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Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka

Partner at Canaan

Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka is a Partner at Canaan Partners, a venture capital firm where he has been working since 2015.1 Here are some key details about his background and role:

Professional Experience

Rayfe joined Canaan in 2015 as an Investment Professional and has since been promoted to Principal and then Partner in December 2020. He focuses on deep tech investments, including areas such as:

  • Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
  • Internet of Things (IoT)
  • Space technology
  • Robotics
  • Enterprise and infrastructure software12

Education and Early Career

  • M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University
  • B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California (graduated top of his class in 3 years)
  • Previously worked as a Senior Associate at Keystone Strategy
  • Had roles as a ML engineer at Wolverine Trading and ASIC designer at Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems23

Notable Achievements

  • Named to Forbes "30 Under 30" list4
  • Became the youngest principal in Canaan's 32-year history5
  • Helped develop Canaan's frontier tech strategy, which has become a core franchise of the firm's $800 million fund5

Board Positions

Rayfe holds board positions at several companies, including:

  • Tropic
  • Edge Impulse
  • READY Robotics
  • Fireflies.ai
  • Apex.AI

Personal Background

  • Originally from Hawaii, grew up in Mililani
  • Enjoys eating and water-related activities in his free time
  • Was a member of the NCAA water polo team during his time at USC23

Rayfe is known for his technical knowledge and focus on frontier technologies, contributing to Canaan's investments in emerging and innovative sectors.

Highlights

May 15 · tenoneten.com
Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka — Canaan Partners - LA Venture
May 24 · Economic Times
AI startup Fireflies.ai raises Rs 100 crore in Series A funding - Economic Times
May 24 · YourStory
[Funding alert] Hyderabad AI startup Fireflies raises Rs 100Cr in Series A led by Khosla Ventures - YourStory
Jan 21 · canaan.com
Canaan promotes Laura Chau and Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka to Partner
Canaan promotes Laura Chau and Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka to Partner

Related Questions

What are some of Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka's most notable investments?
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Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka
Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka, photo 1
Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka, photo 2
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Experience

Partner at Canaan (December 2020 - Present)
Principal at Canaan (July 2018 - December 2020), Investment Professional at Canaan (September 2015 - July 2018), Tropic (February 2022 - Present), Edge Impulse (May 2021 - Present), READY Robotics (December 2019 - Present), Fireflies.ai (October 2019 - Present), Apex.AI (November 2018 - Present), Course Advisor at Stanford Center for Professional Development (January 2014 - November 2016), Graduate Research Assistant at Stanford Center for Professional Development (2012 - 2014)

Location

United States