Webinar
Blockchain Digital Assets & Marketplaces Fund Last Call
Join Ray Wu, Managing Partner, along with Senior Principal Jack Statza, Senior Principal Sophia Zhao, and Investor Bryan Liu of Alumni Ventures’ Blockchain, Digital Assets & Marketplaces Fund, for a final opportunity to explore the fund before it closes — and hear directly from the team on where they’re placing their bets in the next era of digital finance.
In this session, Ray, Jack, Sophia, and Bryan will walk through the investment thesis behind the Blockchain, Digital Assets & Marketplaces Fund — covering how the team has built the portfolio to date, what themes they’re most convicted on, and why this moment represents a compelling entry point for investors looking to gain structured exposure to the convergence of blockchain infrastructure, digital assets, and next-generation marketplace models.
The conversation will cover what the team is actively tracking across the space — from tokenized real-world assets and decentralized finance protocols to Web3 infrastructure and programmable commerce platforms — and why production-ready businesses with real revenue models are separating themselves from the noise of earlier crypto cycles.
Whether you’re a current fund investor or considering joining before the final close, this session will equip you with the information you need to make an informed decision. This is your last opportunity to invest alongside the team before the fund closes. Reserve your spot to hear the latest from the Blockchain, Digital Assets & Marketplaces Fund team before the window closes.
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Why Attend?
- HomeDiscover the key themes and portfolio strategy driving the Blockchain, Digital Assets & Marketplaces Fund as it approaches final close
- HomeGain insight into how the team evaluates opportunities across blockchain infrastructure, digital assets, and marketplace models — and what separates durable businesses from short-term noise
- HomeHave your questions answered directly by the Blockchain, Digital Assets & Marketplaces Fund investment team
Rated a Top 20 VC Firm by both TIME and CB Insights.
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.
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.
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.
Bryan is a Principal at Alumni Ventures with over 10 years experience in venture investing, M&A, and corporate strategy to identify the next generation of industry-defining companies. Bryan excels at identifying high-potential startups precisely before they scale. His current investment thesis is focused on the frontier of technological disruption, specifically the “Future of Media” driven by AI video; the rise of full-stack AI capable of building fully autonomous one-person-multi-billion-dollar companies; and breakthrough decentralized technologies and blockchain innovations that are redefining the infrastructure of the modern economy.
Prior to joining Alumni Ventures, Bryan led M&A and Venture deals at PayPal, where he managed and led seven major acquisitions totaling over $7 billion and a wide range of venture investments. Previously at Deloitte, Bryan advised global giants including Google, Disney, and Sony Pictures. He supported Disney through the acquisition of 21st Century Fox and the high-profile launch of Disney+, providing him with a unique vantage point on large-scale digital transformation.
Bryan led Alumni Ventures’ investment in Higgsfield, the “Canva for AI video” empowering millions of content creators and filmmakers globally. Higgsfield achieved a historic milestone, reaching $200M ARR in just nine months, the fastest growth trajectory in history outpacing OpenAI, Cursor, and Lovable. Bryan holds a BS from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Outside of the office, he is an active marathon runner and a former heavy metal vocalist.