Insight Venture Partners, the NY based VC investment company, has been piling up big gains for itself and its employee/investors but limited partner investors are coming away empty handed. A report by the WSJ outlines tech investments that have lined the pockets of the company and its “friends and family.” However, limited partner investors in Insights technology fund have been shut out from investing in the same companies. Limited partners in the tech fund like CalPers and the Yale University endowment were pushed to the sidelines, not allowed to invest, while watching employees and executives of Insight make small fortunes with their personal investments in the companys tech plays. The investment plays appear relatively small and in fact may be smaller than the limited partners may have wanted, or agreed, to be involved in. While the actions of Insight seem to be entirely legal they spotlight questionable activities that are industry-wide and should raise concerns.
