Draper Associates
Venture capitalActively deployingSan Mateo · Pre-Seed–Series A · 21 people tracked
Also known as Draper Associates Venus · DRAPER MANAGEMENT COMPANY, LLC
Investment thesis
Draper backs founders pursuing transformative and often contrarian technologies. Its focus spans AI and robotics that augment human capability and automation, Bitcoin and blockchain infrastructure including DeFi and tokenized assets, healthcare oriented toward prevention and longevity through AI diagnostics and regenerative medicine, and aerospace ventures building a multi-planetary economy via space habitats, lunar mining, and autonomous aviation. The firm also supports frontier moonshot ideas such as artificial wombs, de-extinction, and brain-computer interfaces, aiming to fund visionary companies whose ambitions may seem impossible today but could redefine human existence in the future.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 21 people
from the firm's website & curated & public directories
What they invest in
from 114 of 216 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×43SaaS ×33Enterprise Software ×25Biotech ×15Crypto & Web3 ×15Fintech ×14Deep Tech ×13Hardware ×13
HQs:United States×51India×2Canada×1Mexico×1Nigeria×1Sweden×1
Investments · 216 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathChina's leading search engine and AI technology company
Coinbase is a cryptocurrency exchange platform that offers trading, custody, and financial services for cryptocurrencies, stocks, derivatives, and prediction markets to consumers, institutions, and developers.
Crypto & Web3FintechLos Angeles, US
Brian Armstrong(Founder/CEO)in
D-Wave develops quantum computing systems and platforms using both annealing and gate-model technologies to solve optimization and complex computational problems for enterprises and researchers.
Deep TechEnterprise SoftwareQuantum ComputingBurnaby
Kirstjen Nielsen(Director)Diane Nguyen(Executive Officer)Rohit Ghai(Director)John D. DiLullo(Director)Alan E. Baratz(Executive Officer, Director)Roger Biscay(Director)
DocuSign provides AI-powered agreement management, electronic signature, and contract lifecycle management solutions for enterprises.
Enterprise SoftwareLegalTechSaaSSan Francisco, US
John Hinshaw(Director)Pete Solvik(Director)Mike Dinsdale(Executive Officer)Louis Lavigne(Director)Tom Gonser(Director)Neil Hudspith(Executive Officer)
Ginkgo Bioworks develops autonomous laboratory systems that automate manual benchwork in biotechnology R&D, enabling scientists to conduct experiments through natural language requests rather than manual lab work.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechHealthtechBoston, US
Jason Kelly(Founder)inAustin Che(Founder)inTom Knight(Founder)inBarry Canton(Founder)inReshma Shetty(Founder)in
BoardReshma Sohoni
Electric vehicle maker; early investment yielding ~30x return.
Aladdin is a B2B matchmaking and events platform that connects buyers, suppliers, and business partners through qualified meetings—held in person, online, or hybrid.
B2B MarketplacesEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
DigiBuild is a construction procurement platform that helps general contractors, subcontractors, and property owners source materials, reduce costs, and maintain project timelines.
AI & Machine LearningB2B MarketplacesConstruction TechEnterprise SoftwarePropTechSaaSMiami, US
MightyFly develops autonomous electric cargo aircraft designed for rapid logistics and package delivery to businesses, healthcare providers, and government agencies.
AI & Machine LearningHardwareLogistics & Supply ChainRoboticsSan Francisco, US
Manal Habib(CEO and Founder)inDamen Cheung(Head of Software and Avionics)inSteve Wollenberg(Chief Commercial Officer)inBrendan Szuwalski(Head of Airframe)in
MiResource helps people find and connect with affordable mental health care tailored to their needs, ranging from counseling to psychiatric treatment and crisis services.
B2B MarketplacesHealthtechMental HealthSaaS
Mackenzie Drazan(CEO of MiResource)inGabriela Asturias(COO of MiResource)in
Wildfire develops technology and solutions to help firefighters detect, control, and manage fires more effectively.
AgTechCleantechClimate TechDefense TechBoulder, US
Steve Wolf(Founder & Inventor)inDavid Blivin(Director)Logan Grizzel(Director)Tim Krebs(Executive Officer)inBrett Kingstone(Executive Officer, Director)inAndrew Amalfitano(both officer and director)
1000Memories lets families upload and organize historical photographs while building family trees and sharing memories with relatives.
ConsumerSan Francisco, US
Rudy Adler(Founder)inJonathan Good(Founder)Brett Huneycutt(Founder)in
1Fort AI builds an AI workforce platform for insurance brokers that automates manual workflows like quoting, invoicing, and servicing, enabling brokers to spend more time with clients.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareInsurTechSaaSNew York, US
Customized insurance and risk management for agriculture with traceability
Science-backed insurance and risk management for agriculture and food, using a BioTag traceability platform.
Acelab provides a platform for architects and construction professionals to research, select, and document building materials.
AI & Machine LearningConstruction TechEnterprise SoftwareSaaSBrooklyn, US
Dave Lemont(Executive Chairman)inMatthew Hayes(Director)Parker McKee(Director)Vardhan Mehta(Executive Officer, Director)Emily Farirbairn(Director)RUSS WILCOX(Director)
Space-based solar power generation via satellite constellation
Alef develops a flying car designed for both street driving and vertical takeoff flight to avoid traffic congestion.
Deep TechHardwareMobility & Transportation
Yevgeniy Dukhovny(Executive Officer, Director)Konstantin Kisly(Executive Officer, Director)Oleg Petrov(Executive Officer, Director)
AI platform automating legal research for law firms
CRISPR-based therapeutics discovery for cancer and inflammation
Algen Biotechnologies discovers and develops small molecule therapeutics for cancer and inflammatory diseases using CRISPR, RNAi, and machine learning to decode functional gene networks and predict drug responses.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechHealthtechMedical DevicesSan Francisco, US
Chun-Hao Huang(Founder)inChristine Du(Founder)inJennifer DoudnaDr. Jeff Whitten(Chief Scientific Officer)
AI-powered, HIPAA-compliant workspace for mental health professionals.
Amboss provides data analytics and machine learning tools for the Bitcoin Lightning Network, offering routing optimization and risk management for merchants, consumers, and enterprise users.
AI & Machine LearningCrypto & Web3FintechPortland, US
Anthony Potdevin(Executive Officer, Director)Jesse Shrader(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardEmanuele Rossi(ML Advisor)
Family history and consumer genomics platform
AngelList's investor management platform provides tools for venture capital and private equity firms to streamline LP interactions, automate fund operations, and deliver reporting and portfolio updates through a branded digital experience.
Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaS
Avlok Kohli(CEO)
AI Agent payment network powered by blockchains
Arctic Wolf provides managed detection and response (MDR) services with 24x7 security teams that detect, investigate, and respond to threats using an open XDR platform processing trillions of events weekly.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Brian NeSmith(Founder & CEO)
Bitcoin layer-two solutions for scalability
Service delivery management software for enterprise operations
MIMS is an enterprise operational orchestration platform that unifies field operations, workforce coordination, asset management, and SLA governance for mission-critical service delivery.
Enterprise SoftwareIoTSaaS
Cloud-based healthcare platform for clinical workflows
Atomwise uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to discover novel small-molecule drugs, with a current focus on developing treatments for immune and inflammatory diseases.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechSan Francisco, US
Robert Mittendorff(Director)Adam Seabrook(Director)Linda Maxwell(Director)Mike Varney(Director)Izhar Wallach(Executive Officer, Director)Yan Zhao(Executive Officer)
Rapid air transport using autonomous blended-wing aircraft
Auto is an AI camera application that transforms photos into "Frames"—mini apps that perform specific actions like meal tracking, plant identification, and outfit recommendations.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerCreator Economy
Autonomous vehicle orchestration platform
Basepair is a SaaS platform for analyzing and storing genomic data in the cloud, designed for research scientists and bioinformaticians.
BiotechCloud ComputingSaaSNew York, US
AMIT SINHA(Executive Officer, Director)
Browse all 216 investments with full details →
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Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Draper Associates invest at?
- Draper Associates invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What is Draper Associates's typical check size?
- Draper Associates typically writes checks of $500K – $5M.
- What sectors does Draper Associates focus on?
- Draper Associates focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Crypto & Web3, Deep Tech, Defense Tech, Fintech, Healthtech, Longevity, Medical Devices, Robotics, Sector Agnostic, Space Tech.
- Where is Draper Associates located?
- Draper Associates is headquartered in San Mateo, US.
- Does Draper Associates lead rounds?
- Yes, Draper Associates leads investment rounds.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamTim Draper, Founder of Draper Associates + Draper University joins NYSE TV Live
New York Stock Exchange · Tim Draper
A Fireside Chat with Tim Draper, Founder Draper Associates, at Paklaunch UNConference '24.2
Paklaunch · Tim Draper
Tim Draper, founder of DFJ and Draper Associates on what makes a place great for entrepreneurs
Eze Vidra · Tim Draper
Tim Draper Founder Draper Associates, DFJ & Draper Venture Network on Covid19 Crisis for Startups
FinTech Silicon Valley · Tim Draper
A Fireside Chat with Tim Draper, Founder Draper Associates/DFJ/Draper University
Paklaunch · Tim Draper
Images
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