Madrone Capital Partners

Madrone Capital Partners is a private equity and venture capital firm affiliated with S. Robson Walton (Rob Walton, Wal-Mart heir and billionaire) and other Walton family members. Madrone Capital Partners primarily manages the Walton Family's investments in growth private companies. Madrone Capital Partners invests both directly in private companies and other venture capital and private equity funds. Madrone Capital Partners' investment focus is on alternative energy technologies and China with a long-term perspective. (Among its high profile alternative energy investments was solar energy company Solyndra, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2011.) However, Madrone Capital Partners has made investments outside its core focus, including a 2007 co-investment in hotel company Hyatt Global. Madrone Capital Partners was co-founded and managed by Greg Penner in 2005 and is based in Menlo Park, California.