Mark Fernandes
Managing Director, Sierra Ventures
Mark Fernandes is a Managing Director at Sierra Ventures and focuses on software investments in the consumer internet and enterprise areas. His investments include Frontbridge Technologies (acquired by Microsoft), Sourcefire (NASD: FIRE) and Opalis Software (acquired by Microsoft). He was also a board observer at Net6 (acquired by Citrix Systems) and Permeo (acquired by Blue Coat Systems). He serves on the boards of Ooyala, Spotzer Media, DynamicOps and ThisMoment. Mark started his career in engineering at Seagate Technology and was then a product manager at Cisco Systems. After business school, Mark was an equity research analyst covering software companies, first at Robertson Stephens and then as a Director at Merrill Lynch. He joined Sierra Ventures in 2002. Mark has a MS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley and a MBA from Harvard.
Content & Articles by Mark Fernandes
Stop Hiding Behind Your Screen: In-Person Events Are How You Win in 2026
2026 is shaping up to be the year businesses rediscover the power of shaking hands, clinking glasses, and actually meeting their prospects in person. Don’t take my word for it...
Build Alignment Before You Burn Out
Everything Feels Urgent At early-stage companies, everything feels urgent: shipping product, closing customers, raising money. In that environment, planning can feel like a luxury, or even a liability. In my...
How To Use Reddit To Scale Organic Growth For Your Startup
In this Mucker Growth Series session, Colin Belyea, founder of Karmic and an expert in Reddit organic growth, breaks down how Reddit has become one of the most influential discovery...
Sales Comp Kick Start: Keys to Getting It Right as You Begin to Build Your Sales Team
Webinar Recap featuring Donya Rose, Managing Principal from The Cygnal Group Sales compensation is one of the most critical aspects of building a successful sales organization. Many early-stage founders stumble...
Austin Tech Week 2025 Recap
Mucker Capital hosted two powerful days of programming during Austin Tech Week, bringing together founders, operators, and growth leaders to share real-world insights from the startup trenches. Across four sessions,...
LA Tech Week 2025 Day 3 Recap: AI Search – Wednesday Oct 15
After two packed days exploring AI startup building and go-to-market growth, Day 3 of LA Tech Week shifted focus to the evolving world of AI Search, how new AI technologies...