TLDR:
- The Forbes Midas List, which ranks the top venture capitalists in the world, is now open for submissions for its 23rd year.
- The list evaluates hundreds of investors based on their portfolio success, not popularity or social media influence.
- To be eligible, an investor must back private technology companies on behalf of a venture capital fund with outside limited partner backers.
- The 2023 Midas List included seven newcomers and five returnees, with 11 women among the 100 investors listed.
- Eligible portfolio companies must have gone public or been acquired at a valuation of $200 million or more in the past five years, or have doubled their private valuation to reach $400 million or more.
- Firms and investors will also be considered for the Midas Seed List, which focuses on the top 25 seed-stage investors.
The Forbes Midas List, which ranks the world’s top venture capitalists, is now accepting submissions for its 23rd edition. The list is produced in partnership with TrueBridge Capital Partners and evaluates hundreds of investors based on their portfolio success rather than popularity. To be eligible for the list, investors must back private technology companies on behalf of a venture capital fund with outside limited partner backers.
The 2023 Midas List included seven newcomers and five returnees, with 11 women among the 100 investors listed. Notably, Adeyemi “Ade” Ajao, cofounder of Base10 Partners, became the first Black investor to be featured in the Midas List’s history. Forbes and TrueBridge ensure the accuracy and completeness of the list by leveraging decades of experience and past data submissions. Portfolio performance and submissions are kept confidential and not shared or published.
Eligible portfolio companies for Midas candidates must have gone public or been acquired at a valuation of $200 million or more in the past five years, or have doubled their private valuation to reach a current valuation of $400 million or more. The Midas List model places more emphasis on liquid exits, or outcomes that provide liquidity for an investor’s limited partners, rather than unrealized returns. The model considers investors across different stages, but rewards bigger and bolder bets.
Firms and investors who submit for the Midas List will also be automatically considered for the Midas Seed List, which focuses on the top 25 seed-stage investors. The Midas Seed List is a valuable addition to the Midas List as it recognizes the potential for outsized returns at the seed stage that may not translate to the multi-stage Midas List. No additional application is required for consideration for the Midas Seed List.
Forbes and TrueBridge also welcome nominations for the Midas Brink List, which showcases up-and-coming venture capitalists with the potential to break onto the Midas List in the future. The Brink List is selected using a mix of qualitative and quantitative data by a confidential group of industry leaders. Submissions for the Midas Brink List can be directed to TrueBridge. The deadline for submissions for the Midas List is February 9, 2024.
