David Krane
CEO & Managing Partner·Google Ventures
Bio
Professional summary
David Krane is CEO and Managing Partner at GV. His official GV profile says he joined Google in 2000 as employee number 84 and became a key architect of Google's early culture and brand, later leading global communications and public affairs as part of Google's senior leadership team. At GV, he balances directing the firm's global activities with leading investments. His official profile says he is most excited by consumer-focused entrepreneurs improving critical aspects of daily life, and lists investments including Uber, StockX, Nothing, Nest, the Bored Ape Yacht Club, Blue Bottle Coffee, Waymo, and Neuralink. He received a BA in journalism from Indiana University-Bloomington and has held board roles at MGM Studios and Indiana University's School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering advisory board.
Investment focus
Stage, sector, and overall fit
Stage
Sector
Thesis
Notable companies
Selected portfolio companies the partner has backed
How to approach
Framing and angles for outreach
Pitch framing
Frame around consumer impact, long-term relationship-building, and a counterintuitive perspective on a complex daily-life problem.
Partneralization hooks
- 1Google employee number 84 and early culture/brand architect
- 2Interest in dissenting opinions and rigorous debate
- 3Consumer-focused investments such as Uber, Nest, StockX, and Blue Bottle Coffee
Recent signals
What the partner has said or done recently
Official GV profile lists him as author of a February 2, 2026 post about Waymo's transition from moonshot to scaled consumer experience.
Official GV profile notes recognition on Silicon Valley Business Journal's 2025 Power 100 list and The Center for Conscientious Leadership's 2024 Leader of the Year.
Background
Career, education, and skills
Career history
- GV (Google Ventures)CEO & Managing PartnerAug 2016 - Present
- GV (Google Ventures)Managing PartnerOct 2014 - Aug 2016
- Google VenturesGeneral PartnerJan 2010 - Oct 2014
- GoogleDirector, Global Communications and Public AffairsMar 2000 - Jan 2010
- MGM StudiosBoard MemberMay 2017 - May 2022
Education
- Indiana University BloomingtonBA, Journalism, Music1990–1994
Skills
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