All people
Integrated-circuit era (1959-1975)
Arthur Rock
born 1926
Pioneered venture capital; financed Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel.
Contributions
- 01Brokered the deal that funded the Traitorous Eight's founding of Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957.
- 02Co-founded Davis & Rock in 1961, one of the first dedicated VC partnerships.
- 03Wrote the first check for Intel in 1968 and chaired its board for two decades.
Why it matters for venture capital
Rock's Law (the cost of a semiconductor fab roughly doubles every four years) is named after his observation. The modern venture-capital model that funded every fabless chip company traces to his template.