C. Richard Kramlich
American venture capitalist (1935–2025)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
C. Richard Kramlich (April 27, 1935 – February 1, 2025), born Charles Richard Kramlich, also known as Dick Kramlich, was an American venture capitalist.[1][2][3]
April 27, 1935
C. Richard Kramlich | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charles Richard Kramlich April 27, 1935 Green Bay, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | February 1, 2025 (aged 89) San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Other name | Dick Kramlich |
| Occupation | Venture capitalist |
| Known for | New Enterprise Associates |
| Parent(s) | Irving Kramlich, Dorothy Kramlich |
His parents were Irving Kramlich, a grocer who went on to open 25 food stores; the chain was purchased in 1955 by Kroger. His mother Dorothy (Earl) Kramlich was an aeronautical engineer, .[1]
Kramlich co-founded the venture capitalist firm New Enterprise Associates in 1977.[4][2] He was one of the earliest investors in Apple Computer.[1] His other investments included Silicon Graphics, Ascend Communications, and Juniper Networks.[5][6]
Kramlich and his wife Pamela were among the first private collectors of new media such as video art and projected image installations, starting in the late 1980s.[1][7][8] Kramlich died on February 1, 2025, at the age of 89 at his home in San Francisco.[1] He graduated from Northwestern University (BA) and Harvard Business School (MBA).[1]
Legacy
The Kramliches founded the New Art Trust, in 1997; the consortium includes the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Tate, London, and the Bay Area Video Coalition. They donated twenty-one video and new-media works to the NAT collection in 2007.[9] The Kramlich Collection has grown to 200+ works of film, video, slide, and installation, and "250 significant works of photography, sculpture, painting, and drawing by more than 230 artists from around the world".[10] As of 2026[update] Shannon Jackson is Program Director of the Kramlich Collection and Kramlich Art Foundation.[11]