🎤 Join our founder group to hear from firms like NEA on What it takes to raise a Series A?

Register
Joanne Chen

Joanne Chen

General Partner·Foundation Capital

Bay Area

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

AI-first B2B applications and data platformsenterprise software companies

Sector

enterpriseAI-first B2B applicationsdata platformsautomated enterprise

Thesis

EnterpriseAI-first B2B applicationsData platformsAutomated enterprise

Notable companies

Selected portfolio companies the partner has backed

Jasper.AISafelyYouTonkeanTennrArcadeCaptivateIQTubiTVMyaEraDB

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

  1. 1Reference her focus on AI-first B2B applications and data platforms.
  2. 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

Applied AIEnterprise SaaSB2B Data PlatformsEarly-Stage Investing

Other partners at Foundation Capital

12 more profiles

Alejandra Martinez

Alejandra Martinez

Partner

Foundation Capital

Foundation Capital Partner investing in crypto, fintech and enterprise across Latin America.

blockchaincryptoenterprisefintechLatin America
Ashu Garg

Ashu Garg

General Partner

Foundation Capital

Ashu Garg is a General Partner at Foundation Capital focused on enterprise software, AI applications, AI infrastructure, data, cybersecurity, and online video.

Enterprise
Charles Moldow

Charles Moldow

General Partner

Foundation Capital

Charles Moldow is a General Partner at Foundation Capital focused on fintech, insurtech, lendingtech, crypto, and AI-enabled financial services.

CryptoFintech
Gracie Zaro

Gracie Zaro

Partner

Foundation Capital

Foundation Capital partner focused on banking, embedded payments, vertical software, fintech, and crypto.

BankingCryptoEmbedded paymentsFintechVertical software
Jaya Gupta

Jaya Gupta

Partner

Foundation Capital

Enterprise software investor focused on AI infrastructure, ML tooling, and generative AI applications.

AI infrastructureEnterprise applicationsEnterprise softwareGenerative AIMachine learning
Leo Lu

Leo Lu

Partner

Foundation Capital

Former YC founder investing in AI-native applications and enterprise workflow transformation.

AI agentsAI-native applicationsData analyticsEnterprise softwareWorkflow automation
Matthew Nay

Matthew Nay

Partner

Foundation Capital

Crypto investor focused on frontier financial infrastructure, DeFi, data layers, and value networks.

CryptoData layersDeFiFinancial infrastructureInternet-native economies
NS

Nico Stainfeld

Partner

Foundation Capital

Fintech, crypto, and AI investor with prior roles at Citi Ventures, General Atlantic, and BofA Merrill Lynch.

AICryptoEarly-stage investingFintechGrowth equity
Paul Holland

Paul Holland

General Partner Emeritus

Foundation Capital

Foundation Capital GP emeritus and Mach49 VC-in-residence with deep software and security investing experience.

Consumer technologyDigital energyEnterprise softwareSecurityVenture investing
Rodolfo Gonzalez

Rodolfo Gonzalez

General Partner

Foundation Capital

Rodolfo Gonzalez is a General Partner at Foundation Capital focused on fintech and crypto.

CryptoFintech
Sid Trivedi

Sid Trivedi

Partner

Foundation Capital

Enterprise and cybersecurity investor focused on applications, infrastructure, and AI security startups.

AI securityCybersecurityEarly-stage investingEnterprise softwareIT infrastructure
Steve Vassallo

Steve Vassallo

General Partner

Foundation Capital

Steve Vassallo is a General Partner at Foundation Capital investing across enterprise, fintech, crypto, frontier technology, and design-led businesses.

CryptoEnterpriseFintech