Ex-Microsoft exec Sinofsky joins Silicon Valley venture capital firm

Steven Sinofsky, the hard-charging former Microsoft Corp executive, has joined the prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz as a part-time “board partner,” representing the firm on certain boards of companies it invests in.

The move, announced on Sinofsky’s personal blog on Thursday, is slightly surprising given Marc Andreessen, co-founder of the venture capital firm, has long been a critic of Microsoft, since Microsoft effectively crushed his Netscape Communications browser company in the 1990s.

After Microsoft… (Image credit: Microsoft)

Founded in 2009, Andreessen Horowitz is one of Silicon Valley’s newest and most prominent venture funds, which has recently backed companies such as photo-sharing business Instagram and accommodation service Airbnb.

Sinofsky left Microsoft unexpectedly in November, just after he led the rollout of Windows 8, after an uncomfortable relationship with CEO Steve Ballmer.

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He has kept a low profile since then, teaching a class at Harvard Business School. An agreement with Microsoft prevents him from working with direct rivals such as Amazon.com Inc , Apple Inc or Facebook Inc for a year.

“I’m especially excited to learn by spending more time with entrepreneurs and those creating new technologies and products,” said Sinofsky on his blog. “Andreessen Horowitz is a VC firm that believes deeply in helping entrepreneurs and helping change the product and business landscape.”

Reuters