Key Takeaways
- • Kleiner Perkins engaged outside lobbying firms in 2013, reporting $320,000 in total lobbying compensation to hired firms, representing 100% of annual lobbying expenditures during the disclosure period.
- • The venture capital firm's lobbying activity was tracked through Senate Office of Public Records filings, with data collection reflecting January through December spending for 2013 and partial-year (January–June) spending for the most recent year (2026).
- • Kleiner Perkins co-founder John Doerr was instrumental in founding TechNet in 1997, a technology industry advocacy organization that successfully lobbied against litigation threats to the sector.
- • The firm's lobbying engagement reflects broader shifts in how technology and venture capital firms interact with federal regulators and policymakers during the regulatory evolution of the digital economy.
Summary
Kleiner Perkins, one of the technology sector's most prominent venture capital firms, maintained an active federal lobbying presence in 2013, according to disclosures filed with the Senate Office of Public Records and compiled by OpenSecrets, a government transparency organization. The firm reported retaining outside lobbying firms with total compensation of $320,000 during 2013, representing its complete annual lobbying expenditure for that year.
The lobbying activity reflects Kleiner Perkins' engagement with federal policymakers on issues relevant to its portfolio and the broader technology industry. John Doerr, a partner at Kleiner Perkins, co-founded TechNet in 1997—a technology industry advocacy organization that has actively lobbied on behalf of the sector. TechNet, which also counted Cisco CEO John Chambers among its founders, successfully lobbied against litigation threats to technology firms, demonstrating the firm's broader involvement in industry-level advocacy.
OpenSecrets, which compiled this lobbying data, notes that its figures represent calculations based on Senate Office of Public Records disclosures. Data for 2013 encompasses full-year spending from January through December, while more recent disclosures reflect partial-year activity. The organization makes its underlying data publicly available for distribution and citation by crediting OpenSecrets, supporting transparency in venture capital and technology sector lobbying activities.
The lobbying engagement during this period aligns with a documented shift in how technology startups and venture-backed firms have increased their interaction with government regulators, marking a departure from earlier eras when startup-government engagement was minimal. This regulatory affairs evolution reflects the sector's maturation and the expanding intersection of technology innovation with federal policy.
The lobbying activity reflects Kleiner Perkins' engagement with federal policymakers on issues relevant to its portfolio and the broader technology industry. John Doerr, a partner at Kleiner Perkins, co-founded TechNet in 1997—a technology industry advocacy organization that has actively lobbied on behalf of the sector. TechNet, which also counted Cisco CEO John Chambers among its founders, successfully lobbied against litigation threats to technology firms, demonstrating the firm's broader involvement in industry-level advocacy.
OpenSecrets, which compiled this lobbying data, notes that its figures represent calculations based on Senate Office of Public Records disclosures. Data for 2013 encompasses full-year spending from January through December, while more recent disclosures reflect partial-year activity. The organization makes its underlying data publicly available for distribution and citation by crediting OpenSecrets, supporting transparency in venture capital and technology sector lobbying activities.
The lobbying engagement during this period aligns with a documented shift in how technology startups and venture-backed firms have increased their interaction with government regulators, marking a departure from earlier eras when startup-government engagement was minimal. This regulatory affairs evolution reflects the sector's maturation and the expanding intersection of technology innovation with federal policy.
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