Lydia Jett

Last updated
Lydia Jett
Lydia Jett.jpg
Born
Portland, Oregon
CitizenshipUnited States of America
Alma materStanford Graduate School of Business

London School of Economics and Political Science Smith College

Mountain View High School

Contents

Occupation(s)Investor, Board Member
Known forBusinessperson

Lydia Jett (born 1980) is an American venture capitalist, Independent Board Director, a Founding Partner of Softbank Investment Advisors and formerly Managing Partner and Head of Consumer Internet Sector at Softbank Vision Fund.

Jett has also held executive positions at Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Securities, Inc. and M/C Partners, a growth equity firm.

Early life and education

Jett graduated from Smith College and the London School of Economics and Political Science. Jett graduated from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. [1]

Career

Jett worked as an investment banking analyst at JPMorgan in New York. Subsequently, Jett worked at Goldman Sachs in the Principal Investment Area and invested in growth stage companies at M/C Partners.

In 2015, Jett joined Softbank Group International to help launch their growth equity efforts. In 2017, Jett was a founding member of the Softbank Vision Fund, where she rose to Managing Partner and Head of the Consumer Internet Sector. Jett was the first woman named to Investing Managing Partner, [2] and Investing Partner [3] at Softbank Vision Fund.

Jett led investments in and represented Softbank on the Board of Directors of the firm’s global eCommerce investments including: [4] Coupang, [5] Fanatics, [6] Flipkart [7] and GoTo, [8] collectively the top returning portfolio for Softbank Vision Fund I. [9]

Additionally, Jett and her team led investments into and represented SBIA [10] on the Board of Directors several companies including: Andela, Embark, Klook, [11] LTK, [12] mmhmm, Pacaso, Weee!, [13] Bytedance, [14] ezCater, [15] Aleo, [16] and Quantstamp [17] amongst other investments. Bloomberg reported Jett was departing Softbank in 2024. [18]

Prior to launching SBIA, Jett was a senior member of the investment team at Softbank Group Corporation International (SBGI) where she helped lead SBGI’s Series D investments in Guardant Health, [19] 10x Genomics [20] and Series A investment into Fetch Robotics [21] (sold to Zebra). [22]

Jett served as an Independent Board Member on the Board of Directors of Coupang, Fanatics [23] and Ozon.

Jett has been recognized by Forbes as “generating one of the largest cash generating returns ever for a start-up investor, [24] published work in Fast Company, [25] been recognized as one of Fortune’s “Most Powerful Women. [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SoftBank Group</span> Japanese investment holding company

SoftBank Group Corp. is a Japanese multinational investment holding company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo which focuses on investment management. The group primarily invests in companies operating in technology that offer goods and services to customers in a multitude of markets and industries ranging from the internet to automation. With over $100 billion in capital at its onset, SoftBank's Vision Fund is the world's largest technology-focused venture capital fund. Fund investors included sovereign wealth funds from countries in the Middle East.

Sequoia Capital is an American venture capital firm headquartered in Menlo Park, California which specializes in seed stage, early stage, and growth stage investments in private companies across technology sectors. As of 2022, the firm had approximately US$85 billion in assets under management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masayoshi Son</span> Japanese entrepreneur (born 1957)

Masayoshi Son is a Japanese billionaire technology entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. A third-generation Zainichi Korean, he naturalized as a Japanese citizen in 1990. He is the founder, representative director, corporate officer, chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group Corp. (SBG), a strategic technology-focused investment holding company, as well as chairman of UK-based Arm Holdings.

SoftBank Capital is a venture capital group in the United States, focusing on technology and telecom early stage businesses. It was founded by SoftBank. Since 2015 it does not actively make investments, but it continues to oversee its prior portfolio.

Zazzle is an American online marketplace that allows designers and customers to create their own products with independent manufacturers, as well as use images from participating companies. Zazzle has partnered with many brands to amass a collection of digital images from companies like Disney, Warner Brothers and NCAA sports teams. Zazzle claims to have over 300 million unique products listed on the site. It now one of the most popular platforms for customizing apparel in the USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insight Partners</span> American investment manager

Insight Partners is a global venture capital and private equity firm that invests in high-growth technology, software, and Internet businesses. The company is headquartered in New York City, with offices in London, Tel Aviv, and Palo Alto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lux Capital</span> American venture capital firm

Lux Capital is a venture capital firm based in New York City. It was founded in 2000, and focuses on investments in emerging technologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Rubin (businessman)</span> American businessman (born 1972)

Michael Gary Rubin is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and CEO of Fanatics, a global digital sports platform that consists of several businesses, including licensed sports merchandise, trading cards and collectibles, sports betting and iGaming, special events, and live commerce. He is also a board member of Rue Gilt Groupe, which includes RueLaLa.com, Gilt.com, and ShopPremiumOutlets.com. He previously founded GSI Commerce in 1998, selling it to eBay in 2011 for $2.4 billion.

Fanatics, Inc. is an American manufacturer and online retailer of licensed sportswear for the MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, NASCAR, Formula 1, WWE and NPB. They sell sports collectibles, NFTs, trading cards, and sports merchandise, as well as sports betting and iGaming. The company began as an American online retailer of licensed sportswear and merchandise, which operates the e-commerce businesses of major professional sports leagues and media brands, as well as hundreds of collegiate and professional team properties.

Sapphire Ventures is a venture capital firm with offices in Menlo Park, San Francisco, Austin, and London. The firm is considered one of the world's premier venture capital firms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolt (company)</span> Peer-to-peer ridesharing, food delivery

Bolt is an Estonian mobility company that offers ride-hailing, micromobility rental, food and grocery delivery, and carsharing services. The company is headquartered in Tallinn and operates in over 500 cities in more than 45 countries in Europe, Africa, Western Asia and Latin America. The company has more than 150 million customers and more than 3 million driver and courier partners. The company has plans for an initial public offering in 2025.

Veem, formerly Align Commerce, is a San Francisco–based online global payments platform founded in 2014 by Marwan Forzley and Aldo Carrascoso. The company uses a payment routing method they refer to as "multi-rail technology," where transactions are routed through different methods, or "rails", such as credit cards, checks, or cryptocurrency.

Andela is an American global job placement network for software developers. Andela focuses on sustainable careers, connecting technologists with long-term engagements, access to international roles, competitive compensation, and career coaching through the Andela Learning Community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katerra</span> American technology company 2015-2022

Katerra was an American technology-driven off-site construction company. It was founded in 2015 by Michael Marks, former CEO of Flextronics and former Tesla interim CEO, along with Fritz Wolff, the executive chairman of The Wolff Co. Katerra was listed on LinkedIn's "Top Startup Companies" to work for in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bom Kim</span> Korean-American businessman

Kim Beomseok, known professionally in the West as Bom Kim, is a Korean-American businessman and entrepreneur who is the founder and chief executive officer of Coupang, the largest e-commerce company in South Korea. In 2018, when SoftBank Vision Fund invested US$2 billion in Coupang, valuating the company at US$9 billion, Kim became the newest and second-youngest billionaire in South Korea at the age of 40. As of March 2023, Kim has a net worth of US$2.7 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coupang</span> South Korean e-commerce company

Coupang, Inc. is e-commerce company based in Seoul, South Korea and Seattle, WA and incorporated in Delaware, United States. Founded in 2010 by Bom Kim, the company expanded to become the largest online marketplace in South Korea. Its expansion led the company to video streaming distribution after the launch of Coupang Play service. Coupang is often referred to as the "Amazon of South Korea", due to its position and corporate size in the South Korean online market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akshay Naheta</span> Indian-born British business executive

Akshay Naheta is an Indian-born British business executive. He is the Founder & CEO of Distributed Technologies Research (DTR), a decentralized finance startup focusing on stablecoin technology and other linked services.

Deven Parekh is an American venture capitalist, philanthropist, Democratic fundraiser and public servant. He is managing director at Insight Partners, a New York City venture capital and private equity firm. Parekh is a noted donor and fundraiser for Democratic politicians. He has served in multiple government advisory roles, and is currently a member of the board of directors for the Council on Foreign Relations and the US International Development Finance Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SoftBank Vision Fund</span> Venture capital fund

The SoftBank Vision Fund is a venture capital fund founded in 2017. It is managed by SoftBank Investment Advisers, a subsidiary of the SoftBank Group. With over $100 billion in capital, it is the world's largest technology-focused investment fund. In 2019, SoftBank Vision Fund 2 was founded. The total fair value of both funds as of 31 March 2021 was $154 billion.

References

  1. ↑ "Lydia Jett Fireside Chat - Splash". lydiajettfiresidechat.splashthat.com. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  2. ↑ "SoftBank's Vision Fund Adds New Leaders, First Woman Managing Partner". Bloomberg.com. 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  3. ↑ "SoftBank's Vision Fund Promotes Lydia Jett to Partner". Yahoo Finance. 2019-03-22. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  4. ↑ "Delivering Alpha 2023 Advisory Board: Lydia Jett". CNBC. 2023-06-16. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  5. ↑ Wang, Selina (2018-11-20). "SoftBank to Invest $2 Billion in Korean E-Commerce Site Coupang". Bloomberg News . Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  6. ↑ Loizos, Connie (2017-09-06). "Given an assist, sports e-commerce giant Fanatics closes that $1 billion round led by SoftBank". TechCrunch . Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  7. ↑ Russell, Jon (2017-08-10). "SoftBank's Vision Fund backs Flipkart in record India tech investment". TechCrunch . Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  8. ↑ Russell, Jon (2018-12-12). "Indonesia e-commerce leader Tokopedia raises $1.1B from Alibaba and SoftBank's Vision Fund". TechCrunch . Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  9. ↑ Konrad, Alex. "The Surprise Investors Who Scored Billions From Coupang's IPO". Forbes . Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  10. ↑ "Lydia Jett, Managing Partner". SoftBank Vision Fund . Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  11. ↑ Hamdi, Raini (2019-04-09). "Klook Receives $225 Million SoftBank Investment in Nod to Tours and Activities". Skift. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  12. ↑ "LTK Announces SoftBank Vision Fund 2 Investment". LTK (Press release). 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  13. ↑ "Ethnic E-Grocer Weee! Raises $425 Million Series E Round Led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2". PR Newswire (Press release). Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  14. ↑ "Bytedance to raise money from SoftBank at $75bn valuation" . Financial Times . 2018-09-28. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  15. ↑ "ezCater Raises $100 Million to Scale Corporate Food Solutions and Redefine Food for Work". ezCater (Press release). Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  16. ↑ "Aleo Raises $200M in Series B to Expand Private-by-Default, Blockchain Platform | Aleo Blog". Aleo (Press release). 2022-02-07. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  17. ↑ Ryan, Aiden; Clark, Kate (2022-07-21). "An 'Exceptionally High' Bar: Investors Shift Focus in New Crypto Deals". The Information. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  18. ↑ Tan, Gillian; Lee, Min Jeong (February 19, 2024). "SoftBank Vision Fund Americas Managing Partner Jett to Depart". Bloomberg News . Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  19. ↑ "Guardant Health Raises Nearly $100M in Series D Funding" . GenomeWeb. 2016-01-07.
  20. ↑ Taylor, Nick Paul (2016-03-21). "10X Genomics scoops another $55M to fuel commercialization of long-read tech". Fierce Biotech.
  21. ↑ "SoftBank Leads $20 Million Investment in Fetch Robotics". Business Wire (Press release). 2015-06-17. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  22. ↑ Crowe, Steve (2021-07-01). "Fetch Robotics acquired by Zebra Technologies for $290M". The Robot Report. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  23. ↑ "Fanatics Announces Appointment of Lydia Jett and Jonathan Mildenhall to Board of Directors". Fanatics Inc (Press release). 2023-05-05. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  24. ↑ Konrad, Alex (May 15, 2021). "The Surprise Investors Who Scored Billions From Coupang's IPO" . Forbes . Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  25. 1 2 Jett, Lydia (2021-03-11). "Look out, Amazon. Asia-based companies such as Coupang are leading the next e-commerce revolution". Fast Company . Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  26. 1 2 Hinchliffe, Emma (2019-10-21). "Inside Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit: The Broadsheet" . Fortune . Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  27. ↑ Savitz, Eric J. (2021-06-17). "Where SoftBank's Lydia Jett Sees Opportunities in Tech Innovation". Barron's (Interview). Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  28. ↑ "Watch CNBC's full interview with Softbank Vision Fund partner Lydia Jett on Coupang". CNBC (Interview). Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  29. ↑ Picker, Leslie (2023-10-10). "Finding the Alpha in Tech". CNBC (Interview). Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  30. ↑ "2023 Forbes Iconoclast Summit: Titans Of Investing". Forbes . Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  31. ↑ "Forbes Announces The Inaugural Iconoclast Summit To Convene The World's Most Iconic Financial Titans". Forbes (Press release). Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  32. ↑ Brainstorm Tech 2022: Investing In Today's Turbulent Market. Brainstorm Tech 2022. Fortune . 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  33. ↑ Primack, Dan (2018-07-17). "Here's Why SoftBank Invests In Multiple Ride-Hailing Companies". Axios (Interview). 1:40. Retrieved 2024-02-27– via Fortune.
  34. ↑ "‎Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy: Lydia Jett - Investing in E-commerce on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts (Podcast). Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  35. ↑ "Where there is less development. there is vast opportunities for Innovation." - Lydia Jett, Partner at Softbank Investment Advisers, and we couldn't... Slush 2019. Retrieved 2024-02-27– via Facebook.
  36. ↑ "‎The Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing I Brands: Lydia Jett (SoftBank) - How she invests in eCommerce at a global scale, How to evaluate emerging markets, and Learnings from 2022 on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts (Podcast). Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  37. ↑ Bettinelli, Greg (2018-02-26). The Rise of the Mega Fund - Softbank's Vision Fund. Upfront Summit 2018. Retrieved 2024-02-27– via YouTube.
  38. ↑ Lydia Jett. WSJ Tech Live. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.