Venture Trailblazers: Tim Draper
Some investors back one generational company in a career.
Tim Draper has backed more than twenty.
On July 9, 2026, the legendary venture capitalist joins Adeo Ressi for the next edition of Venture Trailblazers, our live conversation series with the people who shaped modern venture capital. It is free, it is virtual, and seats are limited.
Who is Tim Draper?
Tim Draper founded Draper Associates, DFJ, and the Draper Venture Network, a global network of venture capital funds. He has written early or first-round checks into a list of companies that reads like a history of the last thirty years of technology: Tesla, SpaceX, Coinbase, Skype, Hotmail, Twitch, Robinhood, Baidu, Box, Carta, Planet, Cruise Automation, Athenahealth, Focus Media, PTC, and more than 20 unicorns in total.
He is also one of the world's most prominent voices for Bitcoin and decentralization. He famously won the U.S. Marshals' Bitcoin auction in 2014, buying roughly 30,000 BTC, and has since invested in over 50 crypto companies, leading early bets on Coinbase, Ledger, Tezos, and Bancor.
The recognition has followed the results. Tim has been named the World Entrepreneurship Forum's Entrepreneur of the World, one of the top 100 most powerful people in finance by Worth Magazine, a top-20 most influential person in crypto by CryptoWeekly, the #1 most networked VC by AlwaysOn, and #7 on the Forbes Midas List.
What Tim and Adeo will cover
This is a candid, unscripted conversation, not a keynote. Tim and Adeo will get into:
Tim's journey as an investor and the philosophy that has guided his decisions across decades
The story behind his early bet on SpaceX, and what it taught him about backing audacious founders
Lessons drawn from a portfolio of category-defining companies
His direct advice for emerging managers building enduring, high-performing venture firms today
Who should attend
If you run a fund, want to launch one, write angel checks, or build companies, this hour is for you. Tim has spent a career spotting the pattern before anyone else could see it. This is a rare chance to hear how he actually thinks, live, with time for real questions.
VC Lab has helped launch more than 900 venture firms. If hearing from Tim Draper sparks something, our next cohort, Cohort 22, is where first-time managers turn that spark into a fund.
Reserve your seat
Venture Trailblazers with Tim Draper. July 9, 2026, 8 to 9am PST. Free and virtual.
Seats are capped. Once the room fills, registration closes. Don't wait.
- Venture Trailbalzer