Webinar
Blockchain, Digital Assets & Marketplaces Fund Introduction
Join Alumni Ventures’ Ray Wu, Sophia Zhao, and Jack Statza for an exclusive webinar exploring the investment opportunities in blockchain technology and how we identify transformative companies building the future of decentralized infrastructure.
In this session, the Alumni Ventures team will walk through the strategic thesis behind our Blockchain Fund and how we evaluate opportunities in one of technology’s most dynamic sectors. They’ll discuss the key market trends, technological innovations, and adoption signals that make blockchain a compelling investment category for forward-thinking venture investors.
The conversation will highlight how we assess innovation across the blockchain ecosystem — from foundational infrastructure and DeFi protocols to enterprise applications and Web3 platforms — and what it takes for a startup to succeed in this rapidly evolving space.
Whether you’re a current investor or exploring opportunities in cutting-edge technology, this webinar offers valuable insight into our investment process and portfolio strategy in blockchain. You’ll also hear how we believe blockchain companies fit into the broader future of digital transformation and decentralized systems. Reserve your spot to learn how Alumni Ventures backs leading companies in blockchain.
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Why Attend?
- HomeLearn how blockchain technology is addressing critical challenges in finance, infrastructure, and digital ownership
- HomeGain insight into the criteria Alumni Ventures uses to evaluate and select top blockchain startups
- HomeUnderstand the market opportunities, technological differentiation, and execution signals that drive our blockchain investment strategy
Alumni Ventures is America’s largest venture capital firm for individual investors.
About your presenters
Ray is a seasoned venture capitalist with over 20 years of investing experience across a wide range of industries and geographies. Before joining Alumni Ventures, Ray was a partner and adviser at several global venture funds focusing on AI, Web3, FinTech and SaaS investment opportunities across the U.S. and Asia Pacific. Earlier, he spent more than 10 years in the corporate venture space: He was the managing director of HP’s new business ventures, responsible for startup technology evaluation, new business incubation, VC relationships, and minority investments, and earlier at Cisco Systems, holding several senior positions leading investment, M&A, internal incubation, and global consulting. Previously, Ray was a managing partner of a leading Internet consulting firm working with Fortune 1000 companies across North America. He earned a dual MBA degree from the University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University.
Sophia brings a wealth of experience in capital advisory, corporate development, and operational optimization, establishing impactful collaborations with CXOs and Founders. With a diverse industry exposure encompassing cloud computing, mining and minerals, consumer goods, and Web3, Sophia has been at the forefront of transformative technologies. Since 2018, she has been immersed in the crypto universe, working at Galaxy Digital, Huobi US, and Crypto.com. In these roles, Sophia engaged with startups and institutional clients on capital raising and trading across the Americas, EU, and Asia regions.
Actively fostering innovation and mentorship, Sophia serves as a mentor and judge at prestigious institutions such as Yale’s Tsai City for Innovation, Berkeley’s Blockchain Xcelerator, Techstars, and Layer 1 protocols, including Ethereum, Algorand, and Solana. She maintains close ties with the blockchain communities at Stanford and Yale.
Driven by a passion for shaping the future through frontier technologies, Sophia is currently supporting AI data and applications deals within her team. She holds a BBA from Simon Fraser University, an MBA from the University of British Columbia, and an MAM from the Yale School of Management.
Overview:
Jack Statza is a multi-stage deep-tech investor who has backed more than 80 startups—nine of which have already exited—across AI, blockchain, fintech, and other frontier technologies. At Alumni Ventures he writes first checks as early as Seed and supports teams through IPO, accelerating their path from prototype to scale.
Before Alumni Ventures, Jack led AI, blockchain, and fintech investments at Allstate Strategic Ventures; earlier, he advised clients on M&A at Lazard and Livingstone and began his career at Northern Trust, pricing opaque venture portfolios.
Jack holds an MBA from Chicago Booth, a BBA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and is a CFA charterholder.
Funds Currently Active On:
Blockchain & Fintech Fund
Investment Lens:
Jack focuses on multi-stage deep-tech investments across:
- Blockchain
- FinTech
- Artificial Intelligence
- Frontier Technologies
Select Blockchain & Fintech investments::
- Babylon Chain (Seed) (Token: $BABY) — lets Bitcoin holders “stake” their BTC to help secure proof-of-stake blockchains and earn rewards.
- Bluesky Social (Series A) — an open, decentralized social network where users own their data and feeds.
- Space and Time (Series A) (Token: $SXT) — a decentralized database enabling apps to query verifiable blockchain and real-world data together.
- Sahara AI (Seed) — a marketplace where developers can train, share, and sell AI models and data with full traceability.
- Napster (Series A) (Acquired by Infinite Reality) — iconic digital-music brand being rebuilt for virtual fan experiences.