Kevin Hartz

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Kevin Hartz
Born
Berkeley, California, U.S.
EducationStanford University (B.A.S.)
University College, Oxford (M.St.)
OccupationBusinessman
Known forCo-founder of Xoom
Co-founder of Eventbrite
Co-founder of A*[1]
SpouseJulia Hartz

Kevin Hartz is an American businessman and investor in the technology industry. He is the co-founder of Xoom and was the CEO from 2001 to 2005. Hartz co-founded Eventbrite along with his wife and Renaud Visage in 2006. He is a co-founder and general partner of A*, a venture capital firm, and a co-founder and chairman of Sauron, a company providing home security system solutions.[2][3]

Biography

Hartz was born in Berkeley, California, and raised in Orinda, California. He earned a Bachelor of Arts and Science in history and applied earth science from Stanford University, as well as a Master of Studies in British history from University College, Oxford.[4]

Career

Hartz began his career at Silicon Graphics (SGI) as the product manager for the virtual reality browser, Cosmo Player.

In 2001, Hartz co-founded Xoom,[5] an international money remittance business, along with Alan Braverman. He served first as CEO until 2005, and then on the board of directors through its February 2013 IPO[6] and subsequent acquisition by PayPal in 2015. The company had a total equity value of $1.1 billion at that time.[7]

In 2006, Hartz co-founded Eventbrite, the global self-service ticketing platform, along with his wife, Julia Hartz and Renaud Visage.[8][9][10] Hartz served as Eventbrite's chief executive until 2016, when Julia Hartz succeeded him and he became executive chairman.[11]

Hartz joined Founders Fund in September 2016 and served as a partner. He later announced his exit from the company in June 2018.[12] He remained on Eventbrite's board until June 2024, when he did not stand for re-election.[13]

In 2020, Hartz co-founded venture firm A*, where he serves as a general partner.[14][15]

Personal life

Hartz lives in San Francisco with his wife, Julia Hartz, and they have two daughters.[16]

References

  1. Lee, Lloyd (27 February 2025). "An early Uber angel investor directed his VC firm to take Waymos only". Business Insider.
  2. Davis, Dominic-Madori (2026-05-12). "Kevin Hartz's A* just closed its third fund with $450M". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  3. "Returning autonomy to the homeowner". Sauron Systems. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  4. "Xoom Corporation registration statement". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2026-08-16.
  5. Kennedy, John (2014-07-04). "The interview: Kevin Hartz, CEO of Eventbrite, on investing in tech (video) - Start-ups | siliconrepublic.com - Ireland's Technology News Service". Silicon Republic. Archived from the original on 2025-01-14. Retrieved 2025-12-09.
  6. "Xoom Corporation 2014 Form 10-K". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved 2026-08-16.
  7. "PayPal Acquires Xoom for Stake in Digital Money Transfers". The New York Times. 2015-07-01.
  8. Ohikuare, Judith (28 June 2012). "Bad Times Have Treated Us Well at Eventbrite". Inc.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  9. Burleigh, Emma. "Eventbrite's CEO walked away from Hollywood to build a $225 million ticketing company with her own money: 'If it's a disaster, we'll just be broke'". Fortune. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
  10. "Eventbrite CEO Julia Hartz sees her job as fighting loneliness". The Business Journals. 2025-02-03. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
  11. "Eventbrite Co-Founder Julia Hartz Named Chief Executive Officer and Appointed to the Company's Board of Directors". Eventbrite. Retrieved 2026-08-16.
  12. "Kevin Hartz Is Stepping Down as Partner at Founders Fund". Fortune. Retrieved 2018-09-18.
  13. "Eventbrite Appoints Julia Hartz as Executive Chair of the Board of Directors". Eventbrite. Retrieved 2026-08-16.
  14. Loizos, Connie (2025-10-18). "This top VC has bet close to 20% of his fund on teenagers — here's why". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
  15. Szkutak, Rebecca (2024-06-21). "Kevin Hartz's A* raises its second oversubscribed fund in three years". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
  16. . Stanford Technology Ventures Program https://stvp.stanford.edu/people/kevin-hartz. Retrieved 2026-08-13. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help) (The information is likely outdated.)