【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/2GZGXkA
David Cowan (entrepreneur)
Kyuumei: creating article based on Forbes, Mercury News, books, and other sources indicated
'''David Cowan''' is a prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and company founder. He is in the [[Forbes]] Midas List Hall of Fame and has appeared on the Midas List 13 times since 2001.<ref>https://ift.tt/2IeBVQo> He co-founded three companies, including [[Verisign]]. He has invested in more than 20 companies that have gone on to IPO.<ref>https://ift.tt/2IeBVQo> He is also noted for his support of scientific skepticism and of the work of [[Richard Dawkins]].
==Early Life and Education==
Cowan was raised in [[New Rochelle, New York.<ref>https://ift.tt/2Gpa0RC> He earned his undergraduate degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Harvard University in 1988. He received his MBA from Harvard in 1992.<ref>https://ift.tt/2IeBVQo>
==Career==
===Venture capital and entrepreneurship===
Cowan joined [[Bessemer Venture Partners]] in 1992. His notable investments there include [[LinkedIn, [[Twitch.tv|Twitch]], [[Twilio]], [[Rocket Lab]], [[SkySat|Skybox Imaging]], [[Blue Nile (company)|Blue Nile]], [[Verisign]], [[Ciena]] and [[LifeLock]]. Of his investments, 20 have gone on to IPO.<ref>https://ift.tt/2IeBVQo> Bessemer was Twilio's largest shareholder at the time of its 2016 IPO,<ref>https://ift.tt/2Ifh7bO>, a stake worth over $500 million.<ref>https://ift.tt/2IeBVQo>
In 1995, Cowan co-founded network infrastructure company [[Verisign]] and served as its initial chairman.<ref>https://ift.tt/2GllVQl> The company went public in 1998 and is currently traded on [[NASDAQ]].<ref>https://ift.tt/2IhfFFM>
In 1996, Cowan co-founded mobile email software platform Visto, serving as its initial CEO. Visto later purchased [[Good Technology]] and the merged company was acquired by Blackberry in 2015.<ref>https://ift.tt/2GmXp1l>
In 2012, Cowan co-founded [[DDOS]] prevention firm [[Defense.Net]].<ref>https://ift.tt/2GqELBB> It was acquired by F5 Networks in 2014.<ref>https://ift.tt/2GnQAwx>
===Other professional activities===
In 2006, Cowan published a blog post questioning claims made regarding the dietary supplement [[Airborne (dietary supplement)|Airborne]], which he alleged was improperly marketed as a cold remedy.<ref>https://ift.tt/2Gqta5g> Cowan's blog post became the primary source for a [[Scientific American]] article,<ref>https://ift.tt/2GmKpsr> which in turn led to a lawsuit against Airborne that caused significant marketing changes and a $23.5 million fine by the [[Federal Trade Commission]].<ref>https://ift.tt/2GmSXLW>
Cowan previously served as a Trustee of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science before it merged with the Center for Inquiry.<ref>https://ift.tt/2GlVQR6> He serves as a board member of the merged organization. <ref>https://ift.tt/2IjcH3k>
===Professional Awards and Recognition===
Forbes Midas List Hall of Fame<ref>https://ift.tt/2GllYvv>
Forbes Midas List: Appeared 13 years between 2001 and 2017<ref>https://ift.tt/2GllYvv>
Forbes Midas List 2001 (inaugural list): #6 (tied)<ref>https://ift.tt/2IhfHxo>
==Personal Life==
Cowan sings in the [[a capella]] group Voices in Harmony.<ref>https://ift.tt/2GlzFKF> He wrote and directed the musical "Lies in the Attic," which was performed by the group in 2016.<ref>https://ift.tt/2GlzFKF>
He co-wrote and starred in the Silicon Valley [[mockumentary]] "Bubbleproof," which was produced by the Femtofilm project in 2017.<ref>https://ift.tt/2GqEMFF>
He is the brother of former New York Times reporter Alison Leigh Cowan.<ref>https://ift.tt/2Go0YEr>
Cowan identifies as atheist.<ref>https://ift.tt/2IjcH3k>
==See also==
* [[Bessemer Venture Partners]]
==References==
==External links==
* "Who Has Time for This?" (blog) https://ift.tt/1cn7tNx
* Bessemer Venture Partners https://ift.tt/1JNdmHy
[[Category:Businesspeople from California]]
March 31, 2018 at 03:16PM
