Apple. Intel. Genentech. Atari. Google. Cisco. Stratospheric successes with high stakes all around. Behind some of the world's most revolutionary companies are a handful of men who (through timing, foresight, a keen ability to size up other people, and a lot of luck) saw opportunity where others did not: these are the original venture capitalists. All were backing and building companies before the term 'venture capital' had been coined: companies that led to the birth of biotechnology and the spectacular growth in microprocessors, personal computers and the web. SOMETHING VENTURED uncovers the ups and downs of the building of some of the greatest companies of the twentieth century, and the hidden dramas behind some of the most famous names in business.
Direction
Archival footage that makes 1970s boardrooms feel electric.
Writing
Narrative treats VC like heist movie protagonists.
Production
Rare access to founders still processing their own luck.
Director
Dayna Goldfine
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The filmmakers spent years securing interviews; several subjects died during production, making this an accidental time capsule.
This doc premiered right as 'The Social Network' reshaped public perception of tech founders—compare how both mythologize and critique ambition. The VCs here are framed as visionaries rather than vampires, a framing that feels increasingly contested.
US
