con·duc·tive
\ kən-ˈdək-tiv \
adjective: able to transmit energy through a medium.
Our Values
We seek to find and fund the best entrepreneurs in the world.
We are conductive by delivering capital and value to build next-generation companies.
Budget Conscious
Embrace efficient uses of capital
Authentic Relationships
Thrive in collaboration
Integrity
Above all else, do the right thing
Our Portfolio
Ambiq Micro
Fabless semiconductor company developing the world’s most energy-efficient microprocessors using subthreshold technology
We intentionally kept our last round of funding open for Paul when he told me he was in the process of launching this new fund with Carey. The team at Conductive is helpful and collaborative in the way they think and work. We’ve already begun to see early fruits from some of the business development introductions they’ve made on our behalf.
– Fumihide Esaka, CEO
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Blueshift
Intelligent customer engagement platform
Carey was a previous investor in our Series A where he provided strong guidance. When he launched Conductive Ventures, we wanted him involved given his extensive background in working with Series B companies, especially when it comes to executing the go-to-market strategy as well as scaling the entire business across the board. His council and experience are invaluable to us.
– Vijay Chittoor, Founder & CEO
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CHAI
Mobile payments solution
Founded in 2019, CHAI aims to bridge the payments gap in Asian markets by providing a payment orchestration solution for local merchants through a single application programming interface (API). Through CHAI Port, merchants can activate and offer over 30 payment options such as credit cards, digital wallets, bank transfers, and cross-border payments to their customers. They can also optimize the checkout experience for improved conversion rates and obtain a real-time analysis of their entire payment flow from multiple payment methods.
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CSC Generation
Omni channel digital first retail platform
Carey was a Board Director at my previous start-up 500Friends and he was my first call when we began raising our round of funding. Many investors often push entrepreneurs to grow at all costs, resulting in value destruction. It was important to me that our investors were aligned not only with a scalable growth path, but also a sustainable one.
– Justin Yoshimura, Founder & CEO
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Desktop Metal
Accelerating the transformation of manufacturing with end-to-end metal 3D printing solutions
I first met Paul almost 10-years ago when he invited me to speak at Harvard Business School about my entrepreneurial journey at A123 Systems. The start-up journey is full of ups and downs. The team at Conductive invests in long-term relationships. That’s why I made sure we made room for them in our previous round of financing.
– Ric Fulop, Founder & CEO
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Dor
Disrupting the status quo in retail through accurate foot traffic analysis at an affordable price
Paul and his team added value to Dor right away through several introductions. Not only did he connect us to core engineers at our component vendor who helped us refine our product, but he also introduced us to experienced sales professionals and potential customers.
– Michael Brand, Founder & CEO
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EvolvedMD
Behavioral health services in modern primary care
It was important for us to partner with the right person at the right firm who understood what we do and enable us to realize our vision. We’ve found our values aligned well with Conductive Ventures especially when it came to growing and scaling our company in a capital efficient way. We’ve really enjoyed our interactions and value their expertise in company building.
-Erik Osland, Co-Founder
-Steve Biljan, Co-Founder
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Forte
Blockchain game platform
I got to know Carey & Paul through my co-founder Kevin Chou, Founder & CEO of Rally and Kabam. They’re both good people with a strong track record of backing amazing founders. I believe what makes them successful is their ability to connect and support entrepreneurs in a genuine way.
– Josh Williams, Founder & CEO
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Gen. G
Global esports company
Having known both Carey & Paul for many years now, I completely trust their judgement, advice and skill. You cannot find better investors to partner with in the way they deliver a tremendous amount of value beyond their capital.
– Kevin Chou, Founder & Chairman
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hirEZ
I count myself fortunate to be working with Conductive Ventures. They’re not like most venture capital firms. They began helping me build and scale my business even before they invested. Their long-term orientation enables us to focus on high leverage investments in our business. They have really helped us think through our operations from a strategic and financial perspective. I couldn’t have found a better partner to work with.
– Steven Jiang, Founder & CEO
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Jackpocket
Enabling you to play the lottery via a mobile app
Carey has added a tremendous amount of value from the start. As a growing start-up being pulled in many directions, Carey has helped to prioritize and focus us on the right trajectory. He has a wealth of knowledge and connections that have proven invaluable. His experience as an investor is demonstrated on a consistent basis whenever I seek his counsel.
– Peter Sullivan, Founder & CEO
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Lily AI
Product Attribution Platform
While there may be plenty of capital partners, finding the right partner is what makes all the difference in the world. When we were looking to raise our Series B round of financing, we came away impressed with how Conductive Ventures partners with entrepreneurs in order to realize their vision. The firm goes beyond simply being a capital partner by providing strategic guidance and being a value added partner.
– Purva Gupta, Co-Founder & CEO
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Motive
Modern fleet management software
Motive is the leader in fleet management technology. Motive’s cutting-edge hardware and cloud-based software help companies improve the safety and efficiency of their operations. With one platform spanning video-based driver safety, Electronic Logging Device (ELD) compliance, GPS tracking, dispatch, and fuel and maintenance, Motive provides an integrated fleet management system that scales to meet the needs of over one million drivers and 95,000 customers, from small trucking companies to Fortune 500 enterprises.
– Shoaib Makani, Founder & CEO
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Nice Healthcare
Make getting medical care easy and affordable
From the beginning of our conversation, Carey offered helpful advice. As I got to know him, I could tell his depth and breadth of experiences would enable us to grow and scale. It might sound a little cliche, however, I found Conductive Ventures to be a genuine firm. I’m looking forward to working with them and building an exciting company together.
– Thompson Aderinkomi, Founder & CEO
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Oculii
Virtual aperture imaging radar for autonomous systems
From the beginning of our conversation, Carey offered helpful advice. As I got to know him, I could tell his depth and breadth of experiences would enable us to grow and scale. It might sound a little cliche, however, I found Conductive Ventures to be a genuine firm. I’m looking forward to working with them and building an exciting company together.
– Steven Hong, CEO
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Proterra
Leader in the design and manufacture of zero-emission electric buses
I’ve known Paul for over a decade and worked closely with him in various operating roles, including Tesla Motors, before he became an investor. Through the peaks and valleys, Paul has always demonstrated an incredible work ethic. He’s the type of guy you want in the foxhole with you. As an investor, he brings the same effort, experience, and guidance to entrepreneurs.
– Ryan Popple, CEO
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Rally
A community-driven crypto project that empowers creators and artists to launch their own digital currency to build sustainable, independent economies
Carey and Paul are people you want in your corner supporting you through thick and thin. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing them for over 20-years. Through it all, they are uncompromising in their integrity and completely invested in their companies. You can reach them day or night. If they don’t have an immediate answer to a question, they won’t stop until they do.
– Kevin Chou, Founder & CEO
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Resident
A platform of digitally native brands in the mattress and home goods market
The team at Conductive Ventures have been helpful to us as we scale and expand our business. Both Carey and Paul made an investment in us before we hit our inflection point. They are patient investors who provide sound advice and make helpful introductions to experts in their wide network. It has been a pleasure working with them.
– Eric Hutchinson, Founder & CEO
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Self
Brings innovative savings and credit-building to millions of Americans
Both Carey and Paul immediately understood our mission to help customers take control of their financial future. We want to not only be good, but also do good together. We’re excited to be working collaboratively with the Conductive team in order to grow and scale our operations. They collectively bring a useful set of both operating and investing experiences that will enable us to reach millions of consumers. Their approach to funding capital efficient businesses, like ours, ensure that Founders and Investors alike are on the same page.
– James Garvey, Founder & CEO
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Sprinklr
The most complete enterprise social technology in the world. Serving the social experiences of more than 1000+ global brands
Carey originated and led our Series B round of financing and previously served on our Board of Directors. We are excited to have Conductive Ventures as an investor as they’re adding value by making helpful introductions on our behalf. As we seek to grow and scale, we want to ensure we have long-term investors that are aligned with our business objectives.
– Ragy Thomas, Founder & CEO
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Symbiont
Enterprise fintech using blockchain
We’ve really appreciated working with the Conductive Ventures team in thinking through finance, strategy and operations. They have been helpful in how we think about our business and how we scale, especially given their backgrounds in enterprise software combined with their expertise in the fintech space. They have been a pleasure to work with.
– Mark Smith, Founder & CEO
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TravelBank
Expense and travel management platform
Conductive Ventures led our last round of funding despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though they issued a term sheet prior to the pandemic getting into full swing, they kept their word and followed through on their commitment without ever wavering. I couldn’t have asked for a more solid partner on this journey. Their steady hand enabled us to pivot our go-to market strategy and execute a new business model that built a more fundamentally sound business, which led to the acquisition by U.S. Bancorp (USB).
– Duke Chung, Founder & CEO
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Tripalink
Next generation property development & management platform
There may be a lot of venture capital firms out there, but there aren’t many like Conductive Ventures. They treat entrepreneurs as partners and work collaboratively to solve problems. They pick-up the phone and respond to my text day or night. They are my first call whenever I need advice. They have been invaluable partners to me in growing and scaling my business. They’re beyond capital.
– Donghao Li, Founder & CEO
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Upwave
#1 Analytics Platform for Brand Marketers
From the first meeting, it was clear that Carey had deep domain expertise when it came to SaaS and selling into the Chief Marketing Office (CMO) suite given his strong investment background in the space. We’re actively working with the entire Conductive Ventures team to accelerate the growth of our company.
– Chris Kelly, Founder & CEO
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Versatile
Taking AI to new heights to enable better job site decision-making
Running a start-up with customers and teams spanning across continents and timezones, it’s always difficult to align schedules with our investors. Not Conductive. Paul and his team are not afraid of rolling up their sleeves and jumping on conference calls late at night to discuss contracts and pricing strategies with me and my team halfway across the globe. Having a thought-partner one call away allows me to execute quickly and confidently.
– Meirav Oren, Founder & CEO
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Zingtree
I have had the pleasure of knowing Carey Lai for many years prior to partnering with him. After coming to him regularly for advice, we both thought it would be great to work together. Even though our friendship began on the tennis court, it has evolved to having him on our Board where he provides strategic guidance to our company. His years of enterprise SaaS experience makes him a strong sounding board.
-Juan Jaysingh, CEO
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Meet the Team
Carey Lai
Managing Director
Carey Lai is a Founding Member and Managing Director at Conductive Ventures with $450M in AUM focused on investments in the areas of software, hardware, technology-enabled services and blockchain. Carey has over 18 years of venture capital and technology experience.
Prior to Conductive Ventures, Carey spent over four years investing at Intel Capital focused on Internet and enterprise software companies. His portfolio included 500Friends (acquired by Dentsu), Box (BOX), BrightEdge, Gigya (acquired by SAP), Kabam (acquired by Netmarble), Nexmo (acquired by Vonage), Onefinestay (acquired by AccorHotels), Sprinklr (CXM), and SweetLabs.
Prior to Intel Capital, Carey worked at Institutional Venture Partners (IVP) where he focused on rapidly growing later-stage and growth-equity investments in Internet & enterprise software companies. He actively worked with the following IVP portfolio companies: ArcSight (ARST), At Road (ARDI), Business.com (DEXO), Concur (CNQR), Cortina Systems (acquired by Inphi), Danger (MSFT), Data Domain (EMC), Mobile365 (SAP), SuccessFactors (SFSF), Synchronoss (SNCR) and Yodlee (YDLE).
Carey also worked in the Technology Investment Banking Group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch as an Investment Banking Analyst focused on the software and financial technology sectors. His transaction experience included offerings for some of the leading technology companies in the world, including Blackbaud Software (BLKB), Computer Associates (CA), Hewlett Packard (HPQ), Sungard Data Systems (SDS), and Tibco Software (TIBX).
Earlier in his career, Carey worked at eBay in Business Development.
Carey has an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He also graduated with a B.A. in International Economics from the University of California Los Angeles.
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Carey Lai
Managing Director
Paul Yeh
Managing Director
Paul Yeh is a Founding Member and Managing Director at Conductive Ventures with $450M in AUM focused on investments in the areas of software, hardware, technology-enabled services and blockchain. He leads the firm’s hardware-related investments. These include autonomous vehicle technologies, additive manufacturing (3D printing), semiconductors, drones, industrial IoT solutions, AI-enhanced robotics, among others. Paul has over 18 years of venture capital, technology, product, and operations experience. Prior to Conductive Ventures, Paul was a Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), where he focused on KPCB’s hardware and sustainability investments. Paul has worked as a board director/observer with entrepreneurs at AEye, Agrivida, Ambiq Micro, Amprius, Beyond Meat, Cross Bar, Desktop Metal, DJI, Ionic Materials, LuxVue Technology (acquired by Apple), mCube, Motiv, Relayr, and Solidia.
Before joining KPCB, Paul served as Director of Strategy & Business Development at Fisker Automotive, the manufacturer of premium plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. He worked directly with CEO Tom LaSorda (former President and CEO of Chrysler Group) and founder Henrik Fisker in setting the company’s short and long-term strategies. Paul also led joint-venture discussions with other automotive manufacturers across the world, where he managed team members from powertrain and vehicle engineering, manufacturing, purchasing, logistics, and sales. Paul has also worked at Next Autoworks as Director of Marketing & Finance. He began his career as an investment banking analyst focused on technology M&A at RBC Capital Markets. Paul also spent time at Ford Motor Company, McKinsey & Company, and Tesla Motors in various product development and operating roles.
Paul earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He also graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California Berkeley.
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Paul Yeh
Managing Director
Takashi Nishikawa
Managing Director
Takashi Nishikawa is the Vice President of Panasonic Ventures, L.L.C. and a founding team member and Managing Director of Conductive Ventures. With a long career at Panasonic in Japan along with his extensive experiences in Silicon Valley, Takashi discovers new ways startups can effectively collaborate and engage with Panasonic and its key partners.
Takashi joined Panasonic in 1992 and worked on the compound semiconductor material and device development. After working on power transistors for some of the earliest cellular phones, he began product development of short wavelength laser diodes for Blu-ray. While developing technology for Blu-ray, Takashi received his first experience with outside technology disruption with the emergence of (gallium nitride) GaN, which caused the shutdown of his internal project.
Eventually, he transitioned his career as a product engineer to R&D strategy and planning. Through his experiences developing long-term roadmaps, he soon discovered that incremental improvements in technology were quickly being disrupted by Silicon Valley startups. The traditional role of R&D in a large corporation changed quickly as new dominant platforms emerged. Traditional roadmaps were unable to accurately predict the speed and scale of new platforms such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google.
Having been disrupted both as a product engineer and R&D strategy planner, Takashi decided to leverage his experiences by identifying and scouting new technologies in Silicon Valley beginning in 2008. He focused on promoting strategic collaboration between startups and Panasonic R&D. He continued this work when he returned back to Japan in 2012.
Takashi earned a M.S. in Material Engineering and has a background in Chemistry and Solid-state Physics from the Tokyo Institute of Technology.
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Takashi Nishikawa
Managing Director
Arif Damji
Principal
Arif Damji is a Principal at Conductive Ventures with $450M in AUM focused on investments in the areas of software, hardware, technology-enabled services and blockchain. He co-leads investments across both the software and hardware spectrum and works with existing portfolio companies on special initiatives.
Prior to Conductive Ventures, Arif spent his career in operating and advisory roles. He most recently led innovation at Kosta Browne, an allocation-based, private equity-owned winery. His mandate spanned across marketing, sales (direct and wholesale), and analytics to drive acquisition and retention metrics. Kosta Browne was acquired by Duckhorn in 2018.
Prior to Kosta Browne, Arif worked at 500friends, a VC-backed startup that built a SaaS retention marketing platform for retailers. He owned marketing, finance and strategy during his tenure, and helped the company grow to more than 50 clients with a total of 40 million active members. The company was successfully acquired by Dentsu, where Arif continued to help sustain the growth of the client base.
Arif started his career at McKinsey & Company, where he helped senior executives solve strategic issues and uncover possible growth avenues. He focused on the marketing and sales practice across hospitality and financial services industries.
Arif has an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business and an M.L. from Penn Law at the University of Pennsylvania. He also graduated with an M.S. in Management Science & Engineering from Stanford University and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Cambridge.
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Arif Damji
Principal
Stella Zhang
Analyst
Stella Zhang is an Analyst at Conductive Ventures with $450M in AUM focused on investments in the areas of software, hardware, technology-enabled services and blockchain. She supports the team to evaluate investments across both the software and hardware spectrum and works with existing portfolio companies on special initiatives.
Prior to Conductive Ventures, Stella worked at Leonis Capital that focuses on early-stage startups. She was involved in investments in different industries, including Cloud, AI, Enterprise SaaS, and Marketplace. Her mandate spanned across due diligence, market research, sourcing, and quantitative and financial analysis.
Previously, Stella worked at PwC in the Audit service, where she audited financial statements of public companies in the banking and consumer industries.
Stella has a master’s degree in Finance and a master’s degree in Accounting from Tulane University.
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Stella Zhang
Analyst
Newsroom
- Why CEOs can’t afford to be blind to capital efficiency Posted in: Blog - After a CEO finds product-market fit, the inevitable question he or she asks is, “How fast do I grow to… Read More
- Conductive Ventures secures third fund to support non-traditional founders Posted in: News - Conductive Ventures raised a $200 million Fund III to continue its focus on investing in founders where other venture capital firms… Read More
- Conductive Ventures Unveils Oversubscribed $200M Fund III Posted in: Blog - Doubling Down On Capital Efficient Non-traditional Entrepreneurs By Carey Lai and Paul Yeh We are both excited and humbled to… Read More
- Who Do You Turn To When Hiring Isn’t So Easy? Posted in: Blog - How did we first meet? We first met Steven Jiang, Founder & CEO of HireEZ, over a bowl of Vietnamese… Read More
Contact Us
info@conductive.vc