011 documentary film investigating the emergence of American venture capitalism in the mid-20th Century. Something Ventured follows the stories of the venture capitalists who worked with entrepreneurs to start and build companies like Apple, Intel, Genentech, Cisco, Atari, Tandem, and others. Something Ventured is a full-length independent film which includes interviews with prominent American venture capitalists and entrepreneurs of the 1960s, 70s and 80s, as well as archival photography and footage. The film has aired across the US on local PBS stations as well as on public television in Norway. The film is available on iTunes, Netflix, Amazon.com and from Zeitgeist Films.
Something Ventured features the venture capitalists Arthur Rock, Tom Perkins, Don Valentine, Dick Kramlich, Reid Dennis, Bill Draper, Pitch Johnson, Bill Bowes, Bill Edwards, and Jim Gaither. The entrepreneurs featured in Something Ventured are Gordon Moore (co-founder of Intel), Jimmy Treybig (founder of Tandem), Nolan Bushnell (founder of Atari), Dr. Herbert Boyer (co-founder of Genentech), Mike Markkula (second president/CEO of Apple), Sandy Lerner (co-founder of Cisco), John Morgridge (early CEO of Cisco), and Robert Campbell (founder of what would become PowerPoint).
Narrated by author Po Bronson, Something Ventured premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2011. Something Ventured was conceived by Paul Holland of Foundation Capital, who executive produced the film with co-executive producer Molly Davis of Rainmaker Communications. Something Ventured was directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine (co-directors of Ballets Russes. Something Ventured’s North American distribution partner is Zeitgeist Films.
