BL

Bill Lee

North America, California, United States, San Francisco

Description

Bill Lee is a distinguished figure in the venture capital landscape, known for both his entrepreneurial success and his prescient early-stage investments. Prior to his career as a venture capitalist, Lee co-founded and served as CEO of Remarq, a collaboration company that was subsequently acquired by Critical Path. This operational background provides him with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by founders. His reputation as an investor was solidified through early, highly successful angel investments in some of the most transformative companies of the 21st century, including Tesla, SpaceX, and Palantir, demonstrating an exceptional ability to identify disruptive potential before it becomes mainstream.

Currently, Bill Lee is a Partner at Craft Ventures, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm he co-founded alongside David Sacks. At Craft Ventures, Lee leverages his extensive experience to back promising startups, primarily focusing on sectors such as B2B SaaS, marketplaces, and fintech. The firm is known for its hands-on approach, providing not just capital but also operational guidance and strategic support to its portfolio companies. This philosophy stems from the partners' own backgrounds as successful operators and founders, aiming to help entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of scaling a business.

Craft Ventures typically invests across various stages, from seed to Series B, with an emphasis on companies that demonstrate strong product-market fit and significant growth potential. For initial investments, Craft Ventures generally writes checks ranging from $1 million to $20 million, providing substantial capital to fuel early-stage development and expansion. The firm's portfolio reflects a commitment to backing companies that are building foundational software and services, aiming to create enduring value in their respective markets. Craft Ventures, under the leadership of partners like Lee, has built a robust portfolio with over 100 investments, cementing its position as a key player in the tech investment ecosystem.

Investor Profile

Bill Lee has backed more than 23 startups, with 1 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 0 rounds, about 0% of its total and boasts 11 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Series A, Angel rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, France, Singapore.
  • Strong thematic focus on Internet, Mobile, Software.
  • Typical check size: $1M – $20M.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (52%)
  • Series A (26%)
  • Angel (9%)
  • Series Unknown (4%)
  • Initial Coin Offering (4%)
  • Series B (4%)

Country Focus

  • United States (87%)
  • France (4%)
  • Singapore (4%)
  • United Kingdom (4%)

Industry Focus

  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Software
  • E-commerce
  • Apps
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Financial Services
  • Bitcoin
  • Ios
  • Blockchain
circle-line
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Bill Lee frequently co-invest with?

CRV
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Co-Investments: 2
Google Ventures
North America, California, United States, Mountain View
Co-Investments: 3
Blockchain Capital
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 2
FundersClub
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 2
Felicis
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 3
Y Combinator
North America, California, United States, Mountain View
Co-Investments: 2
Digital Currency Group
North America, Connecticut, United States, Stamford
Co-Investments: 3
SV Angel
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 5
Craft Ventures
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 2
Redpoint
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 2

Which angels does Bill Lee often collaborate with?

BD
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Shared Deals: 2
AO
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 3
KH
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
TF
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
David O. Sacks
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 5
NR
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 3
EH
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Shared Deals: 3
MC
North America, Texas, United States, Dallas
Shared Deals: 2
SP
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
MK
North America, California, United States, Oakland
Shared Deals: 2

What are some of recent deals done by Bill Lee?

Garden

New York, New York, United States

Garden assists lawyers and businesses in automating the creation of new patents and analyzing potential infringements.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)LegalLegal Tech
SeedAug 15, 2024
Amount Raised: $6,800,000
RNDR Token

Los Angeles, California, United States

RNDR Token enables distributed GPU rendering on the blockchain, using OctaneRender.

BlockchainComputerCryptocurrency
Initial Coin OfferingDec 21, 2021
Amount Raised: $30,000,000
OpenSea

New York, New York, United States

OpenSea is an NFT marketplace that enables users to discover, collect, and sell blockchain-based digital assets.

BitcoinBlockchainCryptocurrencyDecentralized Finance (DeFi)Non-Fungible Token (NFT)
Series AMar 18, 2021
Amount Raised: $23,000,000
Goldin Auctions

Runnemede, New Jersey, United States

Goldin Auctions is the leading marketplace for trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other collectibles.

AuctionsMarketplace
Series UnknownFeb 16, 2021
Amount Raised: $40,000,000
Lightning Labs

San Francisco, California, United States

Lightning Labs is building the next generation of decentralized, resilient financial infrastructure.

ComputerDecentralized Finance (DeFi)Financial ServicesSoftware
SeedMar 15, 2018
Amount Raised: $2,500,000
BitGo

Palo Alto, California, United States

BitGo is a blockchain and cryptocurrency security company that offers clients with security, custody, and liquidity solutions.

BitcoinCryptocurrencyFinancial ServicesFinTechVirtual Currency
Series BDec 11, 2017
Amount Raised: $42,500,000
Diffbot

Menlo Park, California, United States

Diffbot is an AI startup that provides knowledge as a service to power intelligent applications.

AnalyticsArtificial Intelligence (AI)Developer APIsEnterprise SoftwareInternetMachine LearningMobileNatural Language ProcessingSemantic Search
Series AFeb 11, 2016
Amount Raised: $10,000,000
Hutch Interiors

West Hollywood, California, United States

Hutch Interiors is a mobile app that transforms spaces from before to after, faster than ever.

AppsE-CommerceFurnitureHome DecorLifestyleMessagingMobile
SeedDec 15, 2015
Amount Raised: $2,135,000
Hoodline

San Francisco, California, United States

Hoodline powers hyperlocal content discovery across the US.

AnalyticsAppsInternetMachine LearningNewsSocial Media
SeedNov 17, 2015
Amount Raised: $1,600,000
BitGo

Palo Alto, California, United States

BitGo is a blockchain and cryptocurrency security company that offers clients with security, custody, and liquidity solutions.

BitcoinCryptocurrencyFinancial ServicesFinTechVirtual Currency
Series AJun 16, 2014
Amount Raised: $12,000,000