[Recorded April 4, 2017] The Draper family has played a defining role in Silicon Valley venture capital for four generations, spanning 60 years. Guiding entrepreneurs from idea to exit, Drapers have served as investors, mentors, match-makers, and allies to founders of Hotmail, Skype, Baidu, Apollo Computer, Tesla and more.
The Draper VC dynasty began in 1958. General William Draper founded Draper, Gaither & Anderson, one of the first professional venture capital firms on the west coast. His son Bill co-founded Draper & Johnson then Sutter Hill Ventures, before starting Draper International, a fund focused on venture investments in India, and Draper Richards, which invests in U.S. technology companies. Bill’s son, Tim, cofounded Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) in 1985. DFJ has backed tech superstars like Baidu, Space X and Tumblr.. Tim’s daughter Jesse, also known as “The Valley Girl”, continues the Draper legacy today as the founder of Halogen Ventures, an early stage VC fund focused on female-founded consumer companies.
How did the Drapers catch–and pass on–the venture capital bug? What lessons have these investors learned from each other? What does the future of VC look like in Silicon Valley and around the world? Join us for stories and insights from three generations of Drapers.
