Scott Banister

Scott Banister is a highly influential American entrepreneur and prolific angel investor, widely recognized for his visionary early-stage investments in some of the most transformative technology companies of the past two decades. His entrepreneurial journey includes co-founding IronPort, a leading email and web security appliance company that was acquired by Cisco for a substantial $830 million in 2007. Prior to this, Banister played a crucial role as an early advisor and board member at PayPal, which famously went public before being acquired by eBay for $1.5 billion, cementing his reputation as a shrewd identifier of disruptive potential.

As an angel investor, Banister has cultivated a reputation as a "super angel," focusing primarily on seed and early-stage opportunities within the internet, software, and emerging technology sectors. He is known for backing companies with strong technical founders and innovative solutions to large market problems. His impressive portfolio boasts early investments in an array of tech giants, including a reported $100,000 investment in Google in 1999, which yielded significant returns. Other notable early bets include Facebook, Uber, SpaceX, Zappos, and Twilio, showcasing his consistent ability to spot future market leaders.

Banister's investment strategy often involves providing not just capital but also strategic guidance, leveraging his deep operational experience from his own successful ventures. His typical first check sizes reflect his position as a prominent angel, generally ranging from $100,000 for promising seed-stage startups to as much as $1,000,000 for more established early-stage companies or as a lead investor in a significant angel round. With over 100 reported investments and more than 30 successful exits in his portfolio, Scott Banister continues to be a pivotal figure in the Silicon Valley investment landscape, actively shaping the next generation of technology innovation.