Phil Wickham
InvestorManaging Director at Sozo Ventures · Venture Partner / Advisor at Angular Ventures
Los Gatos, California
Writes $100K – $5M checks · typically $1.5M
Find your path to Phil
714 people in our graph share verified history with Phil — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Tobi CokerunlockedPhil: together at Center for Venture Education (2023–2025)
×7Phil: together at Center for Venture Education
×2Phil: together at Flagship Ventures
×2Phil: together at Creandum
About
Phil Wickham is a Founder and General Partner of Sozo Ventures and emeritus Executive Chairman of the Kauffman Fellows in Palo Alto, California. He previously co-founded Reference Media in Tokyo (later sold to the Princeton Review), served as General Partner at JAFCO America Ventures, and ran U.S. operations for the Munich-based venture fund Copan. He lectures at Stanford's Graduate School of Engineering and is a Visiting Professor at Waseda University's School of Commerce.
Contact· published on Phil's own website
Experience
- Sozo VenturesManaging Directorcurrent2011 — presentPalo Alto, CA
- Sozo VenturesManaging Director2011 — 2016
- Center for Venture EducationExecutive Chairman, President and CEO Emerituscurrent2008 — presentPalo Alto, CA
- LotameBoard Membercurrent2014 — presentNew York, NY
- CreandumAdvisor2006 — 2010
- TL VenturesVenture Partner2006 — 2007San Mateo, CA
- Copan, Inc.Managing Director2002 — 2006
- JAFCO America VenturesPartner1999 — 2001Palo Alto, CA
- JAFCO America VenturesPrincipal1997 — 1998Palo Alto, CA
- JAFCO America VenturesAssociate1996 — 1997Palo Alto, CA
- Flagship VenturesAssociate, Kauffman Fellow (Charter Class)1995 — 1996Boston, MA
Skills & more
Management13Strategic Planning5Strategy21Leadership10Venture Capital80Entrepreneurship75Private Equity16Start-ups99Product Management5Corporate Development29Product Development4Mergers & Acquisitions15
+9 more
Angel InvestingStrategic PartnershipsCorporate FinanceDue DiligenceBusiness StrategyBusiness PlanningManagement ConsultingCleantechBusiness DevelopmentFrom Phil's professional profile.
Investments
Sources: the firm's website · curated public sources.
Colleagues at Sozo Ventures
Aantorik Ganguly
Associate at Sozo Ventures
Alaina N. Watts
Assistant Controller at Sozo Ventures
Bob Roe
VP, Narrative Development at Sozo Ventures
Charles A.D. Kern
Analyst at Sage Capital
Clay Gary
Venture Partner at Sozo Ventures
Edwin Ong
Chief of Staff at Sozo Ventures
Elena Winefeld
CFO at Sozo Ventures
Jack Freeman
Partner at PeakSpan Capital Partners
Network9
Code CubittMentee
Managing Director at Mistral Venture Partners
Hiroki MatsudaMentee
Collective Souls · Kauffman Fellow (Class 26)
Israel RollinsMentee
Aligned Health Ventures · Kauffman Fellow (Class 15)
Mike McCauleyMentee
Co-founder & General Partner at Inovia Capital
Ray (Rehito) HatoyamaMentee
Sozo Ventures · Kauffman Fellow (Class 22)
Rob BarbaraMentee
General Partner at Build Ventures
SC MoattiMentee
Founding Managing Partner at Mighty Capital
Staffan HelgessonMentee
General Partner at Creandum
Yinglan TanMentee
Founding Managing Partner at Insignia Ventures Partners
Investors connected to Phil in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Phil Wickham?
- Phil Wickham is a Founder and General Partner of Sozo Ventures and emeritus Executive Chairman of the Kauffman Fellows in Palo Alto, California. He previously co-founded Reference Media in Tokyo (later sold to the Princeton Review), served as General Partner at JAFCO America Ventures, and ran U.S. operations for the Munich-based venture fund Copan. He lectures at Stanford's Graduate School of Engineering and is a Visiting Professor at Waseda University's School of Commerce.
- Where does Phil Wickham work?
- Phil Wickham is Managing Director at Sozo Ventures.
- What check size does Phil Wickham write?
- Phil Wickham typically writes checks of $100K – $5M.
- What companies has Phil Wickham invested in?
- Investments tracked here include Chainalysis, CircleUp, Coinbase, Com21, Docket HQ, Fastly, Flexport, Ikanos, Lotame, MongoDB, Neurotrack, One Concern, and 7 more.
- Where did Phil Wickham go to school?
- Phil Wickham studied at RPI Lally School of Management (MBA, Decision Sciences); University of Arizona (BS, Mechanical Engineering).
Same school
Also attended RPI Lally School of Management17
Sahir AzamInvestor at Index VenturesHenri NurmelaDirector at Axcel Management A/SJohn CococciaVenture Advisor at Armory Square VenturesJoseph PolitoskiVice President, Corporate Controller at Sun Capital PartnersCraig EvansFounder at EssincGerben GooijersBuilt the ESA detection engine and SAM4 hardware platform from scratch at Samotics
+ 11 more
Also attended University of Arizona260
Benjamin BrockwellVenture Partner at Copper Sky CapitalMary PattonScientific Advisory Board at InnoCom Bio EquitiesTom KalinskeInvestor at Alsop Louie PartnersEmily FritzePartner at The Westly GroupDeena RidleyChief Financial Officer at PEARL ENERGY INVESTMENTSLaura SageDirector, Marketing & Investor Relations at Windham Capital Partners
+ 254 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Sozo Ventures22
Koichiro NakamuraSenior Managing Director at Sozo VenturesSpencer FoustManaging Director at Sozo VenturesRay HatoyamaVenture Partner at Sozo VenturesYoshihiro KoharaPrincipal at Sozo VenturesAantorik GangulyAssociate at Sozo VenturesKazuhiro KobayashiHead of Japan at Sozo Ventures
+ 16 more
Also worked at Center for Venture Education538
Jenny LeeSenior Managing Partner at Granite AsiaRoi Bar-KatManaging Director at Intel CapitalAvi BharadwajInvestment Director at Intel CapitalNick WashburnSenior Managing Director, Intel Capital (North America)Justin HallPartner at Golden Gate VenturesMichael LintsFounding Partner, MENA at Golden Gate Ventures
+ 532 more
