VC Victor Lazarte is leaving Benchmark to launch his personal agency

After two years as a enterprise capitalist for prime shelf agency Benchmark, Victor Lazarte is leaving that firm to begin his personal investing gig, he introduced on X on Thursday.

Lazarte turned recognized in tech for co-founding cellular gaming firm Wildlife Studios, which was final valued at an estimated $3 billion in 2020. Wildlife raised cash from a mess of VCs, together with Benchmark.

Throughout his two years at Benchmark, Lazarte invested in recruiting and information labeling startup Mercor, AI video intelligence platform HeyGen, and AI infrastructure firm Decart AI.

Lazarte is leaving Benchmark to “construct a brand new funding observe,” he wrote within the publish. He had just lately knowledgeable his portfolio firms about his plans to go away Benchmark, in keeping with a supply.

Lazarte is the second investor to step down from Benchmark’s partnership this 12 months. Sarah Tavel, introduced in April that she is transitioning to a venture partner.

After Lazarte’s departure remaining companions on the storied agency embrace Peter Fanton, Eric Vishria, and Chetan Puttagunta.

Not like most VC companies, the place senior companions usually obtain a larger share of administration charges and income, Benchmark operates as an equal partnership, with all normal companions dividing charges and returns equally. Benchmark and Lazarte didn’t instantly reply to our request for added remark.