Draper Associates
Draper Associates is Tim Draper's early-stage venture capital firm, founded in 1985 and based in San Mateo, California.
Draper Associates has backed more than 400 companies since 1985, including Tesla, SpaceX, Skype, Hotmail, Coinbase, and Robinhood, investing across AI/robotics, crypto/blockchain, healthcare/biotech, and aerospace/space.
Overview
- Firm
- Draper Associates
- Headquarters
- San Mateo, CA
- Founded
- 1985
- AUM
- $2.3B
- Stages
- Seed, Series A
- Thesis
- Backs bold, category-defining technology companies across AI & Robotics, Crypto & Blockchain, Healthcare & Biotech, and Aerospace & Space, investing before the world believes in them.
Portfolio companies4
- CompanyVermeerUS/Ukraine startup building GPS-denied Vision Positioning System navigation for drones.
- CompanyVenus AerospaceUS rotating-detonation rocket engine developer pivoting toward defense and space propulsion.
- CompanyScout AIBuilds Fury, a vision-language-action foundation model turning unmanned ground, air, sea, and space military systems into autonomous agents.
- CompanyFirehawk AerospaceTexas-based maker of 3D-printed solid rocket motors and hybrid propellant, scaling U.S. rocket-propellant manufacturing capacity.
Partners0
No linked records yet.
Frequently asked
- What is Draper Associates?
- Backs bold, category-defining technology companies across AI & Robotics, Crypto & Blockchain, Healthcare & Biotech, and Aerospace & Space, investing before the world believes in them.
- How much does Draper Associates manage?
- Draper Associates manages $2.3B in assets, and was founded in 1985.
- What stages does Draper Associates invest at?
- Draper Associates invests at Seed, Series A.
Sources & citations3
Each claim links to its underlying source. Confidence reflects how directly the source supports the claim.
- 1
Draper Associates led Vermeer's $10M Series A extension
PR Newswire: American-Ukrainian Defense Tech Startup Vermeer Reaches $10M in Total Series A Funding Following Draper Associates-Led ExtensionVerified2025-10-23 - 2
Draper Associates, founded in 1985 and based in San Mateo, CA, invests across AI/robotics, crypto, healthcare/biotech, and aerospace/space, with $2.3B AUM.
Draper Associates: Draper Associates HistoryVerified2026-08-08 - 3
Tim Draper raised $200 million for Draper Associates' eighth fund in July 2025, at which point the firm managed approximately $2 billion.
Fortune: Bitcoin bull Tim Draper raises $200 million for new venture fundVerified2025-07-24