From Dorm to $275M: Early Ovarian Cancer Detection Breakthrough
This is my friend Surbhi Sarna. She came to Draper University in 2012. She had painful ovarian cysts as a teenager, but doctors didn’t have tools that could detect cancer without harming the ovaries. She studied molecular biology at UC Berkeley. Then came to DU. Then she built nVision around a fiber optic line product that could go up the fallopian tubes to detect cancer without harming the ovaries. Her medical device got FDA approval and nVision sold for $275 million to Boston Scientific. 200,000 women worldwide die each year from ovarian cancer. Early diagnosis by nVision can save many of these lives. Incredibly proud to have invested in Surbhi, her mission and her product. She is one of the poster star heroes from Draper University and we will always be grateful.
Live at 11 AM EST: Bitcoin Founders Showcase Batch 3
Batch 3 already. We continue to invest in the brightest founders building the future of the Bitcoin ecosystem. Join us live at 11 AM EST to see what these amazing teams have been working on @lxdev_ @OpenAgents @helios_finance @Resolvr_io @CharmsDev @PyrusFinancial
Launch AI Pitch Coach Now, Refine Later
I built chatbot and voice versions of myself so founders can get feedback without waiting for my calendar. It stress-tests decks and filters the strongest pitches to my team. Was just featured byPitchBook. The tech has gaps but waiting for perfection...
From $4 Mistake to $10k Prediction: Bitcoin’s Resilience
I bought Bitcoin at $4. Or so I thought. Peter Viscenne had offered to mine it for me. He bought some fast mining chips from Butterfly Labs, but rather than delivering them to him, they used them to mine their own...
Pitch Crypto Startup at Vegas Conference for $1M
We’re heading to Las Vegas. On April 27, during Bitcoin Conference week, I’ll be filming Meet the Drapers in partnership with BitGo. This is a chance to pitch on a global stage, get in front of top investors, and compete for up...
VC Endorses Colin Hodge's Must-Read Entrepreneurial Book
As a VC, I am always looking for the fearless entrepreneurs who are willing to challenge the status quo and potentially make our world roll differently, and usually better. Colin Hodge is a terrific entrepreneur and he is an even better...
From Wedding Best Man to Smart‑Meter Revolution
Cree Edwards was the best man at my wedding. That friendship changed the energy industry forever. Back in 1985, Cree and my Stanford roommate Larsh Johnson decided to tackle one of the biggest problems they could think of: electricity waste. Here's what they...
Real Series A Winners Thrive Amid Messy Challenges
Series A “winners” rarely become the real big winners. Everyone's chasing the obvious picks: -The one with the famous founder -The company with the flashiest pitch deck -The startup that's already getting press coverage The real winners are quietly building. At Series A: → Tesla was bleeding...
Early Bet on PrettyLitter Fuels Decade-Long Draper Success
Hollywood came to Draper University in 2015 to film a reality TV show called "Startup U." Fast forward to 2021: PrettyLitter sold—nearly a unicorn. Let’s rewind… One of the contestants was Carly Martinetti. She came with her partner, Daniel Rotman, to pitch PrettyLitter. The...
Bitcoin Goes Mainstream; Retail Adoption Likely Next
Very exciting time for #bitcoin as it makes its way into the financial mainstream. Can retail be far behind?
R3 Bio Engineers Whole Organs, Featured in WIRED
This is so awesome. @JohnSchloendorn and Alice Gilman at R3 Bio talk through what they’re doing at R3 Bio: building something that's never existed before. They're designing genetically engineered whole organ systems. See them featured in WIRED. @WIRED full story here: https://t.co/8z5iGXR0uK
New Investor Council to Review Next‑Gen Entrepreneurs' Applications
Welcome @stevewoz, @JoeMontana, and @thefriley to the Investor Council of @America250 ! I am so excited for them to join @RosieRios @andytangvc and me to review submissions from the next generation of American entrepreneurs. apply here. ...
From Football Field to Chip Founder: PLX’s Legacy
I got to know Jim Guzy on the football field. My school, Hillview Elementary, was playing against Fremont Elementary in flag football. They had this kid who was crazy fast on the field. That was Jim Guzy. Later, he became an electrical engineer...
Recording Every Conversation Unlocks AI-Powered Global Knowledge
Sam Liang came to the DFJ offices in Menlo Park from China with broken English and a strong spirit. He told us he was creating a business that allowed phones to tag people as they moved around the world and would...
Visionary Energy Trading Pioneered Before Cleantech Existed
Before there was a "cleantech" industry, there was Tim Healy. Tim figured out that he could route electricity through digital switches and create an energy marketplace. Companies could trade and share their energy when they weren't using it, then back it...
Early Bet on Digital Music Yields 20x Return
I backed a 25-year-old first-time founder who wanted to digitize music. This was 1988. I was excited by the prospect. I knew it was possible, but to most, the idea sounded insane. Peter Gotcher and Evan Brooke had started Digidesign, and I...
CEO Livestream Interview Now Available Through CoinPasar
Hosted a livestream with https://t.co/Dl5jTSoKZQ’s CEO a couple weeks ago. Thanks to CoinPasar for covering it! Listen to the full thing here: https://t.co/odDY40Tkg3 https://t.co/C1YE4ByupY
Funding the Rebellion: Backing Bold, Humanity‑scale Innovators
If you're solving massive problems for humanity and making people feel uncomfortable along the way... We should probably talk. I want to fund the wild, weird, and unconventional. As my son puts it, “We want to fund the rebellion.” Today, it looks like investing...
Bitcoin Could Quadruple in Under Two Years
Prediction: Bitcoin 4x in less than 2 years from here. #bitcoin #opportunity Maybe a @Polymarket bet?
Bet on Controversial Ideas, Build Trillion‑dollar Futures
Had a fantastic conversation on The Business Method podcast. We covered a lot of ground, from my early investment in Tesla, when no company had succeeded in making a US car company for 50 years, to SpaceX, when the only space...
Get Bitcoin Liquidity Without Losing Custody
Bitcoin holders face a brutal choice when they need cash. Sell your BTC (and cry later). Or spend 6 hours comparing complicated CeFi platforms with confusing rates and custody risks. Neither option makes sense. Our portfolio company, @SatsTerminal, has just launched Borrow, the first...
AI and Bitcoin Converge, Power Decentralized Micropayment Economy
I recently spoke at the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Industry Forum These were my major points: • AI and Bitcoin are merging faster than anyone expected. • Bitcoin will create a decentralized economic system. • Robots and AI will work alongside humans. • They'll earn micropayments...
Hybrid Payroll Boom Signals Future of Global Work
$1,000,000,000 in total payroll across 190+ countries, in Bitcoin and fiat, and hybrids. Rise just crossed this milestone. They hit $500M earlier this year. Nine months later? They've doubled it. That acceleration tells you something about where global work is heading. Most companies still...
Future Tech Moonshots Redefining Travel, Power, Communication
Draper Moonshots to watch for 2026 and beyond. @NatilusAero Blended-wing aircraft making air travel more efficient and affordable. Taking on the airplane duopoly with advanced technology. @RadiantNuclear Portable nuclear microreactors to deliver clean, reliable power anywhere in the world, from remote regions to...
BitcoinFi Accelerator Returns with $150K Funding
We’re excited to partner with @DraperDragon, @Thesis_co & @SupernormalFDN on the return of the BitcoinFi Accelerator for the Winter batch, investing $150K in startups building the future of Bitcoin DeFi, Consumer projects, and Infrastructure. Our first two cohorts exceeded expectations. Looking...
Choose Investors Who Partner, Not Micromanage
Founders ask me all the time: "What should I look for in an investor?" One question: Does their management style match how you want to be managed? You want an investor with great connections. Someone who'll give you insights when you need...
Ryder Builds Simplest Secure Hardware Wallet for Total Crypto Control
Ryder is making the simplest secure hard wallet in case you want total control over your Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
Infrastructure Wins: Crypto Payroll Finally Goes Mainstream
In 2015, we backed @JonChest and @Bitwage when most people thought paying employees in Bitcoin was crazy. 11 years later? The "crazy" idea just got acquired by @Paystand. While everyone was building crypto apps and speculating on tokens, Jonathan and the...
Gen Z Founders, Bitcoin, and the Next Industrial Revolution
Had a blast on the Partnering to Create Wealth podcast with @dfmarcus of New York Private Bank & Trust. We talked about everything from why I'm betting big on Gen Z founders to why @Bitcoin is better tech than gold. Here's what...
Founders: Seek Funding From VC's Children After Rejection
I loved Brian Armstrong from the moment he walked into my office, but I had already invested in @CoinLab, so I didn’t invest at first. But my son, Adam did. I decided @Coinbase would have too long a road to success,...
Bitcoin Remains Ultimate Hedge; $250K Target Still Realistic
Thanks to @CoinMarketCap for the interview. We covered @Bitcoin, AI, and why I still believe we're headed to $250K BTC, AND BEYOND. The Bitcoin thesis hasn't changed. Bitcoin is the ultimate hedge against bad governance, inflation, government spending and the like, and none...
Backing Founders: Energy, Mission, Fresh Frameworks, Anti‑oligopoly Drive
Just wrapped an incredible conversation with @albizhulali (one of my @Draper_U grads who's been heroic for 9 years since graduating). We dove deep into what I look for when backing founders: → Energy → Mission → Passionate first-timers → Entirely new frameworks We covered @Bitcoin, why...
Pitch Your Startup Live: One‑Minute Sessions with Draper
The DraperTV show on @Pumpfun keeps growing with an incredible community and founders building the future. I’ll be joining the stream to meet the people driving this movement. Anyone watching and engaging will have a chance to pitch their ideas to...
From Idea to $9B Unicorn: Bold Vision Wins
A Draper Portfolio company went from IDEA to unicorn (x9) in 5 YEARS. 🦄 🦄 🦄 🦄 🦄 🦄 🦄 🦄 🦄 @Polymarket just hit $9 BILLION valuation with a $2 billion investment from ICE (the owner of the NYSE.) A 21-year-old...
Whale Exits Signal Shift to Smaller Players
I hear some whales are selling. They must want to be minnows. # bitcoin
Four Generations of VC: Son Raises $87M
I've backed some incredible founders over the years. But watching my son @AdamDraper raise $87,654,321 for Boost VC's fourth fund? That hits different. VC is our family trade. It's what we do. And Adam? He's not riding coattails. He dropped out of UCLA. Built his...
DraperTV Launches Live Stream on Pump.fun with Rewards
DraperTV is Now Live Streaming on @pumpdotfun At @StreamDraperTV, we’re always looking to explore new frontiers, and that includes experimenting with emerging crypto platforms that bring creators and communities closer together. You can now watch all our content on @pumpdotfun - https://t.co/Tm8OnpRKGB For...