Jay Zhao
Founder & General Partner · San Francisco
Jay’s story
An immigrant entrepreneur’s journey to starting a VC fund
Jay's story isn't just about venture capital; it's a tale of an immigrant's relentless pursuit of a dream. His venture capital journey began at Granite Ventures, a tech-savvy yet unassuming fund, where Jay honed his VC skills. It was here, amidst the hustle of backing future unicorns like Anaplan, Marqeta, Workboard, and Airbnb, that he grasped the essence of venture capital: insatiable curiosity and formidable intellectual horsepower. The mantra was clear – to succeed, a VC must think independently, dare to defy consensus, and be right.
After a transformative stint at Granite, Jay ventured to Walden, a venerable fund with roots stretching back to the 1970s. Afterwards, he went on to co-found a strategic venture fund during the pandemic, backed by the global giant TCL. But neither of these chapters fully resonated with his vision of venture investing.
Deep down, Jay always harbored the spirit of an entrepreneur. His first venture into business began in college, where he launched a company and rode the entrepreneurial rollercoaster from fundraising and sales to an eventual exit. These experiences solidified his ambition – to be more than a passive investor, to be a partner who has strong opinions about the future and who add real value in company creation.
Jay's dream of founding a venture fund had been simmering since his days at Granite. He envisioned creating a fund as timeless and transformative as the iconic companies it would support, a fund that understands and leverages fundamental technological trends, not just the flavor of the moment.
In 2020, as the world grappled with a pandemic and financial chaos, Jay found clarity during a star-gazing camping trip. There, under the vast expanse of the night sky, the name 'Leonis Capital' was born, inspired by the Leo constellation. Conversations with friends from OpenAI, Nvidia, and Google sparked a realization – Super-cycle technologies like AI was not just a phase, but a paradigm-shifting force. This epiphany led Jay to embark on a new venture: founding Leonis Capital, dedicated to empowering technical pioneers who are changing the way we live and work."
For founders
How Jay can help
Fundraising
With >10 years of experience in VC, Jay has seen it all in startup fundraising. When it comes to raising your next round, Jay will give you lots of advice and make great intros.
Customer intros
Having invested in hundreds of startups, Jay has built a broad network of enterprises and later-stage startups. He probably has lots of potential customers in mind for your startup!
Key hires
Jay’s large network in Silicon Valley has helped him make number of key hire recommendations for our portfolio companies. We think he can help you land your next key hire too!