Joanne Chen
General Partner·Foundation Capital
Bio
Professional summary
Joanne Chen is a General Partner at Foundation Capital. Her official profile lists her practice as enterprise and says she studies the impact of AI on the enterprise, investing in AI-first B2B applications and data platforms that form building blocks for the automated enterprise. She is listed as a board member and investor in Jasper.AI, SafelyYou, Tonkean, Tennr, Arcade, CaptivateIQ, and others. The same profile says she was previously on the boards of TubiTV, Mya, and EraDB, each of which was acquired. Joanne began her career as an engineer at Cisco Systems, later co-founded a mobile gaming company, worked on IPO and M&A processes for technology companies at Jefferies & Company, advised venture firms at Probitas Partners, and was an angel investor at Hyde Park Angels before joining Foundation in 2014. She holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Investment focus
Stage, sector, and overall fit
Stage
Sector
Thesis
Notable companies
Selected portfolio companies the partner has backed
How to approach
Framing and angles for outreach
Pitch framing
Frame outreach around AI-first enterprise software, data platforms, and how automation changes workflows or creates the automated enterprise.
Partneralization hooks
- 1Reference her focus on AI-first B2B applications and data platforms.
- 2If relevant, connect the product to agentic workflows or the automated enterprise.
Recent signals
What the partner has said or done recently
Foundation profile highlights Joanne’s AI in the Real World activity and writing on AI agents, enterprise AI, and software development.
Her official profile references a TED talk on the impact of AI on society.
Background
Career, education, and skills
Career history
- Foundation CapitalGeneral Partner2014–present
- Hyde Park AngelsAngel Investor~2012–2014
- Probitas PartnersAdvisorPrior
- Jefferies & CompanyAdvisor (Tech IPO/M&A)Prior
- Mobile Gaming Co.Co-founderPrior
- Cisco SystemsEngineerEarly career
Education
- University of California, BerkeleyDegree
Skills
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