In Memoriam: Rob Chandra

We are deeply saddened by the news of our former partner, Rob Chandra, who unexpectedly passed away earlier this week.

During his years at Bessemer Venture Partners, Rob left an indelible mark on our partnership that continues to positively shape our firm today. Rob joined Bessemer in 2000 and was part of the leadership for over a decade as one of our managing partners. Rob was instrumental in leading our transformation into a global venture capital firm. He was a mentor to many, helping strengthen Bessemer’s apprenticeship model and growing our partnership from within.

Rob was a man who worked and lived by his principles; he was ethical, forthright, valued diverse perspectives, and was committed to collaboration and building lasting relationships.

Named to Forbes’ Midas List five times, Rob was broadly recognized as one of the industry’s top venture capitalists. His love for helping entrepreneurs build great companies extended into the classroom where he taught courses on entrepreneurship and venture capital at his alma mater, the University of California, Berkeley. Rob was a Distinguished Teaching Fellow and a two-time recipient of the Earl F. Cheit Outstanding Teaching Award from the Haas School of Business.

Rob previously served as Chairman of the Menlo School Board of Trustees. He was also the sitting Chair of the Berkeley Endowment Management Company for the UC Berkeley Foundation and served on the Board of Dean’s Advisors at Harvard Business School.

Most importantly, Rob was an exceptional father and husband. He is survived by his wife, Shikha, son, Rohin, and daughter, Nina.