Profiles of the Future is a publication by Andreessen Horowitz. Each issue tells the story of one company reshaping civilization — how it was built, how its founders think about what comes next, and where the opportunities are for those who want to build alongside them.
Where the name comes from
In 1962, Arthur C. Clarke published Profiles of the Future: An Inquiry into the Limits of the Possible. Clarke argued that the prophets who get the future wrong almost always fail in one of two ways: failure of nerve — accepting that something is possible but not believing anyone will actually build it — and failure of imagination — not seeing it coming at all.
His second law: “The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.”
Clarke profiled technologies. We profile the companies and founders building them.
Why we write
These are a16z portfolio companies, and we backed them because we believe they matter. Our general partners led the investments, work alongside the founders, and have a front-row seat to how these companies are built. That gives us a unique perspective to help tell their story.
Each profile goes deep on a single company: the first product, the first customer, the decisions that compounded, and the market map that shows where the next generation of founders can build. We write to help readers imagine a better future and to inspire founders to go build it.
Read, Watch & Listen
Every profile is more than a written piece. Each issue comes with a long-form article, an original short documentary, and a full-length founder interview — because some stories are best seen and heard.
About Andreessen Horowitz
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is a venture capital firm that backs bold entrepreneurs building the future through technology. We invest in every stage from seed to growth across AI, biotech, consumer, crypto, enterprise, fintech, games, infrastructure, and American Dynamism.