Terrence Yang
Venture capitalSan Francisco · Pre-Seed–Seed · 6 people tracked
Investment thesis
Yang Ventures invests in startups meeting an unmet, preferably urgent, need. The firm emphasizes founder-market fit and often backs founder friends known for years, with recent concentration in privacy, law, and finance-related projects, including cryptocurrency ventures. Typical checks are around $25,000, ranging from $10,000 up to $100,000. The team looks for clearly articulated products explained in plain English, with strong founder-market fit. Notable early investments include Handshake, a decentralized certificate authority and naming protocol, alongside same-round investors such as Sequoia.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 6 people
from the firm's websiteWhat they invest in
from 1 of 1 portfolio companiesCrypto & Web3 ×1Data & Infrastructure ×1Developer Tools ×1
Investments · 1 tracked
founders shown can be your intro path
Handshake is a decentralized, peer-to-peer naming and certificate authority protocol that serves as an alternative to centralized DNS systems and certificate authorities.
Crypto & Web3Data & InfrastructureDeveloper Tools
Joseph Poon(Co-Founder / Protocol Developer)Andrew Lee(Co-Founder)Christopher Jeffrey(Co-Founder / CTO)Tieshun Roquerre(CEO, Namebase (leading Handshake domain registrar/exchange))
BoardMike Duboe(Venture Partner, Greylock Partners (investor listed on Greylock's Handshake portfolio page))
Co-investorsa16z cryptoAmentum Investment ManagementAusum VenturesD1 VenturesDraper AssociatesFounders Fund+5 more
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesFrequently asked questions
- What stage does Terrence Yang invest at?
- Terrence Yang invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What is Terrence Yang's typical check size?
- Terrence Yang typically writes checks of $10K – $100K.
- What sectors does Terrence Yang focus on?
- Terrence Yang focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Crypto & Web3, EdTech, Enterprise Software, Fintech, LegalTech.
- Where is Terrence Yang located?
- Terrence Yang is headquartered in San Francisco, US.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamTerrence Yang: When Smart Contracts are Dumb: Dispute Resolution and Arbitration for Smart Contracts
Block 2thefuture · Terrence Yang
Images
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